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.