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.