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.