††††††††
†††† ††††
†† ††
† †
† †
† 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. ¨¨¨^=;†%£@
††
†† ††
† †
†† ††
††