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.