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.