Weekend Wrap-up #14

The Sunday post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things you have received.

I'm thankful we are getting closer to the end of July because summer always brings tougher days at work for me (so many flight cancellations) and so I can't wait for it to be autumn already. Once month to go...

Yesterday we ordered our wedding rings. We've been to several jewellery shops and the choice wasn't easy but we are pleased with the ones we picked in the end (I'll show you Lovelies, along with some wedding pics when we get there).

Yesterday I was off so we  could at last binge the third season of La Casa de Papel (Money Heist). It's one of my favourite Spanish shows at the moment, the characters are to die for and there's so much action in it, I'm always at the edge of my seat while watching. Also, I ship El Profesor and Raquel hard.

I've finished reading The Balance of Heaven and Earth by Laurance Westwood yesterday, my review is coming next week. I'm planning to finish Lady Audley's Secret soon.

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that makes it possible to share with other bookworms what books you added to your shelves – physical or virtual – during the week.

Physical Books:

Title: De Profundis, The Ballad of the Reading Gaol & Other Writings

Author: Oscar Wilde

Goodreads

Synopsis: De Profundis is Oscar Wilde's eloquent and bitter reproach from prison to his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas ("Bosie"). In an extended letter, Wilde accuses Lord Alfred of selfishness, shallowness, parasitism, greed, extravagance, tantrums, pettiness, and neglect. He contrasts this behaviour towards him with the selfless devotion of his close friend, Robert Ross, who became Wilde's literary executor, gave the work its title (from the opening of Psalm 130) and who published a shortened version of it in 1905.

The Ballad of Reading Gaol is a deeply moving and characteristically generous poem on the horrors of prison life. It was published anonymously in 1898, signed only "C.3.3.", Wilde's cell number in Reading Gaol. Wilde himself, released from his two-year prison sentence in 1897, was at the time living in France on the charity of friends and under the pseudonym Sebastian Melmoth.

This collection also includes the essay "The Soul of Men Under Socialism", Wilde's most outspoken defence of anarchy, and two of his Platonic dialogues, "The Decay of Lying" and "The Critic as Artist" in which he puts forward his provocatively witty ideas about art and this social role of the artist.

Title: My Dear Hamilton

Author: Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie

Goodreads

Synopsis:

A general’s daughter…

Coming of age on the perilous frontier of revolutionary New York, Elizabeth Schuyler champions the fight for independence. And when she meets Alexander Hamilton, Washington’s penniless but passionate aide-de-camp, she’s captivated by the young officer’s charisma and brilliance. They fall in love, despite Hamilton’s bastard birth and the uncertainties of war.

A founding father’s wife...

But the union they create—in their marriage and the new nation—is far from perfect. From glittering inaugural balls to bloody street riots, the Hamiltons are at the center of it all—including the political treachery of America’s first sex scandal, which forces Eliza to struggle through heartbreak and betrayal to find forgiveness.

The last surviving light of the Revolution…

When a duel destroys Eliza’s hard-won peace, the grieving widow fights her husband’s enemies to preserve Alexander’s legacy. But long-buried secrets threaten everything Eliza believes about her marriage and her own legacy. Questioning her tireless devotion to the man and country that have broken her heart, she’s left with one last battle—to understand the flawed man she married and the imperfect union he could never have created without her…

ARCs:

Title: Screamcatcher

Author: Christy J. Breedlove

Goodreads

Synopsis:

When seventeen-year-old Jory Pike cannot shake the hellish nightmares of her parent’s deaths, she turns to an old family heirloom, a dream catcher. Even though she’s half blood Chippewa, Jory thinks old Indian lore is so yesterday, but she’s willing to give it a try. However, the dream catcher has had its fill of nightmares from an ancient and violent past. After a sleepover party, and during one of Jory’s most horrific dream episodes, the dream catcher implodes, sucking Jory and her three friends into its own world of trapped nightmares. They’re in an alternate universe—locked inside of an insane web world. How can they find the center of the web, where all good things are allowed to pass?

