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.