Before I head back into the writing cave... I would like to share a teaser of "Footprints"

This is my NaNo novel... COMPLETELY UNEDITED... subject to change

Taking the hand reaching out for me, I start to walk. The doors to the waiting area open slowly. The sun shines so bright, it hurts my weary eyes. The cold morning air nips at my fragile body. With each step closer to the flag covered casket, my heart breaks a little more. I cling to my uncles hand as we walk slowly across the dark sea. I want to wake up from this nightmare, this cant be happening to me. That is not my dad, my life the only man that will ever own my heart in that silver box. It cant be true. No matter how many times I try to pull myself away from the never ending circle of thoughts it always ends up true.

Whether it be the sympathy lined face of a relative, the mass of paperwork that lays on the table in our hotel room. Even the uniforms that I have seen over the past few days remind me that this is not a nightmare after all, this is my life. I have become a statistic, I have become the daughter of a Killed in action war hero.

I have been told a thousand times that I should be proud of him, he sacrificed his life for his country, for us. Deep down though I have this numbing feeling of hatred. How could he be so selfish and leave us? Why did he go? Were we not enough of an adventure for him, did he really ave to go chase bullets to get a thrill?

No one knows how I feel, I have read the leaflets left strategically placed every where we go, my feelings are normal. Really my god, who in their right mind would think such a thing? Me thats who.

The flag is crisp, clean and beautiful as it lays across the silver casket. Its so appealing I want to run my fingers over it. To feel the stitching as it meets. An almighty sob comes from beside me. I watch as my mother lays her heart broken, mentally beaten body over the flag. I raise my hand to object as she scrunches the flag under her body, but I cant. I am drawn to it. Its not the flag that is appealing to me, its whats under.

Laid deep under those colors and stars lays my dad.

Laying my hand on top of the flag, feeling all I can of him. I push the rest of my body into my Uncles, I need his strength right now. My face rests on the ribbons that line his breast its uncomfortable but having him close right now is what I need.

“Breath lady bug” He soft voice soaks through my sobbing.

There are only two men in my life that are allowed to call me Ladybug. My dad and Uncle Crass. I love them both so much. When I needed a rock he was there, when I needed protecting he was there. Now he stands holding my choking body as I mourn the one man we both looked up to.

“Why?” I croak