********
**** ****
** **
* *
* *
* 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. ##£#§*\»-.
**
** **
* *
** **
**