Works / Short Stories
Red, White & Blue
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Preview
Set against the backdrop of a gritty county fair featuring funnel cakes and a diving "Aqua-Mule", Red, White & Blue follows an observant Dollar General cashier as they navigate a complicated, lingering affection for a deteriorating mother named Gwen. Once admiring Gwen's vibrant beauty, the narrator now watches her fade away, caught in a chaotic life with her unpredictable, recently amputated partner, Chief, and her young daughter, Amber. As Chief's erratic behavior culminates in a bloody, public breakdown near the fair's music stage, the narrator is forced to confront the tragic reality of Gwen's circumstances and the painful emotional burden of their secret, late-night encounters.