††††††††
†††† ††††
†† ††
† †
† †
† 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. ###§@†;«,.
††
†† ††
† †
†† ††
††