Chapter thirteen
3 months. It has taken me 3 months after camp to call Abby, Christie, and Carli to meet me.
We decided to meet the weekend Kelley was going to Georgia. I didn't want her to worry about me and I knew if she knew that I was going to hang out with only those 3 something would be up.
I slowly got up and got into a nice plaid button down and pair of black skinny jeans, and then got Cujo and headed to the girls Hotel.
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As I reached the hotel I looked down at my phone and saw that Abby had sent me the room number. I got into into the elevator and pressed 5.
As the elevator started to creep up I thought about how am going to tell them. "Should I start from the very beginning? Should I leave out all the details?" I didn't have enough time to think much because the elevator dinged to signal the 5th floor.
As I got out of the elevator Cujo rubbed against me telling me everything is gonna be okay. I walked to room 569, and just stood there for a good 5 mintues.
Finally I got the balls to knock, and as soon as I knocked Abby opened the door and gave me a giant hug.
"Hey shark girl" Abby said leading me Inside. "Hey abs, Carli, and Cap." I said as I sat down on the couch.
"I feel like we just need to get this done." I said getting right to the point. "A lot of shit happened those 2 years in Iraq. The worst part is when I was captured for 6 months and tortured."
As soon as those words came out of my mouth, they knew what I was about to say.
"I'm telling you this, because I kept getting flashbacks of it. They mainly happen when I'm asleep, but they have also occcured when my mind wonders off. I guess I should tell you how I got captured. Me and Cujo were doing our rounds when I saw something explode a 100 yards away. I knew it wasn't anything good so I started running back to base, when I was a vehicle racing towards me. I remember I was trying to out run the vehicle and to reach for my radio and then getting thrown down. I told Cujo to find help and then I blacked out."
"Oh my goodness, that just sounds like pure hell just getting captured," Abby said looking at me.
I nodded not really sure what to say, other than continuing.
"I'll keep all the gruesome details out, but there was four men, who would do everything to humiliate me. These four men smacked me, burnt me, beat me and worst of all raped me."
I heard the intake of breath from Christie.
"They took the last little bit of innocence I had. This happened for months. They drugged me and practically did what ever they wanted to me. One day everything changed. I heard banging on walls and screaming, a couple of gun shots and then nothing. I was to weak to get up, and I just sat there hoping this wasn't how I was gonna die. Then the door open, and there was my best buddy Rickie. All I could do was cry of happiness and embarrassment. I was in a shit hole, and my best mate is the one who finds me and I'm stark naked. I got out of there and they sent me to medical and that is how I ended up coming back 3 months early.
"How did you not lose it?" Abby asked intrested.
"It's because I thought about Cujo and Kelley. I couldn't die, I knew Kelley would be heart broken and I knew you guys would be so devesated. I had to stay alive for everyone. I couldn't let those jackasses win."
"I-i'll be right back," Christie said as she got up and went onto the balcony.
I saw the tears in her eyes as she left, and I follwed her out.
"What's going on in that head Cap?"
"When you were talking about getting tourtered and raped, all I could think about what if that was one of my girls. How would I be able to help them?" Christie said. "I count you as one of my children Ashlyn. I love you like one of mine and it hurts to hear about all the shit you went through. Yeah everyone on the soccer team is like my children and I worry about them, but you out there risking your life for this country makes me worry about you just tad more."
I laughed as she said that. "I knew you liked me more"
"Ashlyn Michelle you better not tell anyone, or I will make Jill put you in goal and let Carli give it to you!" Christie said trying not to laugh.
"You feel better?" I asked Christie.
"much."
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The rest of the day we spent watching all the Jaws movies. It was really just a weight lifted off my shoulders to tell these people what I have gone through, just in case something happened they would know what to do.
The only people I had left was to tell was Jill, Alyssa, and most importantly Kelley. I knew I had to do it at some point, but not yet. I just got Kelley, and I didn't need something happening to Alyssa again.
At this moment, everything was okay, and I wasn't going to let anyone fucking destroy it.