$$$$$$$$
$$$$ $$$$
$$ $$
$ $
$ $
$ THE GLASS FACTORY. $
$ $
$ $
$$ $$
$$$$ $$$$
$$$$$$$$
#@#£§$=«-¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ $$ ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ ««««««« $ $ ««««««« ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ $$ ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ $$ ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ ««««««« $ $ ««««««« ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ $$ ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ 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. ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ $$ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ $$ $$ ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ««««««« $ $ ««««««« ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ $$ $$ ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ $$ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨-«=$§£#@#
@#£§$=«-¨¨ ¨¨-«=$§£#@
#@#£§$=«-¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨-«=$§£#@#
$$
$$ $$
$ $
$$ $$
$$