$$$$$$$$
$$$$ $$$$
$$ $$
$ $
$ $
$ The Glass factory. $
$ $
$ $
$$ $$
$$$$ $$$$
$$$$$$$$
.....^-:$£ Several Centuries After It Had Last £$:-^.....
....^-:$££ Belonged To Us, We Went On An Outing To ££$:-^....
...^-:$££@ The Glass Factory That Bore Our Family @££$:-^...
..^-:$££@# Name. It Had Changed Owners Many Times #@££$:-^..
.^-:$££@## Since Our Ancestors Death, And Then ##@££$:-^.
..^-:$££@# Stood Abandoned For A Long While. #@££$:-^..
...^-:$££@ Finally, The Natural End Station For @££$:-^...
....^-:$££ The Buildings That Survive: A Museum, ££$:-^....
.....^-:$£ And A Gift Shop. £$:-^.....
......^-:$ $:-^......
.......^-: There'S A Long Time Since My Family :-^.......
........^- Made Anything. By Many, We Would Be -^........
.........^ Considered Poor. ^.........
.......... ..........
.........^ There Are Two Main Factory Buildings, ^.........
........^- Domed Things Of Several Floors, Made In -^........
.......^-: Yellow Brick. Large But Narrow Windows, :-^.......
......^-:$ Reminescent Of Some Cathedral. $:-^......
.....^-:$£ Custom-Made Glass, Of Course, Large And £$:-^.....
....^-:$££ LeadEd, And Ashen. A Bit Too Dark To Be ££$:-^....
...^-:$££@ Practical. On The Eastern Building, @££$:-^...
..^-:$££@# Some Are Shattered. #@££$:-^..
.^-:$££@## ##@££$:-^.
..^-:$££@# The Other One Is Publicly Open. There'S #@££$:-^..
...^-:$££@ A Museum, With Wax Figures Of My Great @££$:-^...
....^-:$££ Great Great Grandfather, Or Something. ££$:-^....
.....^-:$£ Various Tools (Or Replicas) Laid Out On £$:-^.....
......^-:$ Tables, With Explaining Texts. A Lot Of $:-^......
.......^-: Glass Of Varying Thickness. :-^.......
........^- -^........
.........^ $$ ^.........
.......... $$ $$ ..........
.........^ ------- $ $ ------- ^.........
........^- $$ $$ -^........
.......^-: $$ :-^.......
......^-:$ $:-^......
.....^-:$£ I Quickly Sneak Out, And Climb Into The £$:-^.....
....^-:$££ Other Building. The Contrast Is ££$:-^....
...^-:$££@ Overwhelming. It Must Have Stood @££$:-^...
..^-:$££@# Derelict For A Long Time, Windows #@££$:-^..
.^-:$££@## Broken, Metallic Trash And Pools Of ##@££$:-^.
..^-:$££@# Dark Glass All Over The Floor. No #@££$:-^..
...^-:$££@ Electric Lights, But I Can See By The @££$:-^...
....^-:$££ Light That Shines In Wherever The Dark ££$:-^....
.....^-:$£ Windows Are Missing A Pane. £$:-^.....
......^-:$ $:-^......
.......^-: However, The Greatest Difference Is The :-^.......
........^- Higher Floors: This Building Has None. -^........
.........^ It Is One Massive Hall, Stretching Away ^.........
.......... Infinitely Above Me. Somewhere Up There ..........
.........^ Is Some Great Iron Latticework, From ^.........
........^- Where Chains Are Suspended, And Parts -^........
.......^-: Of Machinery Has Been Falling Down. :-^.......
......^-:$ $:-^......
.....^-:$£ There Is, In The Middle Of The Great £$:-^.....
....^-:$££ Hall, A Thin Spiral Staircase That ££$:-^....
...^-:$££@ Leads Up There. I Sneak Over There, And @££$:-^...
..^-:$££@# Take A Few Reluctant Steps. After Just #@££$:-^..
.^-:$££@## A Revolution, I Notice That For Each ##@££$:-^.
..^-:$££@# Step The Building Starts To Glow, The #@££$:-^..
...^-:$££@ Bricks Turning A Dark Red, And Then @££$:-^...
....^-:$££ Orange, All The Piled Up Debree Being ££$:-^....
.....^-:$£ Lit From Behind. £$:-^.....
......^-:$ $:-^......
.......^-: I Stop Ready To Run Down And Out, But :-^.......
........^- There'S Someone Else On The Staircase -^........
.........^ With Me Now, Pressed Close. He'S ^.........
.......... Looking Like Me, Short Hair And Thin ..........
.........^ Arms, But With Ears From Some Animal, ^.........
........^- And More Disturbingly, Completely Made -^........
.......^-: Of Dark Liquid glass. :-^.......
......^-:$ $:-^......
.....^-:$£ $$ £$:-^.....
....^-:$££ $$ $$ ££$:-^....
...^-:$££@ ------- $ $ ------- @££$:-^...
..^-:$££@# $$ $$ #@££$:-^..
.^-:$££@## $$ ##@££$:-^.
..^-:$££@# #@££$:-^..
...^-:$££@ 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. $:-^......
.....^-:$£ £$:-^.....
....^-:$££ $$ ££$:-^....
...^-:$££@ $$ $$ @££$:-^...
..^-:$££@# ------- $ $ ------- #@££$:-^..
.^-:$££@## $$ $$ ##@££$:-^.
..^-:$££@# $$ #@££$:-^..
...^-:$££@ @££$:-^...
....^-:$££ A Large Clunk Shakes My Entire Body, ££$:-^....
.....^-:$£ And Snaps Me Back Into Reality. I'M £$:-^.....
......^-:$ Back At The Factory Floor, But The $:-^......
.......^-: Stairs Are Still Moving Slightly, :-^.......
........^- Clicking In Place, Carrying Me The Last -^........
.........^ Few Centimeters. I Came From Below, ^.........
.......... Somehow. The Chainmail Is Retracted, ..........
.........^ And I Slowly Dismount The Stairs. ^.........
........^- -^........
.......^-: Shaking And Crying, I Make My Way Over :-^.......
......^-:$ The Factory Floor, Wading Through Dark $:-^......
.....^-:$£ Glass Marbles. A Quick Glance Down, And £$:-^.....
....^-:$££ I See There'S Something Faint Inside ££$:-^....
...^-:$££@ Them. Embryos? Are These Eggs? @££$:-^...
..^-:$££@# #@££$:-^..
.^-:$££@## I Shudder, And Climb Back Out. ##@££$:-^.
$$
$$ $$
$ $
$$ $$
$$