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.