††††††††
†††† ††††
†† ††
† †
† †
† 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. ,,-~:†%#@#
††
†† ††
† †
†† ††
††