Howloween, Day Two!

Happy Saturday!

Today, I blog with you again for a second installment of The Factory. I hope you've been enjoying the hop so far, and have connected with some fantastic authors! I know I enjoy many of the books from the authors on the list.

Here's that link again, if you need it.

And here's the second part of the story:

Scene Two:

The shadow grabbed her arm and Courtney thrashed to get away, her cries echoing in her own head. As it pinned her, she knew her life was over. The shadow would kill her and leave her remains to rot in the old, abandoned halls of the Powder Factory.

From a faraway place, her mother’s voice called for her. Courtney struggled out of the haze, trying to reach her mother. Towards a light she clawed, until her eyes flew open and she was blinded by the sunshine peering into her bedroom window.

Throwing her hands in front of her face, Courtney yelled. “Close the blinds! Close the blinds!”

Her mother ran to the window and drew the shades, casting the room into muted darkness. Courtney relaxed and sat up on her elbow, blinking against the blinding headache that pounded her temples.

“Mom? What happened?”

Her mother sat on the edge of her bed. “Baby, your friends brought you home. You fell and hit your head, I guess. What were you doing in the factory, anyway? You know that’s a dangerous place to be.”

Shrugging, Courtney shut down. She didn’t want to tell her mother what she saw inside, and felt strangely protective towards the secret. “I don’t know. I just wanted to explore.”

She watched as her mother walked around the room, straightening pictures and papers on her desk. “I don’t want you going back there, you understand? If you sneak off again, you’ll be grounded for a month.”

“Okay. I’m going to take a shower.”

Finally alone, she stood and walked to the floor length mirror beside her closet. Lifting her shirt, Courtney stared at the three claw marks on her chest. An upside down cross with a circle around it. “What the hell?” The strange symbol was hot to the touch.

Trembling with the knowledge that something horrible had touched her, she turned to get her robe. Her head snapped back to the mirror, studying her reflection. The girl in the mirror was her replicate, but she had stayed when Courtney turned.

At least, Courtney thought she’d seen it.

Her heart raced as she shook her head and laughed a little at herself. Snatching her robe off the hook, she headed for the bathroom. The hot water rushed over her body, rinsing away the grime and dirt from her skin.

Whistling, she flipped her head over after the shower and wrapped it up. Her shadow hung beneath her, but as she watched a long arm extended from it and crawled up the wall towards the mirror.

Courtney froze, eyes wide and breath catching in her throat. She stood slowly, turning to the mirror where her reflection stared back at her and mimicked her expression. Glancing around behind her in the mirror, she blinked hard when her reflection smiled at her.

Her eyes swung around to meet the mirror, and the image of her behind the glass raised a hand and waved with three fingers as a scream ripped from her throat.

~End Scene~

Hope you like it so far!

If you'd like to ask me anything, you can reach me at lindsayktheauthor@yahoo.com. I look forward to continuing this one for y'all!

(Yes, I'm a Texan trapped in Ohio.)

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