SILVER EYES (GXG)

Chapter 20: Living Death

The Outsiders remained silent, as if their voices had been stolen. I remembered that static scene so vividly, it was a defining moment for each of us, watching the gates open. For someone who had grown up hearing all kinds of stories about the wall, and the mysterious world beyond it, that moment shook you to your core.

I had imagined this moment. I knew it would throw me off a bit. I thought I was ready. However, their eyes, sharp as arrows, pierced through me and shattered my fragile confidence, as easily as ripping a dead flower from the ground. The uniform I wore, the badge that symbolized my power, now felt like nothing more than props in a play I wasn't ready to perform.

The crowd was a mosaic of people in every state imaginable. Thin, pale men; rosy-skinned women; and dirty-faced children, some hiding behind adults, others standing alone, as though nothing could scare them anymore. You could easily tell who came from the northern towns and who hailed from the south, it was written all over their bodies. Northerners were taller, with less hair, thin noses (especially the men), and big brown eyes, like mine. Southerners, on the other hand, were a whole other story. Their skin was darker, the result of the exposure to the sun, and their eyes smaller, with shorter frames in general.

It was also interesting to see how they dressed. Northerners, who knew what real cold looked like, wore fewer layers but knew exactly how to make coats that could stand up to the harsh winds. Southerners, on the other hand, were bundled up in animal skins that weren't much help when it came to surviving a real chill.

However, no matter the differences, there was one thing that united them all: the look of expectation, the hope, the fear in their eyes, the desperate wish that moment would be the solution to all their problems, even as they felt like they were standing at the edge of a great abyss, ready to leap. And I knew that leap so well.

"You okay?" Heather whispered.

I nodded. Liar.

"Hello, everyone, and thanks for coming. Today, we're going to transfer some of you." She said exactly the same thing she told me back on the day I crossed.

People started to complain. Not really unexpected.

Heather looked at me. "Hey, you'll have to patrol for a while through the lines as Lea and I start to transfer people, okay? Just maintain order with your presence."

I nodded and walked among the people. It felt so strange seeing their reactions as I passed. Some avoided my gaze, others observed my clothing with curiosity, but many appeared frightened. I never thought I would ever scare anyone in my entire life.

I couldn't help but feel a painful punch in my heart every time I spotted a dark-haired young man. My subconscious just wanted to see Michael.

"You are new, aren't you?" A voice from the line came to me. I turned around and saw an old man, maybe in his seventies with a white right eye and a jacket full of holes.

"You are indeed." He confirmed to himself.

I didn't say anything and kept walking, but he stopped me by holding my arm.

"Hey, I need to cross today. Can you help me? My daughter has been inside since... I can't even remember since when. I really need to cross." He explained.

"You wait here until you are called." I said, trying to sound authoritative.

"Okay, but could you be the person who lets me in?" He asked.

"You have to wait here. Please, leave my arm." His grip was firm, but the man didn't seem ready to give up yet.

"Please, I don't like those two over there," he said, looking at Heather and Lea, who had already started to transfer some lines of people.