%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ,,-»=%%##@
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%