The Fence

Chapter 32: Sorrow

~Donte~

...

Time must not be wasted.

Time can never be given, and it will always be taken away. It's like a leaf, whisked away by just the slightest breeze. Where does that lone leaf end up? In a sea of other leaves, lost to the world as it waits to be crushed under human feet.

So I waste no time in alerting my coworkers to get down to the infirmary as quickly as possible. Grey's panic has rubbed off on me, plaguing my mind with the image of Kirbena cradled in his arms, her blood soaking through his shirt. His expression has me rattled, like a man whose home just flooded. Kirbena lies silently on the table, the only sound of her heart monitor filling the room. Her chest rises and falls in unsteady patterns, and I have to force myself to stop watching her like a hawk to make sure she's still breathing.

I will not be responsible for letting Kirbena die. She's going to survive long enough to say goodbye, at the very least.

My own chest clenches at the idea of Kirbena never speaking again, never seeing again, and never moving again. Never feeling again. Never living again. I suck in a breath and wipe my nose on my sleeve. I can't let myself get emotional right before I dig in to save her.

I will not be responsible for her death, but for her life.

I will save her no matter how long I have to stand here.

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~Ky~

...

Death is inevitable.

Even if Donte can save Bena, she will die someday. It's impossible not to die. Even I couldn't create a serum for immortality and play God for the day. If she dies, the world will go on. The Earth will keep spinning as if nothing happened.

But my world will surely collapse into oblivion.

I can picture the darkness that would engulf my whole being. I can picture seeming so cold that I might as well have been locked in a freezer. The very numb feeling making it impossible for me to feel is terrifying. Having no sister, no other half, is terrifying!

If she dies, and I don't get to say sorry, I won't be able to live with myself.

I'm her twin, and I'm supposed to try to understand her perspective. If she's happy, then I'm happy. When did that change? When did we stop looking out for each other? When did she stop telling me things and when did I do the same?

Why couldn't I have been a good brother?

I would give anything to go back in time just to give her a hug, just to tell her I love her.

I would give anything to go back, but why couldn't I have just been there for her in the first place?

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~Merida~

...

Friends are not to be taken for granted.

I've always tried to be the good little girl my parents raised me to be. I've always understood that people are not property; they're not the last cookie in the jar. They shouldn't be treated that way, and they definitely shouldn't be taken for granted.

I know this.

But while I was busy getting to know other people, I pushed her to the back of my mind. I almost forgot about her completely. What does that make me? Certainly not the good little girl my parents raised me to be.