^^^^^^^^
^^^^ ^^^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^ ^
^ 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. £^=~^,,,,,
^^
^^ ^^
^ ^
^^ ^^
^^