§§§§§§§§
§§§§ §§§§
§§ §§
§ §
§ §
§ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
§§
§§ §§
§ §
§§ §§
§§