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.