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.