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.