********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
**
** **
* *
** **
**