********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ,,,,,~\*§&
**
** **
* *
** **
**