Beyond the Border | ✔

1 | rule 37

RULE 37: NEVER ACCEPT ANYTHING FROM THE OUTSIDE

✷  C  H  A  P  T  E  R     O  N  E  ✷

"I come bearing gifts," Memphis exclaimed cheerfully. His grey eyes shone with excitement. He was always so prideful when he broke the rules, but even I had to admit, it was a part of what made him so charming.

He had a crooked smile that seemed to get him out of even the most sticky of situations — not that he ever needed to rely on it much. He had a way with words that had you agreeing with him before you even knew what you were even agreeing to.

Long ago, I learned that you could never keep Memphis away from anything banned in the Borderlands. I used to scold him for it, afraid that I — along with Ember, Si, and Gracie — would be accessories to his crimes, but it only encouraged him more.

I would never admit it to him, but his disobedience was thrilling to watch. I couldn't help but stare as it seemed like he had the whole world in the palm of his hands.

His family was comprised of merchants, going all across the Borderlands to trade different goods, like furs, salt, and various herbs. Only, I knew his family didn't just trade the goods we could cultivate in our small patch of land. They had a nasty habit of providing under-the-table dealings of contraband, like sugary candy and Coca-Cola.

I had a suspicion that Memphis and his family even dared to cross the Border themselves. For they spoke of the Outside as if they had seen it — as if they knew it. I could never figure out how they were able to get back in, but I was never brave enough to question it.

In one swift movement, Memphis took out several things from his leather bag: a magazine, an assortment of food, and a book. He had brought a lot to share with us this week. Usually, it was just a single piece of new food to try. Ice cream still reigned true as my favorite.

I had never tasted anything as creamy yet cold at the same time. While most of it melted by the time Memphis brought it back to the group, it was still the best thing I had ever tasted — it far surpassed the wondrous foods Gran would cook up every day. Of course, I would never dare tell Gran.

Each week, Memphis, Si, Ember, Gracie, and I meet in the forest on the Eastern end of the Border. The stationed watch on the Eastern side is not as vigilant as the others, and the trees provide great cover. We're also close enough to the Border to be able to blame any mishaps on someone throwing them over here from the other side.

It didn't always use to be like this. The Border used to stand strong and unwavering. If you wanted to leave, you once had to request permission to pass over the Border, otherwise, an invisible force would lock you in.

Now, however, you can step foot over the Border with no problem — only to exit, though. The protection spell guarding us is wearing thin, and the beasts are nipping at our heels to get in.

I had only caught a glimpse of one of the beasts once, but it was enough to scare me for a couple of months. Bright, glowing eyes peered at me from beyond the Border, making my breathing hitch.

They were real.

For so long they had been just talk — almost a figment of the Borderland's imagination. The beasts existed, but they weren't real to me. They filled my nightmares but never entered my reality. I had never laid eyes on one before. However, that all changed a couple of summers ago when I had raced quickly over to my godmother's to help her with the birth of her youngest son.