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.