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.