********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
* *
* *
** **
**** ****
********
...:-\*$@¶ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR $*\-:.....
......:-\* THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, *\-:......
.....:-\*$ AND A GIFT SHOP. $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## CONSIDERED POOR. ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, $*\-:.....
......:-\* REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. *\-:......
.....:-\*$ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# SOME ARE SHATTERED. #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON $*\-:.....
......:-\* TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF *\-:......
.....:-\*$ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ ** ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# ** ** #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## ------- * * ------- ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# ** ** #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ ** ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE $*\-:.....
......:-\* OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS *\-:......
.....:-\*$ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE $*\-:.....
......:-\* HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. *\-:......
.....:-\*$ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND $*\-:.....
......:-\* TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST *\-:......
.....:-\*$ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## LIT FROM BEHIND. ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S $*\-:.....
......:-\* LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN *\-:......
.....:-\*$ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## ** ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# ** ** #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ ------- * * ------- ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ ** ** @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ ** $*\-:.....
......:-\* *\-:......
.....:-\*$ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. $*\-:.....
......:-\* *\-:......
.....:-\*$ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL $*\-:.....
......:-\* CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE *\-:......
.....:-\*$ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE $*\-:.....
......:-\* TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS *\-:......
.....:-\*$ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ FLOOR. @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. $*\-:.....
......:-\* THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. *\-:......
.....:-\*$ $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ BECOME STILL. @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ $*\-:.....
......:-\* ** *\-:......
.....:-\*$ ** ** $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ ------- * * ------- @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ ** ** ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# ** #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, $*\-:.....
......:-\* CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST *\-:......
.....:-\*$ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, $*\-:.....
....:-\*$@ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, @$*\-:....
...:-\*$@¶ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¶@$*\-:...
..:-\*$@¶# #¶@$*\-:..
.:-\*$@¶## SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ##¶@$*\-:.
..:-\*$@¶# THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK #¶@$*\-:..
...:-\*$@¶ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¶@$*\-:...
....:-\*$@ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE @$*\-:....
.....:-\*$ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? $*\-:.....
......:-\* *\-:......
.....:-\*$ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. $*\-:.....
**
** **
* *
** **
**