%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ,,-~=%£@##
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%