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.