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.