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.