%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ¶£@%/«:,,,
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%