********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ......~~\*
**
** **
* *
** **
**