Authors Note: Hello everyone! Thank-you so much for all the support and reviews! Also a HUGE thank-you to Sparklymeg for pre-reading/beta'ing this story! She is a star!

Quote:

"Man maintains his balance, poise, and sense of security only as he is moving forward."

- Maxwell Maltz

Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

Yesterday my stomach could not stop growling. It growled while I was in class, it growled while I walked home and it growled while I read the tattered book that I found in the dumpster outside my apartment.

Today however, it was silent despite the fact that I had not eaten in the past three days. I mean, I had eaten a half a bag of Cheetos yesterday that was left behind in my lecture, but I really wouldn't count that as food.

You see, two months ago I was fired from my part time job. I wasn't bitter or angry about it, I know it was hard for Mrs. Woo to do. The poor little old lady she cried as she told me that the

small family restaurant was struggling and while they loved me like a daughter, they could no longer keep me on.

It was a dark day for us both as I cried with her; the relationship we had built was precious to me. She was like my nana. I completely understood why she did it though, the financial recession had just set in and the economy was in the shit hole. It was hard to say goodbye, I loved her too after all, but I knew it had to be done.

My savings kept me afloat for a while as I searched for another job, unfortunately no one seemed to be hiring at that time. I applied for almost every job advertised and managed to secure a few interviews for a waitressing position and as a pick and packer.

As much as it killed me, both companies were unsuitable. One had a sleaze ball of a boss and the other was on the other side of town and could only offer me a two hour shift a week. It would simply cost me more to get there than what I would earn.

I tried my best to get another job, I truly did, however it seemed Seattle had turned its back on me and refused to show me any love. I lived cheaply as I could three months, I ate the cheapest food, used minimal amounts of water and walked everywhere I needed to go.

I wish I could say that I was strong through these hard times. I wish I could say that I had a smile on my face the whole time. That I never shed a single tear and that I was completely self-assured. Unfortunately this was not the case.

I was in a deep dark hole called depression that ate away at every part of me I held dear. Depression also brought his twin anxiety to the party, making life feel like it was really not worth living. I would cry myself to sleep every night wishing my situation was different.

I wished my parents could be more understanding of me and my dreams. I wished they were the type of parents that would support me no matter what I did, and would be proud of me for chasing my dream. Most of all I wished my life could be different and I could be happy like I once was.

My stomach would churn at night as I would fight off the anxiety that was threatening to eat me alive. I couldn't move much as I was sleeping on an airbed that groaned in protest every time I moved. All I could do was lie there, as still as a plank and let the nightmare of my life consume my brain.

I had horrible memories - such as the day I had to sell all my possessions, that tried to break me every time I would sleep. Thankfully I had a way of dealing with that issue. I would stare at my floorboards, memorizing the swirls of the wooden floors until my body would calm down enough to sleep.

After months of struggling, I was ready to give up on my life. I was backed against the wall and had nowhere to go. Thoughts of suicide plagued my mind every day. Some days I even made plans on how I would painlessly do it, my problem being I needed money to buy the things I would need.

Like a gun or a bunch of pills.

Things changed one night while wandering around Seattle, I stumbled upon a situation that would change my life forever.

You see as I was walking around downtown, deciding whether or not to go home or walk some more. I was walking past a strip of shops in my local downtown area. The streets were

littered with people, all working class that had begun stumbling out of the nearby clubs. The atmosphere was very jovial and relaxed, as it always was here on a Saturday.

Over the constant drunken yelling and hollering, I managed to hear someone calling out,

"Miss! Miss!".

Believing they were talking to someone else, I lowered my candy colored beanie further down my forehead, zipped up my mid-night blue hoodie a little more and kept walking. I was lost in my own mind, maneuvering my way through the crowds, playing with the tips of my long auburn hair. I was in the midst of admiring how pale my hands looked in comparison to my hair when a large hand pulled back on my shoulder.

I gasped as I lost my footing a little on the slick cold sidewalk, waving my hand about to gain my balance again. I was panting, head spinning a little due to my lack of food as I looked up to see the body that was attached to the hand that was still touching me.

Starring down at me with a big smile on his face was one of the hottest men I had ever seen in my life. He looked like the typical American frat boy, with his short blonde hair ruffling in the wind. His shirt was opened slightly, showing a toned chest that was sure to please the eyes.

I smiled back nervously, looking through my lashes as to not make full eye contact with this attractive man.

"Hi, are you ok?" The man asked with amusement in his voice, clearly he was already thinking about what a spastic loser I was. I nodded, suddenly feeling shy and wishing I was a more graceful.

