********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~^*
**
** **
* *
** **
**