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.