On the verge

~ Intro ~

If you look at the map, you see borders. Dotted lines that determine which country starts where, and where it ends.

Yet none of those borders are as thick as the ones that surround ‘The Northian enclosure’.

Those dotted lines show, on the yellowing map, where the thick walls are build by the innovator of this totalitarian state. The intellectual and free-thinker Reinyr designed a society that is based on equal sharing. And in order to manage this society, no other worldly influences were allowed to disturb the balance.

So thirty four years ago, after a massive and bloody war about this, the state called Northian was finally independent and started building their walls.

In seven months these concrete walls were build, and with that, a part of the previous nation called ‘Umbrech’, closed itself off behind those walls.

The border that lines with the East of the remaining ‘Umbrech’ is formed by the natural rock formations.

Not many walls were needed there. They are, however, heavily guarded by both sides.

‘The Nothian enclosure’ doesn’t want unexpected freeloaders. Their totalitarian state works if they know exactly how many people live within the borders. And they make it their goal to know things like that.

Everything of every person living their is tracked traced and archived.

The Eastlings frown heavily on their neighbours, which were once kin and family, and are now complete strangers, that don’t want contact anymore.

This east of Umbrech is governed by a state that speaks of freedom, which is rich and grand if you have money. Otherwise it is poor and demeaning.

It is a land of possibilities:Milk and honey for some, but poverty for most. When that northern part of the land was lost in the war, with it numerous natural resources were cut off.

Which led a lot of resentment. Add to that misunderstanding and it has tension bubbling under the surface. The current peace balances on a dotted line.

~ Servgi ~

Hell and damnation! How did I get to this point?! Those are exactly my repeating thoughts, as I step behind my new colleague Andrev.

It has always been my father’s wish that I would become a border guard...just like him.

I have fought half my life to even get the chance to become something else.

I was going to make it big, become something spectacular like a advisor, or a wealthy merchant.

Yet here I am, walking into the footsteps that has been tread before me.

With my tail between my legs, I have returned to my birth village, as that successful career in the capital city faltered. In the end I was living on the streets and eating from garbage cans. That is when I admitted my defeat.

And I came home, begging my father for the job that I had thrown in his face, once saying I would never become a guard like him.

But here we are...

Andrev talks and explains and I listen with half an ear.

The border post, the gateway between North and East...I know it well. My father has allowed me to hang around, when I was a kid. Encouraged it even, in the hope that I would love to become what he is, a guard that patrols a border.

I am not going to love it, I know that for sure! In fact I hate it already.

The only plus I can find is that I can legally carry a gun. Not much a difference from the fact that I used to illegally carry a gun. Which makes that plus,...a minus.

So I shuffle along, as we make way on the rocky path with cliff bordering left of us. It is the midnight late shift, which means working from midnight 12 till 6 in the morning, and bloody dark by now.

“Just be careful here, because this path is treacherous and sometimes parts of it break away.” Andrev is truly giving me information that I can see, even in this darkness. I have a flashlight don’t I?!

We get at a point were Andrev starts waving his hand “Here is the hole in the rock formation, that was sealed with this fence. One of the vulnerable spots. Making it a guarding spot, to stand.”

“Just don’t let him drive you crazy with his complaints.”

“Who? Who would be complaining?” I ask this since I thought I was the one assigned to stand around here.

But as I come closer to the fence, all of a sudden a figure on the other side emerges, and says with a deep smokey voice. “That would be me, he is referring to.”

Startled I nearly jump aside

“Hell! Where did you come from?!” I aim my light in his face.

“The shadows,” is what he states dryly. “Now lower that light before I use my laser to damage your eyeballs.”

“He is not kidding Servgi. Lower your light.”

But before I do that, I take in the figure at the other side of the fence.

Clad in black leather, with red and of course the symbol of the Northians clearly visible on his coat. He is a bit older than me, with half long black hairs and a look of disdain on his face.

He doesn’t look away from my white light, nor shields his eyes. But one of his hands does go to a pocket.

“Another one to visit the hospital.” That is what he mutters.

Those Eastlinks are always so stubborn. Well fine by me.

Yet Andrev leaps in action. Even when he had mentioned that his rheumatism was playing up. He knocks the flashlight out of my hand. “I told you to lower that, idiot!”

“Hey!” I shout at my new colleague, because he startles me. “What is that for?!”

Andrev is pissed and scrambles to find the flashlight that he knocked out of my hand.

“He would have otherwise laser-ed your eyes. He did it before; blinding a guy. Ended his career, I can tell you that.”

From the other side of the fence comes that smokey voice again.

“Besides you see a lot more without a flashlight anyway. Your eyes adjust.”

“And I thought that is what you Eastlinks do all the time....adjust. You have to, I guess, with your whimsical government.”

“At least it is not governed by one lunatic!” I reply sharply, referring to Reinyr the enlightened. The man that founded the Northian enclosure to test his wild ideas.

“Neither is the Northian enclosure governed by one, if you are suggesting that... because it is not governed by Reinyr. He doesn’t govern us.”

“There is no need. We govern ourselves with our councils,” adds the Northian.

“Yeah, with those perfect numbered council members, I guess!” Damn, I am already sneering at this Northian, who lives in his closed off paradise that contains nothing.

Andrev has found my flashlight and irritated turns back to me. “Don’t start talking politics with this one. He chew you up in no time.”

“Does he now,” I glare back at the black clad guy and sincerely doubt that.

“I like this one,” says the Northerner.

“You always like the new ones,” mutters Andrev back.

A grin now actually appears on the face behind the fence. It is a bit manic though “Yeah I do.” And the way he says it,...doesn’t sound nice.

