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.