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.