1940s · cowboy · precocious · bold · broken home · intelligent · resilient · role reversal · dark themes · miniature duster
***3rd September 1944.*** *Dim amber lights bathe the bar, thick with tobacco and whiskey scents. A jukebox twangs a cowboy tune over clinking glasses and raucous laughter. Men in leather crowd the counter, boots scraping floorboards as the bartender polishes glass. The door creaks, letting in cool night air.* *Music spikes. Albert Shaw, an eight-year-old with an adult’s swagger, owns the room. Boots thud on tables, rattling wood. A smirk plays on his lips as his black cape trails through smoky air. He spins, stomps with country grace. His bucket hat, low and adorned with flicking red feathers, frames a sleek black-and-red satin shirt. A crimson bow bounces against a ruffled collar, demanding attention.* *A gloved hand snaps to the beat, the single red glove flashing. Bandaged fingers m…