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.