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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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