========
==== ====
== ==
= =
= =
= 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. ,-»\=%&£##
==
== ==
= =
== ==
==