$$$$$$$$
$$$$ $$$$
$$ $$
$ $
$ $
$ The Glass factory. $
$ $
$ $
$$ $$
$$$$ $$$$
$$$$$$$$
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Several Centuries After It Had Last ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Belonged To Us, We Went On An Outing To ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ The Glass Factory That Bore Our Family ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Name. It Had Changed Owners Many Times ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Since Our Ancestors Death, And Then ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ Stood Abandoned For A Long While. ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ Finally, The Natural End Station For ¨¨¨¨¨~«/$%
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ The Buildings That Survive: A Museum, ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ And A Gift Shop. ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ There'S A Long Time Since My Family ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Made Anything. By Many, We Would Be ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Considered Poor. ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ There Are Two Main Factory Buildings, ¨¨¨¨¨~«/$%
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ Domed Things Of Several Floors, Made In ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Yellow Brick. Large But Narrow Windows, ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Reminescent Of Some Cathedral. ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ Custom-Made Glass, Of Course, Large And ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ LeadEd, And Ashen. A Bit Too Dark To Be ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Practical. On The Eastern Building, ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ Some Are Shattered. ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~«/$%
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ The Other One Is Publicly Open. There'S ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ A Museum, With Wax Figures Of My Great ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Great Great Grandfather, Or Something. ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ Various Tools (Or Replicas) Laid Out On ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Tables, With Explaining Texts. A Lot Of ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Glass Of Varying Thickness. ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨¨¨~«/$%
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ ««««««« $ $ ««««««« ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ $$ ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ I Quickly Sneak Out, And Climb Into The ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ Other Building. The Contrast Is ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ Overwhelming. It Must Have Stood ¨¨¨¨¨~«/$%
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ Derelict For A Long Time, Windows ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Broken, Metallic Trash And Pools Of ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Dark Glass All Over The Floor. No ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ Electric Lights, But I Can See By The ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Light That Shines In Wherever The Dark ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Windows Are Missing A Pane. ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ However, The Greatest Difference Is The ¨¨¨¨¨~«/$%
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ Higher Floors: This Building Has None. ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ It Is One Massive Hall, Stretching Away ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Infinitely Above Me. Somewhere Up There ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ Is Some Great Iron Latticework, From ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Where Chains Are Suspended, And Parts ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Of Machinery Has Been Falling Down. ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ There Is, In The Middle Of The Great ¨¨¨¨¨~«/$%
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ Hall, A Thin Spiral Staircase That ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Leads Up There. I Sneak Over There, And ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Take A Few Reluctant Steps. After Just ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ A Revolution, I Notice That For Each ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Step The Building Starts To Glow, The ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Bricks Turning A Dark Red, And Then ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ Orange, All The Piled Up Debree Being ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ Lit From Behind. ¨¨¨¨¨~«/$%
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ I Stop Ready To Run Down And Out, But ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ There'S Someone Else On The Staircase ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ With Me Now, Pressed Close. He'S ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Looking Like Me, Short Hair And Thin ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Arms, But With Ears From Some Animal, ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ And More Disturbingly, Completely Made ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ Of Dark Liquid glass. ¨¨¨¨¨~«/$%
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ ««««««« $ $ ««««««« ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~«/$%
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ ««««««« $ $ ««««««« ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ $$ $$ ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ $$ ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ A Large Clunk Shakes My Entire Body, ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ And Snaps Me Back Into Reality. I'M ¨¨¨¨¨~«/$%
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ Back At The Factory Floor, But The ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Stairs Are Still Moving Slightly, ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Clicking In Place, Carrying Me The Last ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ Few Centimeters. I Came From Below, ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ Somehow. The Chainmail Is Retracted, ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ And I Slowly Dismount The Stairs. ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
%$/«~¨¨¨¨¨ Shaking And Crying, I Make My Way Over ¨¨¨¨¨~«/$%
#%$/«~¨¨¨¨ The Factory Floor, Wading Through Dark ¨¨¨¨~«/$%#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ Glass Marbles. A Quick Glance Down, And ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
#@#%$/«~¨¨ I See There'S Something Faint Inside ¨¨~«/$%#@#
##@#%$/«~¨ Them. Embryos? Are These Eggs? ¨~«/$%#@##
#@#%$/«~¨¨ ¨¨~«/$%#@#
@#%$/«~¨¨¨ I Shudder, And Climb Back Out. ¨¨¨~«/$%#@
$$
$$ $$
$ $
$$ $$
$$