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§ THE GLASS FACTORY. §
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###£&§†»~, 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. ,~»†§&£###
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