"Ok, then. My name is James?..." He said, obviously asking my name without straight up asking. The smirk on his face and the confidence rolling off him told me he had no problems talking to a woman he had never seen before, and was maybe even flirting a little with me.

"Hi, I'm Annabelle," I said as I looked nervously at the sidewalk, smiling at him as best I could without looking directly at him. I don't know why I lied about my name, I guess that deep inside I knew there was something dangerous and not quite right about the situation. I was always taught not to trust strangers.

He smiled back kindly at me, obviously sensing my nerves.

We made small talk for quite a while, talking about all the different random things that popped into our heads. Quite a few times I considered saying good-bye and walking back to my apartment, but what was I really rushing back to?

Why should I leave a pleasant conversation with an attractive man to go back to a cold empty apartment? Should I go back and talk to the building rats?

Coming up with no good reason of my own, I continued to talk to him.

He told me all about himself, he was twenty four and studying his Masters in Business Management at a nearby College. He told me all about his life, even about his recent trip to Europe. He was a very impressive man and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why he was talking to me, especially with all these beautiful drunk ladies pouring out of the clubs.

That small part of my brain kept screaming at me that this whole situation was wrong and dangerous, but being as depressed as I was I found that I really didn't care that much. At this stage I was sure that starvation was going to kill me long before anyone else could. So it was safe to say that my sense of self-preservation was at a horrible low.

Instead of being afraid, I stood up a little straighter and laughed when it was appropriate.

Why didn't I put on make-up before I left the apartment?

God I hope my breath doesn't stink!

All these silly thoughts were flooding my brain as I stood there talking away, thinking to myself that just maybe my life was going to take a turn of the better.

I was naïve and very wrong.

Approximately forty minutes had passed when James started to turn the conversation.

"So, Annabelle, I was wondering if you could do a favor for me?... And in return I can give you a lot of money?"

My mind immediately went to sex and a disgusted look graced my face.

"Do I look like a prostitute to you?" I snapped, placing my hands on my hips and cocking my head to the side. I would rather die a long painful death of starvation than ever sell my body for money. The thought alone makes my skin crawl.

I got very irritated when James barked out laughing, holding his stomach as if what I said was the funniest thing in the world. I was fast becoming angry and began to walk off, I was too hungry to deal with this shit.

"No! No, no, no! wait! I'm sorry…." He called after me, lightly grasping my forearm to stop me from walking away.

I huffed but stopped in my tracks.

"I didn't mean it in that way at all! Don't get me wrong, you're an attractive girl but I prefer to woo the girls into my bed, not pay them."

He smiled at me while I just nodded back, still feeling defensive.

"The favor I was really going to ask you was if you would be interested in making a quick delivery for me and I can pay you one hundred dollars in cash?"

My eyes just about bugged out of my head. Shit, that was a lot of money for transporting some goods.

"What would I be delivering?" I asked, still feeling very skeptical about the whole deal. Deep down inside I knew what the answer would be and I knew it wouldn't be lollipops.

"It doesn't matter what you will be delivering. All you need to do is take this backpack…" He produced a small black backpack and dropped it at my feet, it looked light.

"….You need to walk down the block, past the police roadblocks that are around the corner, walk down Cherry Street and get on the train at Pioneer Station. You need to go all the way to the end of the line and get off at SeaTac. A man will be there, he will give you the money, you give him the bag and walk away a hundred dollars richer."

The way he talked and the relaxed look on his face made it seem like this would be the easiest thing in the world to do. I was so confused as to what I should do, my morals all said I should be running away and never looking back. However at this stage I was so desperate for food and on the verge of being homeless, I had to consider it.

"How will I know who to give the bag to?" I asked. The airport seemed like a good place to go to, nice and public. With hundreds of people there though, how would I know who to approach?

Quicker than lightning, a phone was produced and a flash went off.

"You don't need to know who to look for, because they will know you. Now we are running out of time, so are you in or are you out?" He said, suddenly all in business mode.

I don't know why I said it, but before I could stop myself, I had agreed.

I picked up the bag and slowly started to back away from James, heading towards the train station.

"Ohh and Annabelle…" He shouted from behind me, I slightly turned to face him.

"These are some dangerous people you are involved with. Don't think you can just disappear now, I would hate to hunt you down…" He said, bringing a chill to my body.

I think my heart skipped a beat as his hand made a little gun, pretending to shoot me.

The threat was read loud and clear.

I gave him a nod and was on my way.

A/N: Please review if you want more! Also let me know your thoughts on the chapter!