††††††††
†††† ††††
†† ††
† †
† †
† 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. ##££&†\~.¨
††
†† ††
† †
†† ††
††