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                    †                    †                    
                    † THE GLASS FACTORY. †                    
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.:~=†£&### 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. ###&£†=~:.
                                                              
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