<p>When Nick and Ashlea first meet, they&rsquo;re just two drunk seventeen year olds at a house party. He&rsquo;s a binge-drinking redneck; she&rsquo;s a wild party girl. And every weekend in a country town like Geraldton is an alcoholic&rsquo;s dream.<br />
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It&rsquo;s a perfect match &ndash; until it isn&rsquo;t.<br />
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When tragedy strikes, Ashlea grows up fast. But Nick can&rsquo;t pull himself away from the booze &ndash; or the ghosts of his childhood that echo through every part of his life.<br />
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With Nick&rsquo;s addiction threatening to destroy their young love, Ashlea delivers an ultimatum &ndash; but it has deadly consequences.<br />
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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.</p>