As Jonas and Gabriel were accelerating increasingly quickly down the snowy hill, Jonas was

reminded of his first memory transmitted to him by the Giver of the community he had just left

behind: that of sledding down a similar slope.

As he and Gabriel approached the base of the slope, he had pondered: what would become

of the Giver, now that he, the Receiver of the Community, had abandoned it? Would all of his

memories flood the community with sorrow, despair, and overwhelming, in similar fashion to

Rosemary's failure? Before he could answer his question, however, the two had crashed into a

welcoming pole with a flag attached to its zenith, that read "Welcome to the Land of Release".

Jonas then reflected on his experiences with the Giver, and his first truly painful memory

transmitted to him. He had remembered all of the unbearable pain of crashing into the bump

at that very snow-covered hill, and his request for relief-of-pain. He had also remembered the

video the Giver had shown him, when he was curious about the processions of Release, and his

absolute shock at what his father, a Nurturer of the last Community, had done.

At this point in time, Jonas had wondered now, in a more deep fashion than ever: what

happened to those released in the community? He knew long ago, as soon as he had watched

the video, that release was really referring to death; however, he now pondered the afterlife

of those released. Were they packed tightly in a box, and shipped to a special area in the new

community, termed only "Elsewhere" from his whereabouts, where perhaps they were specially

treated in some, at present, obscure manner, or maybe rejuvenated? After all, from what he

knew at this point and before, most anything could happen amidst the mystique of Elsewhere.

Just as the incident at the snowy hill atop the regulated, utopian Community had jarred Jonas

loose from his sled and injured him gravely, at this new community termed but "Elsewhere",

both Jonas and Gabriel this time were bolted away from the seats of the sled, except this time,

they suffered nothing.

Jonas realized something at this point: could Elsewhere be but a polar opposite of the Community

from which they escaped? It was very possible, and nothing, not one

soul could stop them from discovering at this point.

When they, at last, had embarked at this mysterious area, they were almost instantly greeted

warmly by an intelligent, fearless male, who had led them to a towering structure, known to

Jonas and Gabriel only as the Elsewhere Main Quarters. This unknown figure of apparent

importance seemed to know, however, things about the building's name alone secretive that the

two boys did not.

The man had, without further delay, led the boys to the quarters, where they caught sight of

an administrator of the area, younger than the Giver of the past, and who had never fully trained

a Receiver as of yet. The administrator had, Jonas noticed, greatly differed from the Giver, in

almost every possible aspect. He then had entertained for some time, that Elsewhere might be

similar to a parallel universe, wherein all operations are reversed from the normal world, in this

case Jonas' and Gabriel's past. His deep thought, however, was interrupted by a vibrant call

from the administrator: "Come in, Sanoj."

At first, Jonas did not know who this Sanoj was, but almost immediately counteracted his

ponderings, when he had realized from his observant traits gained from his duty as the Receiver

of Memory, that Sanoj was the Receiver of this community, and that his name was reversed from

his own, the very identity which he held onto similarly to a treasure of rarity.

He had not sensed his identity stolen; yet, he felt half-perplexed, at the possibility of

Elsewhere being able to replicate the utopian society from which they originated so perfectly,

without error whatsoever; how could there be a Receiver just as he was, with a name nigh

identical in a major aspect? At the same instance, however, he knew that his and Gabriel's

community was not entirely on its own; it had relied on other societies, maybe even Elsewhere,

for vital supplies and other important communal or productive relations.

It would be very possible that Elsewhere and the Community were connected somehow,

perhaps intangibly, and that they exchanged not only food, water, and the Released smaller twins

and Old, but in addition, ideas and flattery of duplication. At this point, Jonas, a very reflective,

naturally curious male once of great importance, had been stripped of his reflections when Sanoj

had coordinated all arrangements with the administrator, and the latter had taken action for

once in a very while. She had allowed the two, along with Gabriel, to proceed and explore the

quarters, before a return has scheduled, and further arrangements were to be made.

