^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^ ^
^ 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. ,^«:^%##
^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^^ ^^
^^