********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ,:»**¤&###
**
** **
* *
** **
**