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.