$$$$$$$$
$$$$ $$$$
$$ $$
$ $
$ $
$ THE GLASS FACTORY. $
$ $
$ $
$$ $$
$$$$ $$$$
$$$$$$$$
£@*=»:.... SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ....:»=*@£
#£@*=»:... BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ...:»=*@£#
##£@*=»:.. THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ..:»=*@£##
###£@*=»:. NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES .:»=*@£###
##£@*=»:.. SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ..:»=*@£##
#£@*=»:... STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ...:»=*@£#
£@*=»:.... FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ....:»=*@£
@*=»:..... THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, .....:»=*@
*=»:...... AND A GIFT SHOP. ......:»=*
=»:....... .......:»=
»:........ THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ........:»
:......... MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE .........:
»:........ CONSIDERED POOR. ........:»
=»:....... .......:»=
*=»:...... THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ......:»=*
@*=»:..... DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN .....:»=*@
£@*=»:.... YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ....:»=*@£
#£@*=»:... REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ...:»=*@£#
##£@*=»:.. CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ..:»=*@£##
###£@*=»:. LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE .:»=*@£###
##£@*=»:.. PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ..:»=*@£##
#£@*=»:... SOME ARE SHATTERED. ...:»=*@£#
£@*=»:.... ....:»=*@£
@*=»:..... THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S .....:»=*@
*=»:...... A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ......:»=*
=»:....... GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. .......:»=
»:........ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ........:»
:......... TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF .........:
»:........ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ........:»
=»:....... .......:»=
*=»:...... $$ ......:»=*
@*=»:..... $$ $$ .....:»=*@
£@*=»:.... »»»»»»» $ $ »»»»»»» ....:»=*@£
#£@*=»:... $$ $$ ...:»=*@£#
##£@*=»:.. $$ ..:»=*@£##
###£@*=»:. .:»=*@£###
##£@*=»:.. I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ..:»=*@£##
#£@*=»:... OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ...:»=*@£#
£@*=»:.... OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ....:»=*@£
@*=»:..... DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS .....:»=*@
*=»:...... BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ......:»=*
=»:....... DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO .......:»=
»:........ ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ........:»
:......... LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK .........:
»:........ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ........:»
=»:....... .......:»=
*=»:...... HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ......:»=*
@*=»:..... HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. .....:»=*@
£@*=»:.... IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ....:»=*@£
#£@*=»:... INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ...:»=*@£#
##£@*=»:.. IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ..:»=*@£##
###£@*=»:. WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS .:»=*@£###
##£@*=»:.. OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ..:»=*@£##
#£@*=»:... ...:»=*@£#
£@*=»:.... THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ....:»=*@£
@*=»:..... HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT .....:»=*@
*=»:...... LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ......:»=*
=»:....... TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST .......:»=
»:........ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ........:»
:......... STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE .........:
»:........ BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ........:»
=»:....... ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING .......:»=
*=»:...... LIT FROM BEHIND. ......:»=*
@*=»:..... .....:»=*@
£@*=»:.... I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ....:»=*@£
#£@*=»:... THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ...:»=*@£#
##£@*=»:.. WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ..:»=*@£##
###£@*=»:. LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN .:»=*@£###
##£@*=»:.. ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ..:»=*@£##
#£@*=»:... AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ...:»=*@£#
£@*=»:.... OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ....:»=*@£
@*=»:..... .....:»=*@
*=»:...... $$ ......:»=*
=»:....... $$ $$ .......:»=
»:........ »»»»»»» $ $ »»»»»»» ........:»
:......... $$ $$ .........:
»:........ $$ ........:»
=»:....... .......:»=
*=»:...... 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. .......:»=
*=»:...... ......:»=*
@*=»:..... $$ .....:»=*@
£@*=»:.... $$ $$ ....:»=*@£
#£@*=»:... »»»»»»» $ $ »»»»»»» ...:»=*@£#
##£@*=»:.. $$ $$ ..:»=*@£##
###£@*=»:. $$ .:»=*@£###
##£@*=»:.. ..:»=*@£##
#£@*=»:... A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ...:»=*@£#
£@*=»:.... AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ....:»=*@£
@*=»:..... BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE .....:»=*@
*=»:...... STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ......:»=*
=»:....... CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST .......:»=
»:........ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ........:»
:......... SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, .........:
»:........ AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ........:»
=»:....... .......:»=
*=»:...... SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ......:»=*
@*=»:..... THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK .....:»=*@
£@*=»:.... GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ....:»=*@£
#£@*=»:... I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ...:»=*@£#
##£@*=»:.. THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ..:»=*@£##
###£@*=»:. .:»=*@£###
##£@*=»:.. I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ..:»=*@£##
$$
$$ $$
$ $
$$ $$
$$