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.