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.