What has happened to you this week? What are you reading right now?

Please leave your weekend post links below so I can visit your site.

Weekend Wrap-up #5

The Sunday post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things you have received.

This week was about job interviews for me and my boyfriend too. Fingers crossed we'll soon be able to start our life together in earnest because we've been waiting for long enough to do that.

I watched The Greatest Showman recently and I CAN'T STOP listening to the soundtrack. I hum the songs all day and dance to them too when no one's watching. I'm totally obsessed with the film, it's pure magic.

This week I posted my Red Tent review at last and my first ever giveaway is live too (please check below). No one has entered it yet, I don't know if it's because of a lack of interest or perhaps I messed something up with the giveaway itself (?) I'm a little worried, haha.

This was altogether a good reading week for me, I finished The Shipbuilder by Salina B. Baker (My review is coming tomorrow) and I'm making good progress with all three books I'm reading at the moment (see the titles in the 'Currently reading' section on the sidebar).

Posts on the blog this week:

Monday: Book Blitz - Death Island by Kelsey Ketch 

Tuesday: Review + Gieveaway - The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Wednesday: WWW Wednesday #10

Thursday: Red Queen read-along update #1

Friday: Book Beginnings on Friday and the Friday 56 #12

Click on the picture if you'd like participate in my Red Tent giveaway!

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that makes it possible to share with other bookworms what books you added to your shelves – physical or virtual – during the week.

I added a new e-arc to my collection this week. I read Stephen King's Salem's Lot earlier this year and since it was a pleasant surprise I thought maybe the time has come for me to take a few tentative steps towards the horror genre and try some other scary books. I sincerely hope I won't be afraid of cats forever after reading Clowders, haha.

Title: Clowders

Author: Vanessa Morgan

Publication Date: March 1st, 2018

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads

Synopsis:

Clervaux, Luxembourg. This secluded, picturesque town in the middle of Europe is home to more cats than people. For years, tourists have flocked to this place – also known as “cat haven” - to meet the cats and buy cat-related souvenirs.

When Aidan, Jess and their five-year-old daughter, Eleonore, move from America to Clervaux, it seems as if they've arrived in paradise. It soon becomes clear, though, that the inhabitants' adoration of their cats is unhealthy. According to a local legend, each time a cat dies, nine human lives are taken as a punishment. To tourists, these tales are supernatural folklore, created to frighten children on cold winter nights. But for the inhabitants of Clervaux, the danger is darkly, horrifyingly real.

Initially, Aidan and Jess regard this as local superstition, but when Jess runs over a cat after a night out in the town, people start dying, one by one, and each time it happens, a clowder of cats can be seen roaming the premises.

Are they falling victim to the collective paranoia infecting the entire town? Or is something horrible waiting for them? Something unspeakably evil.

Aidan and Jess' move to Europe may just have been the worst decision they ever made.

How was your week? Any good news? Any new books? Let me know in a comment below!

Weekend Wrap-up #9

The Sunday post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things you have received.

This was my first week at the new job. I didn't work yet actually, only observed what my colleagues were doing. I'll do that for another week, then my training will start on June 4th. 

I didn't think that sitting and watching would be as exhausting as it is but the thing is, time would go so much faster if I had active tasks too. Not that I'm complaining, I'm getting paid for showing up and doing virtually nothing for 8 hours so yeah... it's worth it, obviously. However, I'm looking forward to the real training process more and more.

My best friend moved home to Hungary at last and I'm looking forward to seeing her next week when she comes to my town to hang out with me. Good times ahead.

This week I finished Clowders by Vanessa Morgan. It was kind of a disappointment unfortunately. My review is coming next week. I've started reading Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman and can't wait to learn more about the Norse gods.

