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.