%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ...~\%£¤£#
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%