Recent posts on the blog:

Monday: Life Update and Goodreads Monday #14 

Tuesday: Tell Me Something Tuesday #2

Wednesday: WWW Wednesday #14

Friday: Book Beginnings and the Friday 56 #16

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that makes it possible to share with other bookworms what books you added to your shelves – physical or virtual – during the week.

I haven't added any books to my physical or virtual shelf in the past 7 days, however, there's a couple I haven't showed you guys yet due to missed weekend wrap-ups. Here they are:

Title: Succubus Lips (Succubus Sirens #1)

Author: Lina Jubilee

Publication Date: May 8th, 2018

Source: RockStar Book Tours

Goodreads

I won't lie to you: there are so many ways this book can go wrong or can trun out to be problematic and I'm very curious if the writer managed to do it well or the story trips on itself and its subject material. I haven't read erotica in a while so yeah, let's do this!

Title: Bring Me Their Hearts

Author: Sara Wolf

Publication Date: June 5th, 2018

Source: YA Bound Book Tours

Goodreads

I'll probably start reading this book pretty soon, as  my book tour review date is June 15th. You'll hear more about this title on the blog soon.

Don't forget to leave a link to your weekend posts! Have a nice one!

Weekend Wrap-up #7

The Sunday post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things you have received.

I didn't sleep much last night because my friend's plane was late and so we all went to bed around 4 am. She had to leave very early in the morning too, I hope we'll have more time to spend together on Monday.

I was very lazy this week, it must have been because of the hot weather but it's no good anyway. I need my energy back!!

I'm currently reading Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood, which is very charming so far, I like spending time with it.

Recent posts on the blog:

Monday: Goodreads Monday #12 - Last Letter Home by Rachel Hore

Tuesday: April Wrap-Up, May TBR

Thursday: Review - The Last Sun (The Tarot Sequence #1) by K.D. Edwards

Friday: Book Beginnings and the Friday 56 # 13 - Nothing But Sky  by Amy Trueblood

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that makes it possible to share with other bookworms what books you added to your shelves – physical or virtual – during the week.

I received one eARC via NetGalley this week:

Title: Claire's Last Secret

Author: Marty Ambrose

Publication Date: September 1st, 2018

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads

I really shouldn't browse NetGalley after promising myself I wouldn't request more titles... But there is always that one book that finds you there...  I don't even like Claire Clairmont that much but any story that involves Lord Byron, the Shelleys and that famous night at Villa Diodati is a must read for me. Sorry not sorry.

Don't forget to leave a link to your weekend posts! Have a nice one!

Weekend Wrap-up #11

The Sunday post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things you have received.

I worked regular times from Monday to Friday this week. I could live with this, too bad it won't always be like this. 

On the other hand next week I have days off on Wednesday and Thursday, which means I can go to see the doctor at last and find out if I have allergies or not... 

I spent the weekend with my boyfriend in Eger. I really hope next week he'll hear back from at least one of his potential work places because that would mean we could start looking for a place to rent together.

I finished Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf this week. It didn't sweep me off my feet unfortuantely, my review is coming soon. I'm still reading Mrs Sherlock Holmes and liking it so far.

Recent posts on the blog:

Tuesday: Review - Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Thursday: Reading Habits Tag 

What happened to you this week? What are you reading right now?

Weekend Wrap-up #2

The Sunday post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things you have received.

This week went by very fast and relatively uneventful. The snow is melting at last which gives me hope that spring is knocking at our doors. I'd really love to go for more walks but only if it's not freezing cold outside.

My left eye was inflamed yesterday but luckily it got better fast (I dabbed at it with a cotton pad soaked in camomile tea – gosh, I hate the smell of camomile...). Now I'm allowed to strain my eyes again, yay! XD

I've finished one novel and one short story this week one of which I enjoyed, and one that wasn't very much to my liking. Reviews are on the way.

