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.