********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ,,,,,,,^»^
**
** **
* *
** **
**