%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ####§%^=:¨
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%