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* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
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--........ 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. ....--=*£&
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