%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ¨¨,-=%&¤£@
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%