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.