06-20-2014, 05:34 PM
It took her about forty minutes of driving, but at least she made it to the factory. Zoya parked the car about a block from the old complex and walked the rest of the way. The main building used as storage was old, and she wasn’t surprised to see it being torn down in the near future. It was a pity, however, the brick had likely seen its fair share of history as the years passed.
The whole property was flanked at either side by two other large streets, and behind it ran an alley that connected the two. It consisted of two buildings. The larger of the two, and the one she was focused on, was a huge L shaped structure. It rose for about 4 stories. A few of the windows on the upper levels were broken, and the rooms behind them seemed darker than the night outside. Aside from being worn down by time, some of the exterior was covered in graffiti.
She wasn’t sure if it was the cold night, or perhaps the ominous look of the place, but a chill ran down Zoya’s spine.
In a hurry, she walked down towards the alley, looking for a back entrance on the left side of the building. The right, she’d noticed, was where the chemical barrels were likely stored, but the only entrances in that direction were large rollup warehouse doors. On the plus side, there was no light in the alley to give her away as she looked for a good place to break in, but just to make sure she wouldn’t get caught, Zoya remained alert to any noises or distant shapes.
Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. She froze and listened while her pulse quickened, but after a couple of minutes waiting, the street was quiet once again. Fortunately there didn’t seem to be anyone about.
Earlier, she’d pulled her hair back so that it was half up and half down and the smaller tresses were held back by bobby pins. But, as she walked to the back door, her hands reached up to pull free a couple of the pins. It looked as if the lock had been replaced over the years and it wouldn’t be too difficult for her to break in. Again, she looked up and down the street while bending a bobby pin with her teeth, silently thanking her first roommate for teaching her that particular trick when they both locked themselves out of their dorm room.
“Bobby pins,”
she whispered to herself after inserting them in the lock and listening for the soft familiar set of clicks, “never leave home without them.”
Then, the woman turned the lock and pushed gently. The door opened, giving her a view of the dark interior. One last quick glance outside while she stuck the pins in her pocket, and Zoya hurried in, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
She was greeted by the usual musty smell found in old buildings. The air inside was just as cold as out in the street, but despite the fact that men had been working there during the day, the interior still gave her the creeps. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the deeper darkness of the building. Reaching in her left pocket, Zoya pulled out a small flashlight and turned it on.
She didn’t know the precise floor plan of the building, but Zoya suspected it wouldn’t be too difficult to get to the right wing from where she was.
Edited by Zoya Bocharov, Jun 20 2014, 05:46 PM.
The whole property was flanked at either side by two other large streets, and behind it ran an alley that connected the two. It consisted of two buildings. The larger of the two, and the one she was focused on, was a huge L shaped structure. It rose for about 4 stories. A few of the windows on the upper levels were broken, and the rooms behind them seemed darker than the night outside. Aside from being worn down by time, some of the exterior was covered in graffiti.
She wasn’t sure if it was the cold night, or perhaps the ominous look of the place, but a chill ran down Zoya’s spine.
In a hurry, she walked down towards the alley, looking for a back entrance on the left side of the building. The right, she’d noticed, was where the chemical barrels were likely stored, but the only entrances in that direction were large rollup warehouse doors. On the plus side, there was no light in the alley to give her away as she looked for a good place to break in, but just to make sure she wouldn’t get caught, Zoya remained alert to any noises or distant shapes.
Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. She froze and listened while her pulse quickened, but after a couple of minutes waiting, the street was quiet once again. Fortunately there didn’t seem to be anyone about.
Earlier, she’d pulled her hair back so that it was half up and half down and the smaller tresses were held back by bobby pins. But, as she walked to the back door, her hands reached up to pull free a couple of the pins. It looked as if the lock had been replaced over the years and it wouldn’t be too difficult for her to break in. Again, she looked up and down the street while bending a bobby pin with her teeth, silently thanking her first roommate for teaching her that particular trick when they both locked themselves out of their dorm room.
“Bobby pins,”
she whispered to herself after inserting them in the lock and listening for the soft familiar set of clicks, “never leave home without them.”
Then, the woman turned the lock and pushed gently. The door opened, giving her a view of the dark interior. One last quick glance outside while she stuck the pins in her pocket, and Zoya hurried in, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
She was greeted by the usual musty smell found in old buildings. The air inside was just as cold as out in the street, but despite the fact that men had been working there during the day, the interior still gave her the creeps. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the deeper darkness of the building. Reaching in her left pocket, Zoya pulled out a small flashlight and turned it on.
She didn’t know the precise floor plan of the building, but Zoya suspected it wouldn’t be too difficult to get to the right wing from where she was.
Edited by Zoya Bocharov, Jun 20 2014, 05:46 PM.