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.