********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
**
** **
* *
** **
**