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.