Chapter 3: The Market
Eyes darting nervously left and right, Vernon Martin walked briskly to the stucco structure looming in the near distance. 'This should be a good score for me this time. I wonder how much money I'll make since this baby is cuter than most.' He absentmindedly clutched the baby closer to him. 'She has got the prettiest green eyes I have ever seen on an infant. And ever rosy cheeks, too.' The building from the outside looked abandoned, but Vernon knew better. It was the kind of building that people would pass by all the time and never give a thought to. That was all for the best because what he was doing was illegal, and so was what was happening inside. He stepped from the daylight into the interior gloom, his eyes not adjusting right away. His senses were immediately assulted by the sound of 30 screaming infants and the stench of what to be hundreds of dirty diapers. Gagging slightly he moves down the hallway to the office where Darlene Shricher was eating a Twinkie and watching The Price Is Right. "I got another one for you here, a good one." "Well, it's about time, Vernon. We were wondering when your work would prove fruitful." "Yeah, whatever, here take her." "Well, you were right about one thing; she is a "good one". All right Vernon here's your money." "Only $200? I thought boss said next time I get a "good one", I was to be paid $400." "Vernon, don't press your luck. Get outta my office now!" Without one last look Vernon hightailed it out of the office. Ms. Shricher was definitely not one to be trifled with. She sighed looking down at the baby in her arms. Walking down the hallway into a room on the left, she deposited Jadyn in a crib by 3 other screaming infants. 'I'll be glad when boss comes for this group.
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span style="font-size:14" The "boss she was referring to is Mr. Thompson, the "brains" behind the black market of baby selling. He ran the area where orders were taken from barren couples and a baby would be sent out to them for a very hefty fee. Ms. Shricher walked back to her office just in time to discover that the phone was ringing. She quickly picked up the phone and put the mouthpiece in place. "Yes." "I just got a call from Vernon, he told me that he didn't get his full pay. Is that true?" "No, boss, he got his pay, that baby wasn't all that much to look at. You know Vernon, he'll make a scam any way her can to get money." She laid the phone back in the cradle. She didn't mind lying to her boss; it was the only way she could keep some money for herself. Her job was worse and more degrading than his was. She sat her oversized rump back on her tacky flowered orange and green sofa and clicked the TV back on.
Jareth sighed turning the crystal over in his palm. In a burst of rage he threw it against a nearby wall. Why did he leave her? Was it because he was scared? Him, scared? It was impossible, but he didn't rule it out. What was it then? He loved her more than life itself, but he had rejected her. He had taken advantage of her, impregnated her, and dismissed her. What kind of a monster was he? He conjured another crystal ball and gazed at it, eyes widening at the scene before him. It was Sarah, but something was wrong. She was standing on a bridge overlooking a familiar pond. Where was Sarah's baby? Our baby, he corrected himself. It was about this time Jareth realized he had never seen his own daughter.
Eyes darting nervously left and right, Vernon Martin walked briskly to the stucco structure looming in the near distance. 'This should be a good score for me this time. I wonder how much money I'll make since this baby is cuter than most.' He absentmindedly clutched the baby closer to him. 'She has got the prettiest green eyes I have ever seen on an infant. And ever rosy cheeks, too.' The building from the outside looked abandoned, but Vernon knew better. It was the kind of building that people would pass by all the time and never give a thought to. That was all for the best because what he was doing was illegal, and so was what was happening inside. He stepped from the daylight into the interior gloom, his eyes not adjusting right away. His senses were immediately assulted by the sound of 30 screaming infants and the stench of what to be hundreds of dirty diapers. Gagging slightly he moves down the hallway to the office where Darlene Shricher was eating a Twinkie and watching The Price Is Right. "I got another one for you here, a good one." "Well, it's about time, Vernon. We were wondering when your work would prove fruitful." "Yeah, whatever, here take her." "Well, you were right about one thing; she is a "good one". All right Vernon here's your money." "Only $200? I thought boss said next time I get a "good one", I was to be paid $400." "Vernon, don't press your luck. Get outta my office now!" Without one last look Vernon hightailed it out of the office. Ms. Shricher was definitely not one to be trifled with. She sighed looking down at the baby in her arms. Walking down the hallway into a room on the left, she deposited Jadyn in a crib by 3 other screaming infants. 'I'll be glad when boss comes for this group.
/span
span style="font-size:14" The "boss she was referring to is Mr. Thompson, the "brains" behind the black market of baby selling. He ran the area where orders were taken from barren couples and a baby would be sent out to them for a very hefty fee. Ms. Shricher walked back to her office just in time to discover that the phone was ringing. She quickly picked up the phone and put the mouthpiece in place. "Yes." "I just got a call from Vernon, he told me that he didn't get his full pay. Is that true?" "No, boss, he got his pay, that baby wasn't all that much to look at. You know Vernon, he'll make a scam any way her can to get money." She laid the phone back in the cradle. She didn't mind lying to her boss; it was the only way she could keep some money for herself. Her job was worse and more degrading than his was. She sat her oversized rump back on her tacky flowered orange and green sofa and clicked the TV back on.
Jareth sighed turning the crystal over in his palm. In a burst of rage he threw it against a nearby wall. Why did he leave her? Was it because he was scared? Him, scared? It was impossible, but he didn't rule it out. What was it then? He loved her more than life itself, but he had rejected her. He had taken advantage of her, impregnated her, and dismissed her. What kind of a monster was he? He conjured another crystal ball and gazed at it, eyes widening at the scene before him. It was Sarah, but something was wrong. She was standing on a bridge overlooking a familiar pond. Where was Sarah's baby? Our baby, he corrected himself. It was about this time Jareth realized he had never seen his own daughter.