Posts this week:

• Goodreads Monday: Death or Ice-Cream?
• Tell Me Something Tuesday: Books I can't wait to share with my kids
• Words, words, words: NTLive Hamlet with Benedict Cumberbatch Review
• Book Beginnings and the Friday 56 - Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts
• Review – Oops, Caught by Alli Reshi

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that makes it possible to share with other bookworms what books you added to your shelves – physical or virtual – during the week.

I have only one new ARC to show you this week:

Title: Oops, Caught (Expanding Horizon #1)

Author: Alli Reshi

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads

Synopsis:

Mark Noland can’t figure out how he got into such a fix. How does an ex-mercenary (okay, an almost-reformed mercenary) get himself caught, stuck in a holding cell, on a hostile alien planet? Held captive by strange bug-like creatures who’d just as soon eat him as look at him. How can a simple mission go so awry? To make matters worse, Noland’s not alone. His fellow prisoner, a certain high-ranking, elite Stella officer holds him responsible for their failed plan. Yeah, it was supposed to be a quick in and quick out sort of mission. But no… Officer Gavnson just can’t let it go.

It’s not so easy trying to plan an escape when Noland keeps getting distracted by how his mission partner so very nicely fills out his uniform. And he suspects Gavnson is hiding something, too. As tensions run high, secrets are revealed that will change the both of them. There’s nothing like gunfights and running for your life to make that special bond.

It's a very short lgbtq sci-fi novella. My review will be up soon. 

I also have something else to share with you: a book-related DVD I've purchased recently:

I've seen this Onegin film adaptation ages ago and loved it a lot. It was around the time when in high school I had an Onegin phase and couldn't shut up about Pushkin's novel. Now that I'm gonna meet Toby Stephens in the summer at London Film and Comic Con, I've decided to revisit some of his older projects and this film is among them (he plays Lensky in it). Can't wait to discover if I'll still rate this movie as high as I would have done 10 years ago.

How was your week? What books did you add to your library? 

Leave your links down below, please!

Have a nice weekend!!

Life Update and Goodreads Monday #14

 

As you might have noticed, I skipped my wrap-up post this past weekend. The reason is that my boyfriend came to visit and we could finally spend more than one day together (living in different cities sucks). On Saturday we watched Deadpool 2 in the cinema, had a good laugh during certain scenes and cooked lunch together afterwards. On Sunday we had a lazy day but we managed to book accomodation and plane tickets for our summer outing to London. Comic con, here we come!

Tomorrow I'm starting my new job with Travelliance. I'm a teeny tiny bit excited for that... I'll do my best running the blog the same way I have so far but let me say sorry in advance if in the first couple of weeks my posts will come in an erratic fashion. I'll have to come up with a comfortable schedule to make it work but I surely will.

A week went by since the last Timeless episode and there is still not one peep from NBC about the show's future. The ratings went up with the season finale, Clockblockers almost broke twitter on Sunday and still, there's no news from the network. It makes me worried and angry sometimes because it's not fair towards those who work on the show and towards fans either. I apologize if you follow me on twitter and see my daily #SaveTimeless tweets but I'm serious about wanting to help save this show. You know how much I love history and this show makes a good job gathering and conveying unknown facts to the viewers, which is only one of the reasons why I'm obsessed with it. I refuse to give up on Timeless and I'm letting NBC know that ever day.

 

I'm a bit behind myself with my May reading schedule but hey, what's new? I'm currently reading Clowders by Vanessa Morgan, which is my first horror novel since December last year, when I read and loved Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot. Clowders is too slow-burning for my liking so far and not as scary as I expected it to be, though I'm only half-way through so my opinion can still change if the plot thickens a bit.

And now, onto my customary GoodReads Monday post...

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren @ Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back to Lauren’s Page Turners and link up to the inlinkz so others can see what you picked!

I think it's time I got acquainted with Hamilton the musical (I've heard a lot about it but never listened to the soundtrack) and the story behind it too. It seems the following book could be a nice companion to the musical:

My Dear Hamilton

by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

Synopsis:

A novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton

A general's daughter...

