********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ¨¨¨¨¨,~;*&
**
** **
* *
** **
**