She walked into the center of the

crowd and looked around her  at

all the lost and forgotten souls carrying

somebody else’s dream. She saw

the dimness in their eyes, she

heard the sluggish beat of each

heart, and she caught the scent of

discarded hopes as they passed

her by. These were desperate

times, calling for radical action, and

loving them as she did, wanting

to save them from her fate, she

bent down and raised the heavy

bucket at her feet

over her head and lifted

her face as she poured out every

drop of wasted time, passion, and

love…until she was drenched, and

the fumes of despair permeated

the room. They stopped and

stared at her in astonished horror as

she struck the match of experience and

set herself alight, the intensity

of the flames sparking a fierce

awareness in the eyes of those

who watched her burn.