Coming of age on the perilous frontier of revolutionary New York, Elizabeth Schuyler champions the fight for independence. And when she meets Alexander Hamilton, Washington's penniless but passionate aide-de-camp, she's captivated by the young officer's charisma and brilliance. They fall in love, despite Hamilton's bastard birth and the uncertainties of war.

A founding father's wife...

But the union they create - in their marriage and the new nation - is far from perfect. From glittering inaugural balls to bloody street riots, the Hamiltons are at the center of it all - including the political treachery of America's first sex scandal, which forces Eliza to struggle through heartbreak and betrayal to find forgiveness.

The last surviving light of the Revolution...

When a duel destroys Eliza's hard-won peace, the grieving widow fights her husband's enemies to preserve Alexander's legacy. But long-buried secrets threaten everything Eliza believes about her marriage and her own legacy. Questioning her tireless devotion to the man and country that have broken her heart, she's left with one last battle - to understand the flawed man she married and imperfect union he could never have created without her...

 Which book are you dying to read right now? Let me know in a comment below!

Book Photo Sundays #1

 

The goal of this book meme is to basically just post up a photo of the various books you have read or your book hauls on your blog and link back to Rabbit Ears Book Blog so everyone can check out your wonderful book photos!  You can get your book photos through your Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Iphone or any other account where you can get your photos!

My photo is of a recent read: Daredevil: A Man Without Fear 
by Frank Miller, Illustrated by John Romita Jr.

I started reading graphic novels and comic books lately and, since this week I rewatched the Netflix show with my boyfriend, I thought Daredevil would be a fitting subject for this meme. I also wanted to show you my Funko Matty, 'cause he's adorable.

Today's question:

Who's your favourite superhero?

Happy Sunday, happy reading! 

Release Blitz - Stolen by Marlena Frank

I am so excited that STOLEN by Marlena Frank is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Marlena Frank, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International, courtesy of The Parliament House and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Title: STOLEN (Stolen #1)

Author: Marlena Frank

Pub. Date: January 22, 2019

Publisher: The Parliament House

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 342

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo

It’s difficult taking care of a delusional father by yourself. Sixteen-year-old Shaleigh Mallet would rather explore and photograph dilapidated buildings than cater to her father’s dark episodes. But when she’s kidnapped by a creature who carries her atop a flying bicycle into another world, she realizes this wasn’t the escape she wanted.

In a kingdom known as the Garden, where minotaurs pull carriages and parties are held in hot air balloons, Madam Cloom and her faerie servant, Teagan, rule over the land with incredible but terrifying magic. Shaleigh must prove that she is the reincarnation of a long-dead ruler, not because she believes it, but because it’s her only chance to survive. With the help of a trespassing faerie, a stoatling, and a living statue, Shaleigh hopes to outwit everyone. She aims to break the bonds of servitude and finally make her way home. What she doesn’t realize, however, is that she’s playing right into the hands of a far worse enemy...

Book Trailer:

PART I
 
FREEFALL

AN EMBARRASSMENT
 

Shaleigh didn’t think about how much concrete and steel stood over her head as she stepped carefully down the decaying hallway of Ferris Factory. The building had been abandoned for so long that the mildew and fungus ran rampant from the moisture that crept down the crumbling walls, so a respirator was a requirement. Ferris Factory was only two stories tall from the outside, but the floors underground felt endless. The elevator shaft only went down three floors when it had been operational; the rest of the floors could only be reached with the stairs. She doubted any of it had been inspected by the fire marshal.

Her best friend, Kaeja, walked so close behind that she could feel her warm breath on the back of her neck. The only sound that echoed up and down the hallway, besides their footsteps, was the snap of Shaleigh’s camera. The photos were why they risked their lives to explore dangerous places: to document the decrepit. It was thrilling to explore a place that nobody else would see. Eventually all the walls would fall, and Ferris Factory would decay into memory. Shaleigh and Kaeja would have the only remaining proof it even existed, especially since it was clear that nobody was supposed to know about this section of the factory.

