Letting it All Burn Down

Write a story told exclusively through dialogue.

It’s late. Where were you?

Just out… with the guys

Mhmm. And by “Guys”, do you mean that woman I’ve been seeing you with?

Maybe.

Listen, Steven, we need to talk. It’s about your job.

The Fire Company?

Yes, the Fire Company! I think it’s had a bad influence on the children.

What could be bad about burning their belongings? Setting fires is always great! My family has been doing it for generations.

No, it’s not. Listen, I think you should find a new job. One that pays better. One that keeps the kids safe.

Listen, you wouldn’t understand. My father lit fires, his father lit fires, and his mother lit fires! It's in our blood, Samantha!

Oh boy, another story about the ‘Great Father Figure.’

Say what you like, but we both know he didn’t start that fire that took maw. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times, he didn’t do it!

Well, let’s just say those two had some very different ideas on the subject of monogamy.

But Paw died a week before that, you know this!

You’re telling me you actually believe your paw died in that fire? Ha,  next thing I know you’ll be telling me pigs can fly. 

What is that supposed to mean?!

He’s faked his death twelve times this year!

*Huff* You’ve never understood him. I mean sure, he’s faked his death a ‘few times’, and was involved us in ‘several major scams’, but he was there for me. Can’t you see? He was there for me. I could only dream of being as good a father as he was.

You forgot to pick up Timothy from daycare last week!

It’s not my fault I forgot about him!

He’s was there for three days! Three!

You should have reminded me!

It’s not my job to remind you to pick up our son!

Oh, well, let’s just hope you don’t forget what happened in Tokyo!

Don’t you dare bring up Tokyo in front of the kids!

Oh, so it’s ok to harp on me about leaving Timothy, but when I even think about tarnishing your good name-

You know that’s different!

Oh, is it?

Well, don’t worry too much, I doubt they can hear us over the roaring sound of the fire they just started! Do you know the amount of money we spent this month alone on fire expenses?!

Maw was right about you…

Oh, you want to start that conversation? Fine, let’s go into that! Your Maw was a nasty old witch who knew nothing about raising kids! And that’s clear whenever anybody looks at you!

How dare you say that about Maw. She wasn’t the brightest tool in the shed, but she sure knew good from evil. Fire is good, and you are evil! She always knew that, and I should have listened to her from day one!

Steven. 

What?!

Have I ever told you about the pond in my backyard?

The what?

The pond. In my yard.

… No?

Well, when I was growing up, I lived in a little house deep in the woods. And there was a shallow pond in my yard.

Yeah…

And in the center of the pond, the silt was so fine, it acted like quicksand. If you stepped in it, it collapsed under you and sucked you in.

Uh-huh.

Anyway, my mother always told me not to play in the center of the pond. She told me ‘Samantha! Don’t get near the center of that pond, or it’ll suck you in and you’ll never get out!’

Yeah?

And me, being a dumb kid, didn’t care what she said. So, I played in the middle of the pond all the time! It was a game to me, right? Like- a sort of a dare. How long can you stay in the center? How deep can you sink into the mud? And I just kept pushing. Longer and longer I would push, until guess what?

Did you get stuck?

Bingo! I had pushed too far, my leg sunk waist-deep in the sand, and it wouldn’t come out. I pushed and pulled, but I was only going down deeper. It came to a point where I realized, I would have to call my mom for help.

So, what did she do?

She helped me! What did you think, she left to die? No! She helped me out of the pond.

No, I mean after. Did she punish you, for going into the pond when she told you not to?

No, no, she didn’t punish me. She didn’t yell, didn’t lecture me. Heck, she probably knew I had been lollygagging about the pond a long time before that day.

So, she let you off the hook?

Yeah, I guess she did.

But, why? She told you not to go into the pond, and you did all the time, and then you got stuck just like she warned you too, and-

Because she cared, Steven! She goddamn cared, alright?! She knew the moment I lay eyes on that pond I would get myself stuck. It wasn’t her place to punish me for it. She just tried to delay it.

Why are you telling me this?

Steven, I always knew this would happen. I’ve… I’ve just been trying to delay it.

Sam, listen to me-  

No, Steven, you listen for a change. This isn’t going to work anymore! You can’t pretend that you’re right anymore. You can’t declare war on the universe! This isn’t a game, Steve, this is real life now. And there are real-life consequences.  So tell me honestly, for a change, are you going to quit it, or keep living in your little world where everything is fine, and you can just light fires where ever you chose, and everyone else has to deal with it all?

What’s so wrong with that? Think, Sam, our life was fine before you went and felt like it wasn’t. Before you had to get involved. Before you had to take up the mantel and “do something.” Before you decided to ask me about the fire factory. 

Oh bullshit Steven, you know that every word in your mouth right now is full of lies! We were never fine and good! We were never- we were never- we weren’t-

Sam?

We… never...

Sam? Sam! What’s going on Sam? Sam!?