********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. /=:.......
**
** **
* *
** **
**