$$$$$$$$
$$$$ $$$$
$$ $$
$ $
$ $
$ THE GLASS FACTORY. $
$ $
$ $
$$ $$
$$$$ $$$$
$$$$$$$$
###@§$†~.¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ $$ ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ $ $ ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ $$ ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ $ $ ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ $$ ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ 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. ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ $$ ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~ $ $ ~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ $$ $$ ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ $$ ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
##@§$†~.¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨.~†$§@##
###@§$†~.¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨.~†$§@###
##@§$†~.¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨.~†$§@##
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
@§$†~.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.~†$§@
#@§$†~.¨¨¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨¨¨.~†$§@#
$$
$$ $$
$ $
$$ $$
$$