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.