^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^ ^
^ 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. £#*^;--...
^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^^ ^^
^^