A rat skittered out of a heap of moldy paperwork and Kaeja took a deep breath until it passed. “This is the worst one yet. By far.” Shaleigh grinned, though her respirator concealed it. “Come on, we had to come back and take the stairs down. We couldn’t just end it at the base of the elevator.”

“Do you see that?” She swung the flashlight to the side. “I couldn’t even hang a picture on that wall. Four floors down was enough, five floors is just begging to get hurt.”

Kaeja was right, the walls of the hallway curved inward like a bow string. Shaleigh hadn’t noticed how bad it was until she mentioned it. “We’ll be quick.”

She snapped as many photos as she could while Kaeja held the flashlight. It illuminated a good portion of the hall, but the beam had little effect against the thick, sick air. The light ought to have made the place more inviting, but it only made the shadows darker. It was hard for Shaleigh to keep her hands steady for the photos; fear and exhilaration kept combating within her. Sure, this place was terrifying and could collapse at any moment, but the thought of capturing a world that would never been seen again, of documenting the forgotten before it disappeared, made her tap the shutter button of her camera faster. "I wish we had more time. I'd love to look inside some of these rooms."

"Not me," Kaeja said, her eyes shadowed by the reflections of the flashlight on her mask. "These halls are creepy enough, thanks." The light flashed across some metal scraps against the bowed wooden wall. It was hard to tell if it had been left behind by the workers, or if it had fallen from the ceiling. "Didn't they used to make cars here?"

"Sure, that's it." Shaleigh snorted as she tapped on a dirt-encrusted sign that warned visitors that the hallway was a high security corridor. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"It's an old building, but that doesn't mean they were hiding anything down here."

"Then what's with the high security? They had to be doing something illegal down here. The maps we found don't even show these floors. I heard it used to be a hospital,”
Shaleigh glanced back to her with a smile. “Dad heard it from a colleague at work. They used to keep dangerous people here.” Kaeja stared at her, the beam from the flashlight in her hands trembling.

A high-pitched squeal of metal echoed down through the insides of the building, as though the entire structure was shifting under its own weight. The squeal turned into a groan that shook the very floor beneath their feet. Both teens froze, barely daring to breathe as debris fell from the ceiling. Seven levels of exhausted steel, wood, and plaster shifted over their heads. They stood in silence waiting for the walls to give way, waiting to be buried beneath the rusty metal beams, discolored linoleum floors, and rat-infested insulation; but the building remained steady.

The noise stopped. Particles drifted in the air.

"It doesn't sound very good, does it?" Shaleigh whispered.

"I don't like it. I don't care what you say, this is the lowest I'm going. Five levels below ground is far enough."

Shaleigh stifled a laugh, "That's what you said when we found the stairs."

A high-pitched noise erupted down the hall causing both teens to jump. It didn't sound metallic...it didn't sound like the building at all.

Kaeja stared down the hallway with wide eyes. The noise broke into a whimper, and then there was silence. It only lasted maybe a few seconds, but they both knew what they had heard. Someone was down there with them.

Shaleigh turned to look behind them, but without the flashlight beam it was too dark to see anything. "Was that—was that behind us?”

Kaeja spun around, temporarily blinding Shaleigh in the process. "I don't know. I thought it came from in front of us."

The darkness felt like a cage all around them. The beam of the flashlight, darting forwards and backwards down the hall, seemed so small and insignificant now. Someone was in the darkness. Someone was watching them. Shaleigh stepped around Kaeja and started back toward the stairwell. "We should go."

Kaeja grabbed her arm and Shaleigh could feel her clammy fingers through the sleeve of her jacket. "Are you crazy? You said that's where it came from."

"How else are we going to get out of here?"

Kaeja could give no argument and shook her head. "Shaleigh..." she whimpered.

