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.