Chapter 31 Battling the Big Lie
“Can we get your names, please?”
“I’m Ken Kelly.”
“And I’m Kari Kelly.” She giggled. “We are such big fans of yours! We watch you every night!”
“Thank you so much,” said Chad Hunter, reporter for the Kellys’ favorite news channel. “And thank you for letting us use the video you posted to Instagram.”
“It was fun, wasn’t it?” Kari said.
“So fun,” Chad agreed. “You two about ready? I’m just going to record a couple of lines and then ask a few simple questions. Shouldn’t take more than a minute or two.”
“Ask away!” Ken said.
“Alright then.” Chad looked at the camera guy. “You good? Okay, let’s do this.”
Ken and Kari couldn’t have been more thrilled.
“Hi, Brett. I’m here in Troy, Georgia, where citizens received two unwelcome guests after church this past Sunday.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say they were unwelcome,” Kari chimed in. “Unexpected, maybe.”
Chad was not amused. “Okay, let’s take it again from the top.” He shook his head and the annoyance fell from his face. “Hi, Brett. I’m here in Troy, Georgia, where citizens received two unexpected guests after church this past Sunday. I’m standing here with Ken and Kari Kelly, who filmed the bizarre incident.” Chad stopped and stood perfectly still for three seconds. “That’s where we’ll edit in your footage. Ready for the questions?”
“Absolutely!” said Ken.
“What did you make of the performance you witnessed?” Chad asked.
“Oh, it was very impressive,” Kari said. “The way Moxie twirled into a whole new outfit!”
“Totally amazing,” Ken agreed.
“You know Talia does all the makeup and designs all the costumes? I can’t believe the talent on those children! Of course they were always like that—even back in grade school.”
“I found the whole thing so inspirational,” Ken added. “I got a little teary-eyed watching the Dean kids make up with their mama. Made me think it’s time for us to reach out to our son. We’ve been arguing lately, and—” He had to bite his lower lip before he started blubbering.
“We love you, Keith!” Kari called out, blowing kisses into the camera.
“Your town has been going through some tough times lately, hasn’t it?” Chad asked. “It’s only been a week since Logan Walsh’s suicide. Now there are reports coming out that he may have pulled a gun at a rally?”
The mood turned dark at once. “That was terrible,” Ken said.
“And terrifying!” Kari added.
“Something like that happening in a beautiful place like this. Makes you wonder what the world is coming to.”
“That kind of thing is not who we are,” Kari said. “We’re all good, wholesome folks round here.”
That evening, Ken and Kari raced to the living room and settled into their recliners for the show.
Liberals chuckle when we warn that drag queens are coming for your children. But residents of one small Georgia town have learned the hard way that it’s no laughing matter. Let’s go to Chad Hunter, who was on the scene earlier today.
“Hi, Brett. I’m here in Troy, Georgia, where citizens received two unwelcome guests after church this past Sunday.”
The video cut to Moxie Laguerre calling out to the crowd in Jackson Square.
“Gather round, children of all ages! Today’s your lucky day! It’s drag queen story time!”
Two drag queens took over the town square, determined to read erotica to the town’s children.
The video cut first to Talia holding up a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey and then to a woman pulling her child closer.
“I’m standing here with Ken and Kari Kelly, who filmed the bizarre incident. What did you make of the performance you witnessed?”
“That was terrible,” Ken said.
“And terrifying!”
“Something like that happening in a beautiful place like this. Makes you wonder what the world is coming to.”
“That kind of thing is not who we are,” Kari said. “We’re all good, wholesome folks round here.”
Ken lowered the volume and looked over at his wife, who hadn’t eaten a kernel of the popcorn clenched in her fist.
“What the hell just happened?” he asked.
“I don’t know, Papa,” Kari told him. “But I think we’re fake news.”