Sanoj had elected to acquaint himself to Jonas, knowing that it would be inevitable, and

he would finish his duty as the Receiver, and Jonas would possibly replace him. Firstly, he

had asked him of his history in the last Community, and of Gabriel's whereabouts. Jonas

had responded calmly, just as he would have to interrogation in the Community; indeed, the

Community was strict, and, to him, which he never revealed for all of twelve years, and all but

one uncounted, rather constricted and stagnated by rules.

Here, he did wish for anything but to burn the bridge of the Community to Elsewhere into the

sea of loss, death, and despair, from whence perhaps Caleb the Four's soul had departed, to this

still unknown area. At that, his nature had imposed upon him the memory of Caleb's Ceremony

of Loss, for whom he felt sorrow.

Such almost prompted him to re-enact the actions of his Community, where the denizens had

expressed a sense of fading from existence; however, doing so would have no point or place, and

would only remind him of his past, which should have been completely left behind at this point.

Again, he was uncertain, along with unnerved Gabriel, whether thinking about something in

Elsewhere would actually cause it to happen. After all, this was a miracle of a universe wherein

everything had to be discovered first before anything could be made sense out of.

During the acquaintance process between the two whose names are reversals of each other,

Sanoj had asked a particularly deep question: "How exactly were you appointed as the Receiver

of Memory in your Community?" At this, Jonas had explained himself fully, yet not revealing

details that would burn the aforementioned bridge: "I had been selected for the fundamental,

very important position of Receiver, because, supposedly, according to a more important, elderly

and consequently respected official, I had possessed some fine qualities, necessary to progress

and flow in society."

"And how exactly did they know the presence of such traits in your soul?"

"Note that the Community is very strict and regulated, with each denizen being observed

constantly, with any moment possible as one of release shortly after."

"Ah, I see…in such an instance, and considering my five-year duty as Receiver is near its

end, perhaps I could do something a rarity for you exclusively."

From this point on, Jonas felt captured in a state of limbo, along with apprehensive Gabriel,

who had at this moment felt likewise to Jonas when the latter had witnessed a plane flying

over the Community, frightening them all. That was nearly two years ago, he reflected.

Has time truly passed at this astonishing rate, regarding not universal chronology?

Jonas, near the would-be unimportant, uncounted age of thirteen, figured himself at a prime

age to deeply think about his life thus far.

Now, unlike the previous experience as Receiver in the Community of times long past,

Jonas perceived that this one would be less focused on memory transmission, and much more

on reflection, improvement upon mistakes realized via those thoughts, and overall well-

roundedness, perhaps.

Jonas couldn't truly describe that last probable focal point of the new, differing task. Would

memories transmitted here go back to the Community if some unfortunate event happened to the

Receiver? Was there any sort of Release system in place here, too? He knew not, and the only

option was to reside and explore further.

Not that he had an option, anyway, he realized. After all that he and Gabriel had undergone,

if they were to return to their roots, they would probably deserve to stay there, under the, to

Jonas anyway, negatively uniform and overly harsh system.

At this point, Jonas was taken into a dwelling located safely inside the building, which

seemed quite technologically advanced compared to the relative sameness of the Community

from whence he and the once-newchild came. From the rather high point the two were

temporarily stationed, they could clearly see the hill which they had slid down earlier; just that

day, in fact.

As it was night by the base of the mountain, and later into the night by the dwelling on the

relatively high point of the tenth floor of the singular building in this Elsewhere, the two decided

against doing anything else that day.

The two bid each other sufficient rests, and resolved to forget their past, as it would but

torture them, and maybe cause the citizens there anguish, just as what happened when Rosemary

had left them behind when she was released, he thought. Jonas, as a final pondering, wondered,

is it possible that Rosemary is also in this building? Could she have been the administrator in

the lobby?

And so, he had drifted off to vital slumber.