%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ###@§%;~,,
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%