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.