The abandoned ruins of the theater stood silently. The roof was broken in several places, letting sunlight shine in from outside. The seats were torn and tattered, burnt and ruined, as was the stage, where charred wood precariously stayed in place, ready to fall through.
The stage curtains were full of holes, and the scent of burnt dreams hung in the air.
Still that unforgettable burnt smell remained after all this time, Aly realized, as she stood at the door, looking out onto the stage. It was frightening and painful for her to come here, but she had to come back, for no matter where she ran her conscience followed her and she could not live out her life.
Memories haunted her dreams, and she knew she could not end them unless she faced up to the past. She knew her counselor would think she was crazy for trying to cope with too much at once, but she had to come here, had to find closure somehow.
She tentatively took a step onto the stage, testing it with her foot first to see it still held her weight. Her lithe body made the weakened boards creak, but did not let her fall. She tiptoed to the edge of the stage, and looked down over all the rows of seats. How many faces had she seen there, sitting at the first and second nights, the only nights of their play? They had made the audience laugh and cry, but it was all gone.
No more would people be coming to see her perform here, or anywhere else. She had left acting, gone out into the regular world and taken on an office job.
All because of that night.
Aly carefully sat down on the edge of the stage and let her legs hang down. The past came back to her, and she let it wash over her, the story of that fateful night, a year before...
She had been twenty-one when she left acting school, not the best in her class, but not the worst either. Aly Hartman had not wanted to go into acting because she was good at it, but because it was something she had wanted to do.
Still, many had graduated with her who more talented and better looking, and she had struggled to find employment. Movies had been in decline for a while, and were not looking for women like her with average appearance and average acting skills.
They only wanted the best, and on first appearances, Aly didn't seem like the best candidate.
She was about to give up when she read in thepaper one day about a little theater that was putting on some controversialplays. Many actors had left the theater because of its new management, yet theowner said he wanted to focus on doing something different, something theothers would not touch for fear of offending people.
Aly liked the idea, andfound herself writing a letter. She was called for an interview, and nervouslyattended
BINABASA MO ANG
We'll Start All Over
Fanfiction"Aly is cast to play a lesbian character in a play, and the role will change her life forever, opening her heart up to love in ways she never expected."