"It's okay, we'll do it together." She put her camera around her neck and took Kaeja's hand. They walked slowly towards the door of the stairwell, side by side, fingers clasped in a death grip.

For a moment, Shaleigh thought she saw movement ahead of them and stopped. Kaeja must have seen it too because she swept her flashlight left and right, searching for whatever it was. Just before the beam of light reached one of the doors, Shaleigh was certain she spotted a shadow move into one of the rooms.

"Ow..." Kaeja whispered giving their joined hands a tug. Shaleigh realized she had been gripping too hard and loosened her hold but didn't say a word. Her eyes were fixed on where the shadow had been. As they drew closer, an arm stretched out, hairy with long, black fingernails, and pulled the door closed. There was a splash as though something heavy had fallen into a pool of water from behind the door.

Kaeja screamed. A bolt of adrenaline hit Shaleigh and she grabbed Kaeja's arm. Together they ran. As they passed the door, the knob began to turn with a creak. She wasn't sure if Kaeja had seen it or not. "Keep going!" she yelled, all pretense of caution forgotten.

Once the stairwell came into view, they sped up. Shaleigh slipped on a wet spot and her foot skidded. She would have sprained her ankle if she hadn’t grabbed for the wall. What a stupid way to die, she thought as she regained her footing. She had to keep her head straight, because panicking in an old, decrepit building was a sure way to get hurt or killed by whatever was after them. She forced them to slow down to climb over a pile of broken boards and nails. Shaleigh had thought it odd to have it so close to the stairwell when they’d first come down, but now she saw it as a marker, a warning perhaps, to keep trespassers out. As she helped Kaeja down the opposite side of the rubble, she heard limping footsteps approaching them.

"It's coming!" Shaleigh cried and together they sprinted for the stairwell. The flashlight bounced beams off the walls.

They hit the metal door like a battering ram, shoving it into the rusted railings of the stairs, causing it to reverberate like a gong up and down the concrete shaft. Shaleigh gripped the metal rail, feeling the flecks of paint come off on her hands, and the raw rust beneath. She exchanged a glance with Kaeja, both trying to catch their breath. The respirator was humid with her breathing and she couldn’t wait to rip it off when they got outside. She looked up the dark stairwell above them and grimaced. There were too many floors between them and safety.

Kaeja gasped and reached out to grab Shaleigh’s arm. Shaleigh stared at her. She thought she could make out footsteps from the hall they just left, but it was so faint it was hard to make out. It could have just been the sounds of the building, but she didn’t want to take any chances. Taking a deep breath, Shaleigh led the way as they started up the stairs.

One floor, two floors, three floors.

Was that the sound of the doorknob beneath them being turned? Kaeja hurried to her side as they continued to climb. Both were audibly gasping now. It wouldn’t take much for their pursuer to know where they went. Shaleigh’s thighs were burning. She could sprint up a flight or two of stairs, but this was tough. It didn’t help that she was already out of breath before they even started climbing.

"What if it's locked us in?" Kaeja asked between sucking in gulps of air.

Shaleigh didn't respond. She didn't want to even consider that option.

They climbed two more flights of stairs. Kaeja reached the door first. They both let out a sigh of relief when the door opened. Panting, they jogged to the main exit, a pair of massive iron doors that looked like they belonged in a mausoleum. Neither of them said a word as they descended the short flight of broken steps to the grass. Shaleigh ripped off her respirator, Kaeja did the same, and they both exchanged grins as they crossed the grass-pocked concrete walkway. It felt good to feel the heat of the day on her skin too. The sun was sinking in the west, but the air was sweet with wild honeysuckle and a light breeze rustled the old oaks. Shaleigh relaxed a bit but could tell by Kaeja's expression that she wouldn’t be able to relax until they had left the property completely.

