========
==== ====
== ==
= =
= =
= 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. ...~~†=&¶#
==
== ==
= =
== ==
==