On the train these young girls feel they have hit the jackpot; their 'boyfriend' finally trusts them enough to run such an important errand. In her nice new handbag he bought for her just days earlier, now sits a carefully wrapped package of Class A drugs. All she has to do is drop off the package, collect the money and jump on the train back to her 'boyfriend'.
"Light work." She thinks to herself.
The truth of her situation isn't as easy as she believes it to be.
On arrival at the station, she is met by a male crackhead, who insists he's been sent to pick her up. He urges her to get into his car. She texts her 'boyfriend' and gets no reply. The crackhead is becoming agitated and further insists she get in his car. As a child she was taught about 'Stranger Danger' and told never to get into a car with anyone she didn't know. At this moment that had all left her mind. All she would be thinking about is how impressed her 'boyfriend' would be with her. She gets into the car without a clue where she was being taken or who she would be meeting.
Many of these girls and young women are so desperate for the approval of these so called boyfriends, they consent to doing things, even if they know they are wrong or will put them at risk. Their self - esteem and self - worth left them a very long time ago. Their need to please and to therefore be accepted are the only things that matter to these girls and women. By now, they have been let down, rejected and abandoned by so many different people in their lives, they will now cling onto this person who has taken the time to show an interest in them. She will pour her heart out to him about the terrible things she's experienced in life, not knowing he would be stroring this information to use to his advantage later on down the line. For now, he will tell her he's experienced the same. They will start to bond over their shared traumas. In her confused mind, this trauma bonding is a sign that they are meant to be together. No one else will ever understand her experiences the way he does. It is as this point she will be willing to do absolutely anything for him. It is at this point her life will change forever. It is at this point he will abuse and exploit her for his own gain.
She steps into a flat which could easily be mistaken for a squat. It's filthy and smells terrible. She's told to sit on a dirty old sofa and is asked for the package. She hands the package over, expecting some cash in return. There is no cash. Instead, after a few minutes she is told the package is substantially short a few ounces. She tried ringing her 'boyfriend' but keeps getting his voicemail. She is now told she cannot leave until her 'boyfriend' sends up the missing drugs or the monetary equivalent. She has no money and can't get through to her boyfriend. She is told she needs to stay to 'work off' the debt. It is now her nightmare really begins...
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