%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ,,-~;%£&£#
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%