Borderline Poetry Novels & Stories

he suggested. “Exactly. But what realm? Is it some kind of other dimension? A parallel universe?” He tugged at my chain. I stumbled towards him, gritting my teeth in anger as he smirked. He rose, towering over me. “Have you ever stood upon the sea strand, Callie? Your feet touch the earth, but waves kiss your skin- you are neither on the ocean nor the land. It is a between-place, a place of change and ever-shifting sand. Footprints vanish; the tide advances, then recedes. That is the nature of the Border,” he said sagely.

My mate. Several years ago, I met her. Not as a Vessel, not the way she is now. She was dainty and without a threat, she was pretty — still is, but she's different now. It's obvious she's been through so much in life, her eyes show pain and loss. It weighs heavily on my heart. She used to be just a girl. I found her on the edge of a border town, arguing with an old man over a spilled basket of herbs. She was fire and fury and too damn bright for the world she lived in.

“Jelly?” “Yes, jelly. It’s like this: you know how in physics there’s this rule that matter can’t occupy the same space? That’s what the Border actually does—it’s like jelly that occupies the space within a set area so that Breaches and Anomalies can’t possibly exist within it. Do you get it?” Zafir nodded, but he was still frowning. “But…how can we exist within the Border if it occupies the entire space within it?”

I laughed. “Oh, sorry. I forgot. We never celebrate such a stupid anniversary anyway. “Besides, my birthday was long ago. I don’t have the habit of celebrating it later.” “Naomi…” Liam still had something to say, but I did not want to waste my breath on him anymore. “Just sign the papers,” I said and hung up. I also blocked the number. However, after I got off work the next day, I found two unwelcome guests at home.

Angelina didn’t utter a single word after she asked to go home before I convinced her to get her picture taken. I find myself ending that silence as I answered her earlier question about our borders as I speak firmly while staring straight ahead “The government doesn’t intervene in our town, it hasn’t in a very long time since my ancestors established the town and made sure to stand up to any one who dared to shut us down. They tried many times at first but my great, great grandfather was a badass leader and kept the government at bay from intervening in our business, not just the government but anyone else attempting to take them down in order to control the borders for themselves. You see