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