(Scene opens on Allison. She is a young woman playing with a lighter; she is fascinated by the flame in a strange way. She continues to look at the flame and stays memorized as she beings to speak.)
Fire. Flame. The colors: yellow, to orange to blue. The flames dance around and what’s amazing is that it doesn’t matter if it’s a match, lighter, fireplace or a building burning the essence of the fire is all the same. It starts, gets hotter and bigger until it steals all of the air and all of the life in the space. (Beat, she looks at the audience for the first time.) Fire is the stealer of life.
Sorry, sometimes I find myself overly fascinated or addicted if you will with fire. It will all make sense when I tell you my story. I grew up like most other kids, had two great parents and two older brothers that would kick my butt all the time. (Laughs) Anybody in the room a baby sister? I grew up with two older brothers who definitely wanted me to know how to be tough, how to take care of myself, and how not to put up with any man's shit. (Laughs) And it worked for the most part I definitely grew up knowing the ins and outs of men and paying attention to things like that. I think what I missed the most was my brothers teaching me how to deal with love. In their big brother minds little sister was never going to fall in love, because there was never going to be a man that was good enough for me. So when I finally met my Mr. Right, I didn't know what to do. I mean it was that strong, unconditional, I will do anything in the world for this man kind of love. It was the kind of love that I had only felt for my father, and I was only sixteen.
