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.