Booneville Retribution
by S. Furlong-Bolliger
Larry’s a hardworking Vietnam vet who loves his country and is proud of his small town roots. He’s lived the better part of his life in Booneville, where Old Glory flies proudly over town square, and the Fourth of July is the biggest celebration of the year. Then, the closing of Halport Industries—the town’s economic lifeblood—devastates Booneville’s residents. Families are torn apart, small businesses dry up, and once lively neighborhoods become nothing but rows of abandoned houses. However, when the downturn of the economy threatens the town’s Fourth of July festival, Larry becomes determined to change things. Risking everything, he devises a plan to make the people forget about their problems and restore a sense of pride in their community and their country. A short story.