********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ¨¨:~^*¤¤@#
**
** **
* *
** **
**