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.