Shawn: A Mid-Summer Night's Audition
"How the fugh....fughhh....fuck should I know?" Mom said, taking a hard turn on Sander's drive, laying wheel as the car rattled, nearly pressing Shawn's face against the passenger side window, one tire hopping up on the curb for a brief moment.
She was responding to Shawn's question about what kind of movie audition they were going to, and why it was taking place past bedtime. The swearing was not only uncharacteristic of Mom, but was also shocking, as was the fact that she was holding a bottle of Wild Turkey, some kind of foul smelling spirit from the liquor cabinet meant to entertain guests that never came to Shawn's house.
It was the middle of the summer now. Unlike the first few weeks, Shawn had seen very little of the Circus as of late, besides frequent visits from Griffix.
But things weren't normal. Not by any stretch.
Mom had grown increasingly forgetful and was drinking more and more. Dad, for his part, hadn't been to work for weeks. The last several days, Dad had spent outside digging in the backyard. Shawn had seen him with a shovel, back tanned dark brown, shaggy beard covered in dry mud, looking like some kind of crazed lunatic. The hole was five feet deep.
"Ya...know?"