Elle Reignmen

Daughter of Charles Reignmen

We sit in silence in our dad's office. All four of us were never allowed in here; it almost feels disrespectful to be in here now. Mom has been a nervous wreck, so naturally, it's been me stepping up and helping my siblings get through this.

I've always been the one who has had to step up. Mom was never really a warm person, and dad was, well dad. So now as we sit and wait for the moment that coordinator for dad's funeral tells us to go into the backyard for the familial appearance.

"This doesn't feel right," says Cosette. "Why does it have to be this big skeptical? Dad is gone, and I feel like I can't even grieve because we have to do this performance at his funeral."

"Not all of us had a great relationship with dad," says Charlie bitterly. "Some of us don't even want to be here."

"Let's not make this about your failure to measure up to his expectations," says Barrett as he takes a seat next to Cosette. She leans over sadly on his shoulder, and just like when they were younger he puts his hand behind his back and rubs it. She grips onto her twin brother's arm like it's a lifeline as I step into the middle of the room and calm my siblings.

"That's enough," I say looking at Barrett and Charlie. "Whether or not you had a good relationship with dad or not, the point of today is to get closure. It's not a celebration; it's not a grievance, it's whatever you as his child need it to be. If Cosette is feeling a certain way, then let her feel it, Charlie. Barrett, there is no reason for you to come and attack Charlie like that."

My mother's eyes, suddenly full of life and attention, looks around at my siblings and I and wipes her eyes. "Listen to your sister," she says as the funeral coordinator comes into the room. His creepy smile fills the room as he ushers us into the line and then leads us to the backyard of our family home.

We walk to the backdoor that opens automatically. Valencia, our housemaid but basically our sister opens the door and nods as she stands at the back with the other house help. Cosette, as tears start to fall down her face, grabs ahold of her best friend's hand and leads her down the aisle to sit with her in our family row.

Cameras start flashing as the family of the Charles Reignmen sits before the world and shows the "strong family bond" that we've put on for years now when the crowd settles I get up from the row and walk to the podium. The cameras begin to flash again, and I clear my throat. A security guard comes over to the side and looks at me to see if I'm okay. I nod my head and open my mouth to start my eulogy.

"I first want to thank you for joining us in a celebration of my father's life. As many of you know, Charles Reignmen was a great man." I say; looking at the first row there are a million different expressions on each of the faces looking at me. "My life was a very blessed one. My siblings and I have always had everything we've ever needed and wanted. My father did his very best to provide for the ones that he cares for."

Tears start to well up in my eyes. The truth of the matter is I haven't even begun to process what I'm feeling about the whole situation. My father made many enemies during his time as President of Reignmen Industries.

"As a little girl, I wanted nothing more than to be just like my dad. I would watch him in awe as he would effortlessly conduct business meetings. I was never a very bold child. I was always the one that felt the need to kind of blend in and step out when needed, and because of that I don't think I made him proud while he was living."

I turn to face the coffin of my father. He looks so peaceful as he lays there silently, for the first time probably ever in his life. His face looks so strong still. He was such a fierce man that you often didn't acknowledge things like him sleeping. People considered my dad not human. They considered him some mega-person.

"Dad, I promise that as I go through the rest of my life, I will do everything in power to make you proud," I say. "I will fight for the rights of others. I will work my butt off to keep everything you've accomplished in your life afloat. That was important to you." I turn back to the audience and clear my throat. "My siblings and I are well aware of the media going around about the status of Reignmen Industries. Let me be the first to announce that we are not closing the doors to the company that has changed how we view entertainment forever. My siblings and I will be competing for the seat, and after the Hunger Games, it will have new CEO." I say.

Any silence that I had from the audience starts to fade as the cameras are flashing yet again. Reporters begin to flood the aisle to swarm my siblings and me, and just like that my father's funeral is over. Probably how he'd want it to be anyway.

"Elle, are you planning on taking the seat for yourself?"

"Cosette, are you going to beat your siblings out for the coveted chair?"

"Charlie, can you put aside your partying ways to achieve greatness like your dad?"

"Barrett, are you even wanting the position?"

Questions are hurled left and right all around us. My mother starts to shove through the crowd of reporters, and we follow her back into the house. Security comes to remove the savages from our backyard, as my father is being lowered into the ground.

"Bye, dad," I whisper as I watch his coffin disappear into the cold earth.

If I learned anything from dying, it's that death is unforgiving. Not in the sense that you need to be forgiven by death, but the people you leave behind because of death. My legacy here on earth is nothing more than being a good business CEO.

What was it worth it in the end?

My children couldn't even give me a proper eulogy at my funeral. I was a cold man, and I made a lot of mistakes, but the choices I made had lasting effects, and everything happens for a reason. Or at least that's what I told myself as I sit in this void thinking about my time on earth.

Make no mistake; I'm not proud of this story. And it's only just getting started. You're going to see such an ugly side of my family. There's going to be personal turmoil, broken hearts, and maybe even a couple of skeletons in the closet.

No, my all-access interview isn't completed yet. It's only getting started.

Long may they Reign,

Charles

Yikesss! So I finally have the submissions I needed, and I'm super pumped! I have a blog with everything you need to know about it. Would LOVE a review because these take time to make and I actually really like this blog.

Reignhg .weebly .com

Thank you to all 37 people that submitted to the story. Means the absolute world to me to get this amount of submissions. I hope that if you didn't make it, you'll stick around, or at least be back for the sequel.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Keep it classy,

Caleb