********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ..........
**
** **
* *
** **
**