Secret of the Snow Queen (Fire and Ice Book #1) *GOING THROUGH EDITS*

CH. 2 The Price of Resistance ❗❗

                                                                               Aurora

My ears rang with the noise of all the machines whirring in the building. I stood and pumped the pedal underneath my table as I worked another piece of fabric through the loom. I wiped some beads of sweat off of my forehead and inhaled. The whistle blew loudly, and the whole place came to a stop. I stood back, letting the machine slow down until it stopped.

It was lunchtime; all the women began to file out of the factory to line up for meals. I was starving. I trembled as I followed my fellow loom girls out of the building. The sun blinded me as I walked outside, and I looked down.

"Bread and cheese!" The woman sergeant yelled from the corner of the yard; that was what they were serving today. I looked to see the lunch line was already starting to fill, and the table was loaded with loaves of bread and cheese squares.

It's much better than the soup they make. I sighed and pushed my way slowly to the line of food. I cocked a brow as one of the male guards began to walk down the line. He finally got to me and checked my arm for

"01221?"

"In the flesh." He didn't seem to appreciate my sarcastic tone.

"Get out of line." I furrowed my brows.

"Did I stutter?" he raised his voice, and I flinched before he grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the line himself.

"Hey, paws off!" I hated it when the guards got physical; I rubbed my arm slightly after he let go.

"What did I do?"

"You didn't meet your quota." I stared at him momentarily; I couldn't argue with him there. I hadn't met my quota consistently for the past four weeks. "A new rule has been set in place to prevent laziness. You don't meet your quota; you don't eat for the day." With that, he turned and walked back to the female sergeant standing near the line, making sure everyone got their fair number of rations.

I stared numbly as my fellow workers stood in line and received food while my stomach growled with more hunger. My hand went to my stomach as I felt a slight movement, and I quickly let it fall.

I'd been able to hide the pregnancy for this long; I couldn't risk being found out now. If the higher-ups found out, I didn't know what to do. I stood momentarily, then walked over to the female sergeant as she supervised the lunch distribution.

"Excuse me, ma'am? May I at least have water?" She looked me up and down; was that a hint of disgust in her eye? "Please? It's that time of the month..." She rolled her eyes and then pointed toward the pump on the other side of the yard.

"Don't linger; you'll be working through lunch." I nodded my thanks and walked over to the pump. After a few sips of water, I looked to see the sergeant standing outside the doorway to the mill. She pointed inside as if to say, move your molasses.

I didn't argue with her and humbly walked back into the factory building. I wandered past all the machines and finally returned to my machine. I cranked it up, and it began whirring again.

While all the other girls sat outside eating their lunch for the next hour, I stood pumping my machine. I almost couldn't feel the hunger in my stomach anymore. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? I rolled my neck as I set another piece of fabric into the machine. The clock on the wall ticked, and after the hour had passed, the whistle sounded, and the women all returned inside the building.

I thought about the number of fabric I'd put into the machine and realized I was almost halfway through my quota for the day.

Maybe if I hurry, I can make today's quota. I looked at the clock to see it was almost two o'clock and began working double time. I took the last piece of fabric from the cart beside me and put it into the machine. I grabbed the empty cart and walked it to the other side of the building. I then took another cart full of fabric and returned to my spot.