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§ THE GLASS FACTORY. §
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##&£§;~.¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
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