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.