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.