§§§§§§§§
§§§§ §§§§
§§ §§
§ §
§ §
§ THE GLASS FACTORY. §
§ §
§ §
§§ §§
§§§§ §§§§
§§§§§§§§
###£$§*».¨ SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ AND A GIFT SHOP. ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ CONSIDERED POOR. ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ SOME ARE SHATTERED. ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ §§ ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ »»»»»»» § § »»»»»»» ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ §§ ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ LIT FROM BEHIND. ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ §§ ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ »»»»»»» § § »»»»»»» ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ §§ ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ FLOOR. ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ BECOME STILL. ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ §§ ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ §§ §§ ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ »»»»»»» § § »»»»»»» ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ §§ §§ ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ §§ ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ¨.»*§$£###
##£$§*».¨¨ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ¨¨.»*§$£##
#£$§*».¨¨¨ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ¨¨¨.»*§$£#
##£$§*».¨¨ ¨¨.»*§$£##
###£$§*».¨ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ¨.»*§$£###
§§
§§ §§
§ §
§§ §§
§§