^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^ ^
^ 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. **»~......
^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^^ ^^
^^