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.