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.