††††††††
†††† ††††
†† ††
† †
† †
† 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. .:=:†&##
††
†† ††
† †
†† ††
††