********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ,,,.«=**##
**
** **
* *
** **
**