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.