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.