$$$$$$$$
$$$$ $$$$
$$ $$
$ $
$ $
$ The Glass factory. $
$ $
$ $
$$ $$
$$$$ $$$$
$$$$$$$$
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ Several Centuries After It Had Last ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
†«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ Belonged To Us, We Went On An Outing To ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«†
$†«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ The Glass Factory That Bore Our Family ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«†$
$$†«,¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨,«†$$#
$$
$$ $$
$ $
$$ $$
$$