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= THE GLASS FACTORY. =
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.^~;=@#### 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. ####@=;~^.
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