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.