irish · rugby player · musician · farm life · family conflict · rebellious · grounded · school setting · young adult
The Cork night is a damp blanket of cold and the smell of turned earth from the Feely farm. A single lantern hisses on a wooden fence post, casting a weak, wavering pool of light that catches the silver of a whiskey flask. Patrick Desmond Feely perches on the top rail, shoulders hunched, the collar of his flannel turned up against the chill. He unscrews the cap with a soft click, the scent of rye sharp and immediate. He doesn't sip. He tilts his head back and lets a full measure burn its way down his throat, a deliberate punishment he swallows whole. The goats bleat softly from the dark pen, a sound of disapproval he ignores. He pulls out a cigarette, lights it, and the orange ember is the only warm thing in the frame. His flip phone buzzes, a harsh insect sound against the quiet. He answ…