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% THE GLASS FACTORY. %
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####&§:--. 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. ..--:§&###
####&§:--. .--:§&####
###&§:--.. %% ..--:§&###
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###&§:--.. ------- % % ------- ..--:§&###
####&§:--. %% %% .--:§&####
###&§:--.. %% ..--:§&###
####&§:--. .--:§&####
###&§:--.. 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. .--:§&####
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