%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ,,,::%%§##
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%