BORDER

Chapter Twenty Four

NERISSA

    The minute we land on the path of this golden steel, I pull away automatically. The hibiscus petal in my palm is comforting and I continue to run my thumb over it.

    "What's the deal with the petal?" He gestures toward the bright, yellow, small petal in my hand.

I look up at him. "It's a life. A life I have taken."

    "Why do you feel so hard?"

    I give him a look. "Excuse me?"

    "No seriously. How do you have so much room in your heart to love something so deeply and grieve it so harshly?" He seems off, but he doesn't sound mad at me. It is as if he is in this deep fog of confusion. In all honesty, I do not even know the answer. All I can do is answer it the best I can.

    "Well, I believe everything around us is alive. Everything alive has a heart, the ability to be kind and worthy of so much," I continued on, "Doesn't matter how big or small that heart is, I believe that everyone and everything has a right to be loved just as much as I expect for myself."

"So you think everyone who has a heart is good?"

I chuckle as I glance at the golden road under my feet. "No, they have the ability to be good. No one is truly horrible, unless they enjoy hurting other things with a heart. Whether it be physical like stepping on the flower petal and rubbing your dirt over it, purposeful, an intent to disgrace something just because you can. Or, emotionally. You attack my feelings and it hurts. Perhaps even mentally, you don't realize it but being negative happens to ruin your brain mentality. So yes, no matter how much you hate it, I will not be like that."

    I cough harshly. I am cold and my golden skin is no longer golden. Well, everything looks golden walking down this pathway of light but I can tell the light inside of me has washed out. I barely had any of my golden hair. It is slowly getting more brown by the hour.

    It is a dirty blonde right now. I have to keep telling myself that there is still hope and there always will be if I put my faith and beliefs into it.

    I just need to keep pushing to get home.

    "I hate you less."

I glance up at him. "What?"

Anakin looks away. "You aren't all bad, Princess."

"But you just said-"

"I know and part of me, a huge, huge, part can't wait until I never see you again, but," he shrugs, "You're not the worst."

"I thought I was a weak baby incapable of doing anything on me own."

"Definitely are," he says quickly and it almost sounds like a joke. "But doesn't mean that I can't acknowledge that I don't hate you."

"Contrary to what I have said, I don't hate you as much anymore either."

Anakin smirks. "That's because I am a delight."

"Mmm, no, not the word I'd use."

He rolls his eyes but for a moment we are not arguing. It is weird to have such a joking conversation. I wonder what would happen if Anakin and I could actually be friends. Real, friends. It is at that moment that I feel Anakin wrap his last coat around me as I cough once more.

    "It'll keep you warm, but if you get any snot on it, I will burn it with you inside. Understand?" He cocks an eyebrow.

    "Gross," I answer with a scoff.