%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨~-=%
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%