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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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