“But do tell me again, can you guys really not make a uniform? Are you guys that incapable of making a costume twice?

“Or is it to show that individuality?” Asks the Northian straight after his first question-

“That oneness you believe in so profoundly, on that Eastern side.”

I look down at my clothes which are indeed different from what Andrev is wearing. I have a leather vested hoodie kind of thing, where he has a red leather jacket.

Only a logo indicates that we are working for the same company.

They don’t hand out uniforms and perhaps that is indeed to counter that Northian way; were uniforms are standard. I heard rumours there are only 7 sets of clothing in that state. I would not call it a country, it is just a state that broke away during the war. It is still Umbrech. It is just where they have gathered the mad ones.

No clothes to choose, your occupation determines your clothing. And no variation everyone dressed the same.

Only seven sets of clothing!... ridiculous!

Andrev has given him some sort of reply about the lack of uniformity at which the bloke scoffs.

What an annoying guy.

“Come, I will show you the rest of the ground. ” Andrev pulls my sleeve so that I take my eyes of the black Northian.

I wear a frown because if this job means I get a lot of Northians walking on the other side of the fence, it is even less attractive to work that I thought.

“Oh be sure to show him that lookout point on that boulder!” Remarks the Northian.

His remark tells me he knows this side well, and it irks me because he is telling us how things work. On our side!

“Shut up and count till ten!” Annoyance seeps through me and causes this outburst.

“Nah, I am going for twenty one.”

The Northian has made his reply and thinks; This one has got a temper. Breaking him is going to be fun!

“Shove your sacred numbers up your arse!”

“Too many sacred numbers, it wouldn’t fit.”

Instead of letting Andrev drag me along the path I break free and come up close to the fence.

My hands smash against it. I do that to startle him.

His eyes flinched but that was that.

“Always likes to have the last word do you?!”

“And you are always in a temper, aren’t you?” He throws that back at me. And he is right. My temper is a issue but I am too annoyed to register that.

“It is a good thing for you this fence is here, otherwise I would have swung a fist at you.”

Deadpan he replies “And you would have missed.”

“Now, I will not miss you when you run along, Andrev has so much more to show you.”

He is dismissing me! That really is oil on my soured mood. Again I slam against the fence and this time I don’t check if he startles but walk away angrily.

Truly, this is going to be so much fun. I give him...7 weeks max. Before he breaks. And that is me being generous. Is what the Northian thinks.

~

Fume is coming out of my ears as I make my way behind Andrev, leaving that filthy Northian behind me. When Andrev advises me to climb up a boulder and look around I can see the fence from there. “This is also a place to keep an eye on that vulnerable spot.”

“Yeah, but how did he know about it?” I ask. Because he was born after the fences went up, so if he is a Northian, he could not have walked on the east side of it.

“Someone told him I guess. He knows a lot. Too much, if you ask me.”

“What is the jerks name?”

“Vladislav. He is always there and tries to drive us mad.”

“You becoming angry was right up his sleeve. Don’t let him get to you. And if he does, better take this place, as a standing point. That way you don’t have to listen to his complaints or insights.”

“He complains? About what? Isn’t he the one living in that dream state that is paradise...” Now I am voicing my sarcasm “...except it isn’t...they have nothing there. Or when the do they leave it in the ground.”

This is a well known fact even in the East. After they won the war, Reinyr claimed a piece of land to build their utopia. Rocks surrounding it, a lush valley here or there...but other than that, nothing worth having. Until it became clear that they had a precious mineral Vjkovite hidden right beneath it all. The stuff that the most precious jewels are made of.

Now, if we of the East had access to that, we would make our country rich and mine it, selling the wanted goods all over.

Those bloody Northians however, delve the minimal plus trade the minimal. They use it only to secure their borders and otherwise they leave it in the ground.

Utterly frustrating!

“Believe me, he can moan and bitch about anything. So this is a good spot to avoid ‘He-who-always-complains’ and still secure the fence.”

“Why are we securing that fence?”

“Those beautiful ores, that they have...that is the payment our government gets, in order that we make sure no one enters their enclosure. Or leaves it.”

I look at the border which nature here has given a natural fence. The rocks are to steep to climb.

“Why? Why would anyone want to go there? They watch every step you make!”

It truly is a totalitarian state. Everything you do, say or think is known. You get choices but no freedom whatsoever. And They being, themselves, they all watch each other and report about each other.

People snitch in the East, but the government doesn’t know what I ate for dinner, who I slept with or gives me the clothes that I should wear.

In the enclosure it are those you love and live with, that snitch on you.

Andrev shrugs. “Some people here are so poor that the idea of getting at least three meals a day is alluring enough to give it a try.”

“But the Northians don’t want new people in the mix, saying their numbers a sacred and perfect.” “Like people don’t die or get born over there! It is never a steady number.”

“You try and tell the Northians that.”

“I have talked enough with Northians, when I spoke to that jerk.”

Andrev chuckles. “In that case you better make this your guarding spot. That way you can avoid him. For he lures people into talking no matter how determined they are not to say anything.”

Hah, I could resist entering into a conversation with that guy. I am sure of it.

Andrev goes on to explain what is expected of me, and what I should do if people try to cross the border. Being it Northians trying to get out or Eastlings trying to get in. Then he returns to his station and I stand around here in utter boredom.

Later that early morning when duty is finished I have a quick word with my father. He has become the commander of the border patrols. And has stated he is so glad I finally came to my senses.

I didn’t...I must be out of my mind taking this job. But I smile at him halfheartedly before I return to village, where I enter the room in my parents house.

I flop unto my bed in that small room that hasn’t changed since I left when I was sixteen.

Now I am twenty eight and back at square one. I hate this!

~