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.