Snakes and Ladders, Part 7

SNAKES & LADDERS
by BlackBladder

PART SEVEN

Gabrielle awoke to the sound of her alarm clock buzzing rapidly.  As she sat
up in bed, she focussed her vision on the flashing red digits of her clock.

10:45am

Fuck, I'm late, Gabrielle thought as she jumped out of bed and got dressed.  

As she put her clothes on, she felt her mouth dry and rough from the smoking
the previous night.  Her head was also feeling the effects of the drinking of
the previous night.  Reaching the kitchen, she frantically rummaged through
the contents of the cupboard for paracetemol for her pounding headache.
Swallowing a tablet and gulping some water down, she sat down momentarily
hoping her headache would ease.  However, this hope did not come to fruition
as the headache persisted whilst she locked up the empty house with her
stepmother at Ikair Enterprises.  

Gabrielle could detect another craving this late morning as she dwelved into
her pocket - a cigarette.  Until now, she had never had the opportunity to
satisfy this new craving during the morning as she would leave for Ikair with
Anita.  Now she found her home empty as she was late.  She toiled with
leaving for Ikair immediately and having a cigarette.  

Maybe a smoke will make this headache go away, she reasoned as the cravings
continued to fuel her headache.  

Instantly, she stood outside her back garden whilst lighting up her first
morning cigarette.  She sucked endlessly as the flame engulfed the cigarette
completely.  She relaxed as the smoke filled her mouth and was dragged down
into her waiting lungs.  Gabrielle immediately embraced the satisfied feeling
she was now experiencing.  The pounding headache had began to shift as she
returned the cigarette back and forth to her parting lips for another dose of
much needed nicotine.  Gabrielle instantly understood the myth of the Magic
Morning Smoke her new friends had been talking endlessly about.

Ten minutes later, Gabrielle had arrived at Ikair.  After a brief lecture
from Alice the Supervisor, she began her daily tasks.  Whilst stamping
outgoing mail, she noticed her friend Mandy was not there - she missed her
presence of the last week.  

Maybe she is still feeling the effects of last night, Gabrielle laughed to
herself.  

As all the Head Office staff made their way to the canteen, Gabrielle walked
towards the Archive House as normal - dying to light up a cigarette and have
a smoky conversation with her friends about Mandy's absence.  Gabrielle had
her hands in her pocket, caressing the pack of cigarettes she bought the
night before, as she approached the door to the Archive House.  To her
disbelief, Gabrielle discovered a padlock had bound the doors together as the
House looked deserted.  A sign also covered one of its panels reading `No
unauthorised staff allowed.'

Her cravings for nicotine increased as the anxiety grew deep inside her.
Mandy always told Gabrielle to give in to her cravings once they started.
But Gabrielle no longer had that opportunity as that avenue was closed off.
Gabrielle turned round in despair, looking up at a security camera seeming to
stare straight at her like a vulture looking over its imminent pray.

Gabrielle conceded to the inevitable and walked towards the canteen to get
something to eat.  Smoking had suppressed her appetite recently, but she
thought eating would maybe try and ease her crawling cigarette cravings.  The
food itself no longer satisfied her tastebuds as she sat in the canteen,
constantly thinking about when she could smoke next.  Sitting with her
Mailroom colleagues, she felt awkward sitting there as she no longer had a
rapport with Alice and Jake.  

Upon returning to her duties within the Mailroom, Alice informed her to go to
Anita's office.  

Gabrielle stood nervously outside Anita's office door - the nicotine cravings
driving her senses wild, screaming for a feed.  Battling these feelings,
Gabrielle knocked on the door before entering tentatively.  

This was the first ever time Gabrielle and Anita met in Ikair - so Gabrielle
figured that this must be important.  

"Please take a seat, Gabrielle." Anita smiled, whilst motioning her
stepdaughter to a chair.

"How you feeling today?"  Anita initiated the conversation.

"I am OK - why am I here?"  Gabrielle said impatiently - the cravings raging
within her.

"I bet you are dying for a cigarette at the moment."  Anita smiled broadly,
extracting a pack of cigarettes and throwing them towards the deprived
smoker.  

Gabrielle gazed hungrily at the pack, enticing her to remove a cigarette and
light up.  Her cravings were almost a breaking point.

I won't give the bitch that satisfaction, Gabrielle thought.

Anita sat back in her chair, switched on a monitor and pressed Play on a
recorder.  The footage showed Gabrielle sneaking a drag on a cigarette
outside the Archive House.  Gabrielle was now caught in No-Man's Land.  

Anita smiled as Gabrielle sunk in her chair in disbelief.  She decided to
move in on her prey.

"It is like this - thanks to you, the video has now shown us our only
oversight of the anti-smoking rule at Ikair.  You unwittingly led us to the
few remaining addicts in the company - we have sacked them all with immediate
effect.  I would take great pleasure in sacking you myself-"  Anita smiled at
her vulnerable stepdaughter, watching as the cravings had become obvious.

"You will give me no more problems with Benjamin.  You will get off my back
or I will show him photographs of his little angel smoking!  You already know
that once Benjamin sees this, I will have authority to sack you
immediately----.you don't want any of that though, I detect---.especially
with your father still recovering from his heart scare-"

Shit, Gabrielle thought.  She knew she was being blackmailed.  There was no
defence as she was caught red-handed.  

"I am suspending you with immediate effect - you are dismissed until you
decide what to do.  The ball is in your court."  Anita smiled as Gabrielle
rose to her feet, her head hanging in shame-

"Mandy?"  Gabrielle asked as she answered her mobile phone.  Her first
reaction was to light a cigarette as she approached the Bus Stop.  From that
morning, a cigarette seemed to make her think more clearly - and it was
evident once more as she inhaled.  

Mandy had phoned Gabrielle to explain about her and the others being sacked
that morning.  Gabrielle was ashamed of herself for her friends being
dismissed from Ikair.  She and Mandy agreed to meet up with the others at The
Bunker to discuss a counter-tactic to the job losses.  Gabrielle also
explained what happened the previous night after Mandy went home.

"See you in The Bunker this afternoon.  I'll tell the others."

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