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.