A Hero's welcome
Molly Dawes sat in the taxi home, her eyes closed. It was like when she was going on R&R but this time she was coming home for good. As she sat there in the back of the taxi her mind wondered back, much to her dislike, to Afghan. Her memory was so realistic that it was like she could feel the warm Afghan sun licking at her skin and feel the sand under her feet.
Her hands clung to her rifle as she scouted the area ahead. She looked to the ground and saw the dead bodies. All of them that she had seen during her tour. Her breath caught in her throat and her stomach churned at the sight. She felt like she was going to be sick. Most of them were so young. Too young...
She was jolted back into reality by the cab hitting a speed bump. Her breath had been fast, her heart was racing and she was sweating. Looking down she saw that her hands were gripping and an invisible rifle and she dropped them to her legs and sighs leaning her head back. She was going crazy! Leaning her head back up she looked out the window noticing that they were turning on her street. Despite everything she had missed home.
The taxi parked up and Molly paid the driver as she got out trailing around to the boot to get her bag out. Sling it over her shoulder she walked around the corner that lead to her house, having deliberately got the taxi to drop her off there as she needed to stretch her legs. As she rounded the corner she saw the whole Dawes clan, including her nan, on the balcony cheering her on, a banner hanging down saying 'Welcome home Molly!' This made Molly chuckle and she did so even more when the kids all ran down and practically caused her to fall over by hugging her. Even her dad was smiling down at her... well kind of. It felt good to be home.
Once the kids let go of their big sister she made her way up the stairs, them following behind, and up towards her parents and nan up at the top. She never thought she would have missed those stairs, that had the slight hint of urine. Reaching the top she was instantly pulled into a bear hug from her mother. "Molly... My Molly. You made it back!" she spoke, her voice proving that she was trying not to cry. "Yeah mum... I'm home." Molly kept hold of her mum until she was ready to let go and with a pat on the back from her dad they all went inside, the kids having already beat them to it.
The small cramped 'lego house' was lightly decorated and as they made their way into the living room Molly was welcomed by another surprise. It was a party and like every party there was party poppers. The kids had some in their hands and began setting them off. What would have normally been a great surprise and a welcomed one to Molly turned into a nightmare. Each time they went off she jolted, her eyes widening and her hand reaching self consciously to the rifle that wasn't there. Each bang of the poppers sounded like the all to familiar sound of gunfire. Her heart was racing, her breathing going faster, cold sweat trickled down her neck and her fingers fidgeted for the invisible rifle. 'They're just poppers...' she thought trying to calm herself down but it wouldn't work. Bang. Bang. Bang. She couldn't take it any more. She was feeling panicked and she needed to get the hell out of there.
"I'm going into the shower!" she weakly muttered making a 360 degree turn and headed straight up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. She briefly heard her dad asking "What the hell is wrong with her?" Before she made it to the top of the stairs and into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. Turning the shower on she leaned against the door and slid down it, grabbing at her hair. She was crying and she couldn't stop. "Stop...stop..." she pleaded. All these thoughts of Afghan were driving her insane. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her phone, took a deep breath to steady herself and dialled a number. She listened to it ring before the person answered the phone. She heard them answer and before waiting for them to even say Hello. She went straight in. "I need you help."