%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ¶@$%==^...
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%