Carol was bored with the life she was living. Every day it was the same thing. Get up make Ed breakfast , go to class, come home make him lunch, go back to class, come home and make him supper and then go to work. Ed had to know where she was at all times. They had started dating in high school, he was every girls dream guy, captain of the football team, good looking and he had picked little old shy Carol. When senior year started he changed. He picked what college she could go to claiming it was because she would not be able to handling going to school alone. She had a crappy job at the road side diner in town. One night Ed showed up after he had been drinking with his buddies. He thought she was flirting with some of the truckers that were in. Once she got off for the night Ed grabbed her by the arm and drug her out to the car. He yelled all the way home about how she was slutting it up to the truckers and how he was sure she was fucking them in the bathroom. When they got home she tried to hide in the bathroom but Ed kicked in the door and pulled her out by her hair. Once in the living room he slapped her so hard she fell into the entertainment stand. "Oh my god baby I'm so sorry," he crooned on and on. Carol was not going to take this shit. She got up and ran into the bedroom and started packing. She could deal with him wanting to know where she was but hitting her was the last straw. As she walked out of the bedroom she threw his ring at him and yelled "Fuck You" as she fled the apartment.
Carol stopped at the first gas station she found to call her cousin Andrea. They had always been close growing up and she knew that Andrea would help her out. "Hello" Andrea said as she put the phone to her ear. "Hey cousin long time no talk to," Carol replied. "Oh my god Carol, is everything ok you never call this late." "No not really," Carol said, "My ex hit me and I left I have nowhere to go." "Do you need money," Andrea asked "No, no I have been saving my money but I want out of here can I crash at your place for a while till I get on my feet?" Carol asked. "Of course are you going to drive straight through or stop at a motel? "Straight through, I don't want to be in Georgia and longer than I have to."
When Carol hung up the phone she felt a whole lot better, she was starting fresh and did not have to worry about Ed finding her.
Once she made it to the small town in Arkansas that Andrea lived she got a job as a security officer at the town's major business. Ryson Chicken plants where on almost every corner of the town and Andrea was a lawyer for the company. Carol's main job was checking truckers in and out of the gate and making sure that they trucks where running right. Her first week at the plant was hectic, trying to learn all of the rules and regulations. The only down side to working there was for three days she worked the morning shift and the rest of the week she had to work overnight. She was already starting to get a few of the trucker's names down, her favorite by far was the Dixion Brothers. They were contractors who would pick up loads here and there for Ryson. Merle was loud and crazy while Daryl was soft spoken and kind. One night as she was doing an overnight Daryl pulled up to her gate. "Miss Carol do ya know if my load is ready?" he asked. She looked threw her paper work, "No not yet," she said "You want me to let you on the lot so you can nap, I will come let you know when they bring out your paperwork." "Sure, I don't think I'll get much of nap but ya I will go ahead and come in." He answered.
Once Daryl got his truck parked he hopped out and walked over to where Carol was smoking. "That will kill ya," he said as he lit his own. Carol just chuckled as they made small talk. Once all the usual questions were out of the way, Daryl spoke up "When I get back from dropping this load would ya like to have coffee with me?" "Yes Daryl I would like that." Carol answered.