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.