The Addiction

The Addiction - Chapter 1 Pt 3

Two Years Later in Marel Margret timeline:

Her feet were heavy against the pavement as she continued to move heavy crates of fruit from the little truck she drove. In summary of the first two years she had spent away from her parents, she had used what little money she had left to venture on a ship that took her to North America. She didn't feel right sitting alone, leaving the place she had called home for so many years. At the Venezuelan border, she  saw a man there with chapped white lips and blonde uncombed hair. He smiled at a few women who were sitting down in the dirt, and they smirked back teasingly. 

One of them stood up and wrapped a hand around his neck, whispering in his big ear and brushing her long fingers over his belt buckle. The smile that stretched across his face unsettled Marel.

The woman whispered in his ear again and then she let go with her arms crossed, waiting. In no time flat, the man rummaged his pockets, looking like a fool until he pulled out a wallet. The other women continued to sit in the dirt, having envious looks on their faces. 

Marel then realized that woman had sold herself to a dirty tourist for a ride into North America. She shuddered, feeling deep sadness for what little dignity they had left. She looked away and went up the stairs to the deck of the ship, where a clear morning breeze flew over both her physically and mentally exhausted body. 

She stared at where the sun touched the emerald green ocean, and her mind was able to rest again.

Once she got to North America, New Mexico, which took an unbearable amount of time, she found a job as a truck driver for a small company. They were a shady business, but they were the only ones who would hire her. For minimum pay of course. 

The first two years away from home had been a roller coaster of moving smelly containers of god knows what from place to place, while barely scraping by her rent for a small apartment. Her back had become mangled and hurt constantly. 

She would take what little time she had off to sleep. Sleep deeply and without stirring once. 

She would also take that time to write letters to her parents, especially her mother. She still has yet to see something be mailed back. She had a feeling that they were being thrown away before it could reach her mother, who would surely have written back within a heartbeat. 

One day, Marel Margret had to make a quick delivery to a customer who was a long time away.

"Make sure that you get whatever is in these containers safely, you hear me? One slip, and you won't only be fired, you'll lose your hide as well." They had told her as she was putting the unusually heavy crates into the vehicle. She nodded to let them know she understood; she knew better then to try to talk back. 

She also got a partner for the first time in months after she was promoted to work individually. Her name was Isis, and she had golden brown skin with light blue eyes to match. She told Marel that her mother was from Venezuela, but her father was from somewhere called New Jersey. It hurt when Isis had asked her to give up some information about her parents in Venezuela. 

After a One day  drive with shifts from both her and Isis, they were able to arrive to the destination. Marel parked the truck in front of a intimidating ginormous building called "Pace". 

"You go open the back and start getting crates out Isis. I'll go alert them that what they ordered is here."

Isis frowned, complaining that it was too hot in LA to be lifting crates, but Marel had told her that she would help after. 

She walked through the entrance way which lead to a gate. She was surprised to find only one man with an ridiculously huge cigar in his mouth and a phone in his hand. He had on a black suit which matched his his shiny full hair.