Greenbriar RFD
anorak
/ˈænəˌræk/
noun
1.
a warm waterproof hip-length jacket usually with a hood, originally worn in polar regions, but now worn for any outdoor activity
2.
(informal, derogatory) a socially inept person with a hobby considered by most people to be boring
The town of Greenbriar sits about thirty miles north of nowhere. Founded in the mid 1800s, the town grew up around the railroad and cotton. The town’s founding father, Henry Greenbriar, moved here as part of a massive land grant that brought settlers to the area. There’s a statue of him in front of City Hall and every year school kids put on a play re-enacting the early struggles he faced establishing his crop in the midst of drought. He’s considered a symbol of heroic perseverance.
The punchline? Greenbriar was a monster. I found his wife’s journal while researching town history. He beat his wife and kids. He may have even been responsible for one of their deaths.
When I showed my parents the book, my dad took it from me and threw it in the fire. He said people needed to believe in Greenbriar. That the truth would only hurt people. As the town’s mayor, I guess he has to believe things like that. Truth is, small towns are full of dirty secrets. Listen close and you’ll hear them.
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Comments (2 so far!)
Average reader rating 5.00/5
Anorak
That similarity occurred to me later, though it wasn't an intentional allusion. That said, I've watched enough Simpsons episodes that a subconscious influence can't be ruled out...
- #2013 Posted 8 years ago
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0
Inspired by (prequel to):
A few weeks before graduation I skipped school with my buddy Jordan.
We were hanging out under the…
Honey Creek- Published 8 years ago.
- Story viewed 9 times and rated 1 times.
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slapdashmonuments
This reminded me a lot of that Simpsons episode where the founder of Springfield had turned out to have been a pirate with a golden tongue....I do believe it was Donald Sutherland as the historian who was hiding the truth...