The Black Flower - Sheppard Holden

When Nick and Ashlea first meet, they’re just two drunk seventeen year olds at a house party. He’s a binge-drinking redneck; she’s a wild party girl. And every weekend in a country town like Geraldton is an alcoholic’s dream.

It’s a perfect match – until it isn’t.

When tragedy strikes, Ashlea grows up fast. But Nick can’t pull himself away from the booze – or the ghosts of his childhood that echo through every part of his life.

With Nick’s 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.