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.