********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ¨¨¨¨-»/*££
**
** **
* *
** **
**