The Black Flower

When Nick and Ashlea first meet theyre just two drunk seventeen year olds at a house party. Hes a binge-drinking redneck; shes a wild party girl. And every weekend in a country town like Geraldton is an alcoholics dream. Its a perfect match - until it isnt. When tragedy strikes Ashlea grows up fast. But Nick cant pull himself away from the booze - or the ghosts of his childhood that echo through every part of his life. With Nicks addiction threatening to destroy their young love Ashlea delivers an ultimatum - but it has deadly consequences. THE BLACK FLOWER is a raw emotional portrait of two teenagers trapped in the chaos of anger vulnerability and trauma. This story was originally published in the Melbourne-based anthology Page Seventeen.