As Molly made her way down the corridor to one of the rooms in which Sherlock had told her to meet him in at exactly 8 o'clock she began to see that the room was darkened, the curtains draw and only a small light in the corner of the room on a desk.
"Sherlock? It's em… It's Molly, are you in here?" She asked as she stepped inside the room carefully trying to see. The door snapped shut behind her and she spun around to face the door where she could now see the faint outline of a man. Tears stung her eyes as hidden memories and ordeals resurfaced in her mind as the figure stepped closer. "Sherlock?" She murmured.
Sherlock rolled his eyes annoyed at her quiet voice but could not see the glisten of tears in her eyes as he walked over taking her by the shoulders.
"Yes Molly it's me, honestly who else would it be?" He scoffed. Molly bit her lip but stayed quiet not trusting her voice to stay strong. Sherlock led her to one side of the room before walking back to the desk on which sat the lamp as well as a few tennis balls. Molly tilted her head confused.
"Sherlock what are we doing?" She asked cautiously as Sherlock reached for the tennis balls before putting two in his pockets and holding one in his hand before switching the lamp of causing Molly to freeze in fear.
"An experiment." He said bluntly and Molly could hear his voice travel across the room making her unsure of where he was.
"Sh, Sherlock please can you put the lights back on?" She said quietly biting her lip.
"No I need you to catch this ball and that means I need the lights off because I want to see how your reaction times changes due to what you can see."
Molly's eyes searched desperately through the darkness for Sherlock or something of any recognition. She could find none and squeaked lightly as a ball rushed past her bringing back memories of missed blows from a drunken man. She could hear the disappointed huff that came from Sherlock when he heard the ball hit the wall.
"Molly did you not hear me I said you need to catch the ball." He said exasperatedly somehow not hearing as Molly sniffed lightly wiping away tears which had slowly started to fall.
"Pl, please put the lights back on," She stuttered nervously as she brought her hands defensively around herself as Sherlock's voice seemed to be angrier, shouting at her.
"No Molly I have to do this experiment for a case now, let's try it again." He threw another ball and it hit Molly square in the eye making her whimper and put her hand to her eye touching it gently as she knelt down starting to cry silently. After a moment Sherlock frowned not understanding why she had gone so quiet. "Molly? Are you okay?" He asked gently, for him anyway. He was answered with silence and as he stepped towards her he began to hear her small sniffles and could see her outline now crouching on the floor. "Molly?"
Molly sniffed and looked up startled as his voice had gotten closer. "The lights p, p, please put them back on." Sherlock frowned but did so before turning back his mouth gaping open as he saw Molly sitting on the floor with her knees up to her chest and one hand around her legs and the other touching her eye which Sherlock could see was considerably redder than the other which was something considering both were quiet red from the tears which were falling freely down her face. She looked so small and fragile. As if anyone touched her she would shatter.
Molly squinted at the light before getting up quickly trying to hide her tears as she straightened up her coat staring at the floor embarrassed at Sherlock's gaze.
"What's wrong?" He asked with true concern in his voice for once but she just shrugged as he came towards her.
"Nothing I just, I don't like the dark." Sherlock scoffed at her obvious lie and tilted her chin so that he could look at her eye.
"A dislike to something would not make a grown woman cry Molly, a phobia due to previous occurrences which happened in the said woman's childhood, could. What happened?" He asked gently but so that she knew she had no choice but to tell him.
"Uncle and Mother at times, when she was drunk after Daddy had passed away, I was only fifteen and, they would beat me again and again in my bedroom for reasons I didn't know. Anything or everything would set them off and… It was always dark when they hurt me I guess I just connect the two." She said ending quietly as she looked down to her shoes again. Sherlock looked shocked as he kissed her cheek lightly
"I apologise Molly if I knew I would not have put you through that ordeal." He muttered ashamed and Molly looked at him silently before swallowing thickly trying to calm herself.
"I know you wouldn't, thank you." She said and Sherlock frowned.
"For what?"
"Listening, believing, my Mother and Uncle were pillars of the community no one has ever even noticed before." She smiled slightly before leaving for her home not noticing Sherlock's eyes follow her shocked.
