The Incomplete Elements of Reign.

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. I remember thinking this to myself the day it happened, laying upside down on my couch, in the dark living room of my apartment. With Bethoven blaring in my noise canceling headphones and rivers of tears streaming down my face. Staring into my existential void through eloquently transitioned images of space dancing across the tv screen ahead of me. But, that was then.

Our civilization didn’t expect it to be this way. Some say it was adaptation, others claim evolution and then there are “those” that will tell you this is how it used to be. Polové and Vayu were the “those '', they told us what it was before it all began because they had seen it, we all had. The problem is that we didn’t listen. At least not in the beginning. Polové was born 22 years after me, Vayu 27 and Thirio 11.

We were all living a life of indoctrination. Enslaved and indulgent in the very deadly sins and thoughts we were told to fear. Entirely unaware of the devastating truth before us. Looking back at it now, it is easy to see how so many missed it. The “those" of us had decided that the only way we could keep this from happening again would be to accurately record it and protect it. As it has been recorded in the past but the truths were altered and exploited.

In order to really understand how we ended up where we are right now and where we’re currently headed; we need to catch you up on some history. You joined my journey in the existential void. I had come to this void by torturing myself. Instead of living up to the prophecy foretold by my Great Great Grandmother, medicine and wise woman of our tribe, before I was born. This was my destiny, trying to escape it only weakened and separated me from my element even further.

I was born on a small Indian reservation in South Central California nestled in the Sequoia National Forest. My name at birth is Chaux x-ywani, in my language this means: of the water. This is how I was known to my family and the tribe. When we moved to Arizona, I was given my western name, Reign. Our family was descended from the first chief of our tribe, our bloodline royal, powerful and ancient. I was born with an olive skin tone and straight black hair. But in only a few short weeks my skin lightened to a pale ivory with red and orange undertones, littered with reddish brown freckles. The bluest of sapphire eyes and dirty strawberry blonde strands of hair started sprouting from my scalp. I was considered an omen to my people. Born of a native woman and a white man. Though we lived in more modern times my tribe still lived very traditional. I would not learn of my Great Great Grandmother's prophecy for another four years after we moved to Arizona and left the tribe.

Thirio, my husband and father, by all rights to Polové and Vayu. Polové our daughter, Vayu our son and the younger of the two. He was born in Los Angeles California, he is tall, like a sequoia and devilishly handsome with the skin of sweet espresso. We would meet 21 years later in Phoenix, AZ, knowingly and unknown of the fate that lay ahead of us. We met on a Tuesday early evening in April, by what was assumed at the time as a pure accident. It was almost my one year anniversary of when I decided to embark on a journey to fulfill the prophecy. Thirio had an amazing perspective on life, flawless character, not always liked but respected. He was a natural leader and warrior. Wise beyond his years and undoubtedly offensive. Inevitably our casual encounter developed into a friendship that unequivocally matured into a relationship. And almost a year later we were wed.

We were still in the midst of an “unprecedented epidemic” that had been set in motion by a group of primordial Hu’s that appropriated the elemental truth for and in greed. Our planet was decaying and Hu-mans were straying further and further away from who they really were.

Polové and Vayu were unlike any other children their age. They were born still attached to their elemental truth. Due to my own indoctrination I didn’t come to understand the message they brought until I was 31 and by then they were 10 and 5…

“Happy anniversary Reign!” His voice woke me as it came bulldozing through my dream state.

“What?! What do you mean? It’s not our anniversary.” I argued with irritation in return as my eyes opened and narrowed in on him, offended at his claim while simultaneously brushing it off.

“It's our six year anniversary,” he proclaimed, with a cautious smile and uncertain chuckle. I grew in anger. Who could be angry at being in a relationship for six years? I could and I was furious. “No, it’s only been five years and that's not ‘till tomorrow.” I offered, as an excuse to buy myself time. How did I misplace a whole year, I puzzled in silence to myself?

He pulled an old movie ticket from his wallet and swaggered his proof, “here is the movie ticket from our first date, six years ago”.

In complete terror and shock, my eyes widened and darted at him with sternness. My body stood upright with force and to my surprise I replied, “Oh no! No. This cannot be, you have to go.” and just like that ended a six year relationship.

That day the woman I would come to know myself as made the decisions for me. Something deeply rooted inside me knew I was close to running out of time but I was unaware of what or why, yet entirely certain we had between three and eight years. It would be another two years before I would meet her but only one before I learned the truth of where she came from.