********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ¨¨¨¨:~*%&@
**
** **
* *
** **
**