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.