§§§§§§§§
§§§§ §§§§
§§ §§
§ §
§ §
§ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
§§
§§ §§
§ §
§§ §§
§§