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.