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.