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.