Trailer Park Punishment

Lesson Learned?

The air in Darlene’s trailer was thick with the smell of cheap beer, stale cigarette smoke, and desperation. Empty beer cans littered the kitchen around the table where three women, Darlene, her sister-in-law Jean, and their friend Rita, had been playing poker for hours. The game had finished, the winnings were already forgotten, and the mood had shifted from rowdy to something darker.

“I’m telling you Rita, you were trying to cheat me out of that last hand,” Darlene slurred, pointing a finger tipped with a chipped, glittery nail.

“Bullshit,” Rita shot back, slamming her beer can down on the table. “You’re just a sore fucking loser.”