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.