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.