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.