The first time burning hives appeared all over her body,
Alex and her parents assumed she had a severe allergic reaction
To toxic substances in the water. It happened after an entire
Day of swimming in the lake, an activity she looked forward to
Every summer in Hobble Creek Canyon. When she took
A long look at herself, she cried and said “This is definitely
Worse than acne!” as the family physician prescribed
Massive doses of antihistamine to relieve her pain.
All the doctor could say was “I’m afraid you’re having
An anaphylactic shock.” “Is that super bad?” she asked,
To which he answered “Yes, it’s fatal—” “O what
A stupid way to die!” Alex thought, without knowing
What in the world was causing the skin lesions and sores
In her throat. Luckily, she survived the night and all
The other days, weeks, and months when specialists
Could not find a cure for her illness.
She endured three years of awkward stares and annoying
Comments from school mates before finding
An online article about a woman who was allergic
To water. The realization was instant, and doctors
Finally confirmed she suffered from the same disease.
But how could something so vital make her miserable?
Isn’t the human body made up of sixty percent water?
She felt her tears flow like acid against her cheeks.
From then on, she never left the house without an umbrella.
She stopped doing the dishes, exercised in the cold to control
Her sweat, and gave up her dream of becoming a marine
Biologist and wildlife photographer. She could only manage
Two-minute baths once a week. Through it all, she never
Stopped asking, “Why?” Alex couldn’t help but think
She could be the victim of a lab experiment by a secret society.
If so, why create humans that reject the nourishment
Of water? It was even stranger to think her disease
Naturally occurred in one person out of 230 million people
All over the planet (at least that’s what the internet said).
Hers could be a case of genetic mutation. Tired of feeling
Like a mistake in the larger scheme of things,
Alex began to reimagine herself as a critical link
To the slow and gradual process of human evolution:
When the Earth wastes away, her children will be among
The first humans to survive in other planets without water.
Since then, she’s been fascinated with space exploration,
Astrophysics, and chemistry. The future seemed brighter
That way, with reasons, not questions.
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