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.