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.