%%%%%%%%
%%%% %%%%
%% %%
% %
% %
% 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. ¨¨¨,~†%%#¶
%%
%% %%
% %
%% %%
%%