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.