********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ¨¨.~\**¤£@
**
** **
* *
** **
**