The concrete walkway fell away to tall grass that came up to their hips, as they sidestepped small pine trees that were beginning to take over the lot and moved further away from the building. The chain link fence that surrounded the property sported multiple warning signs for trespassers, though they were faded from exposure. Kaeja pulled back the corner of fencing they had used to get in, and they both climbed through without saying a word. Kaeja paused, took a deep breath, and relaxed her shoulders.

"I know you'll hate to hear this, Kaeja," Shaleigh started. "But I think I'm done with Ferris Factory for a while."

Kaeja laughed. "No complaints here. I’m going to add that we never go underground again either. I am not running up that many stairs again, no matter how great you say the pictures will be." Shaleigh couldn’t help but laugh. The downtrodden path through the woods made it a short walk to reach the bus stop. Shaleigh unwrapped the scarf from around her head and shook out her twists. The breeze felt wonderful on her scalp. They dropped everything into Shaleigh's backpack as they walked. The main road was surprisingly empty for a Sunday afternoon. After exploring inside of decomposing buildings for a while, she had new respect for even the simplest things. The bench for the bus stop, covered in graffiti and bearing a single broken board, looked like a luxury.
Kaeja sprawled across the broken wooden bench and covered her eyes with her arms.

"Wow, what a rush!"

"I know!" Despite her smile, Shaleigh still glanced over her shoulder, as though expecting the person from the building to be slinking toward them through the woods.
"What do you think it was?"

Kaeja stared up into the sky. "Someone crazy, I'm sure. It's a good thing they made some noise. I don't like the thought of them sneaking up on us like that." She sat up and patted the bench beside her.

Shaleigh obliged, her legs were still shaky. "Did you see that hand?"

Kaeja shuddered, "Looked like he hadn't seen the light of day in forever." She stretched her arms over the back of the bench. "This is exactly why I don't like the big ones. There are too many hiding places."

"The small ones aren't much better," Shaleigh added. "Sometimes it feels like a shot right out of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you know?"

Kaeja nodded and the two grew silent from their own nerves. Kaeja’s leg jumped up and down, as though at any moment she would jump up into a sprint. Shaleigh kept resisting the urge to look over her shoulder once more. The bus couldn't come fast enough.

"Ugh, I need to think about something else." Kaeja said with a tense smile. "You've got a party coming up tonight, don't you? You get to get all dolled up. I know you don't like the people much, but I do envy you getting to go."

Shaleigh sighed. "I had almost forgotten about it.” She checked her watch. It was a good thing they had left when they did because she still needed to get home and clean up. “If you like it so much, you can totally go for me."
 
"Your dad would never let me. He needs you there."

"Unfortunately."

Kaeja scooted closer and put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I guess that is pretty hard on you. Do they ask you a lot of questions about him?”

Shaleigh nodded. She hated the tight feeling she got in her chest whenever she thought of those stupid parties. She hated the fact that she had to go. Why in the world did Roseworth College have so many of them anyway? It was like they wanted to torture her.

Deciding to change the subject, she picked up her camera from around her neck. After checking to make sure nothing had been damaged in their mad dash, she asked, "Want to see the pictures?"

Kaeja nodded but looked concerned. Shaleigh ignored it.

The brilliant light of the flash somehow made the dark halls of Ferris Factory less frightening, less dangerous. If only people were so easy to strip of fear.

About the author:

I write about strange creatures. Typically they shouldn’t exist, or they have bled through from a different reality, or they’re pretending to be a crying baby in a crib. Sometimes that lands my stories in horror and other times in fantasy, but there’s always an air of strangeness to my tales. If you want to get a better feel for what I’m talking about, check out a few clips or read a few drabbles.

My work has appeared in a spattering of short story collections, but I do have a few novellas and novels in the pipeline. Other than talking about writing, I also talk about cryptozoology, werewolves, wildlife conservation, and of course kitties. I’ve also been known to nerd out about Batman and The Hobbit, and have recently discovered the cracktastic fun of Black Butler cosplay, so there will likely be more of these incidents.

By day I work as a web developer, so I’ll occasionally talk about web issues like finding the right theme.

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