^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^ ^
^ 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. †«^.......
^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^^ ^^
^^