========
==== ====
== ==
= =
= =
= 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. ,,,,,,,~~/
==
== ==
= =
== ==
==