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.