Hi. Future-Gamefreak here with a fanfic that's NOT related to Stickin' Around, Mega Man X or Homestuck!
So yeah, like all the "Chapter 24" fics floating around in this fandom, I also wrote my own "What if" for the ending of The Giver. Since this seemed to get a lot of love when I showed it to my IRL friends, I thought that it would be cool to share it all with you guys! Seriously, I'm really proud of this one, considering that I wrote it in like… THREE DAYS. So yeah, Read and Review! :D
Disclaimer – I do not own the story "The Giver." It belongs to one Lois Lowry.
Ascend – An Alternate Ending to Chapter 23
By Future-Gamefreak
The rain still poured heavily as Jonas struggled onwards, his ankle throbbing in agony with every turn of the pedal. Gabriel slept in the seat, the filthy blanket covering his tiny body in a fruitless effort to shield the newchild from the rain.
He recalled his first memory of rain, the alien feeling against his skin as droplets fell on him, and the warmth in the air as the rain cooled him down. The paradoxical sensations had given him immense pleasure.
However, he felt no pleasure from this rain.
Every new wave of water struck his skin like whiplash, stinging unpleasantly as the bitter air chilled him to the bone. Occasionally, Jonas would see flashes of light in the distance, and would then hear loud rumbling in the distance, almost like the lumbering steps of many elephants. These events were new to him and they terrified him.
Gabriel whimpered weakly in his sleep, sharing Jonas' unspoken sentiments.
The path was straight forward enough; narrow and surrounded by trees, but the sky was dark and the comforting rays of moonlight were nowhere to be seen. Along with Jonas' ankle, starvation and overall exhaustion, the initially straight forward path turned into a difficult trek, fueled only by Jonas' determination for survival.
He thought of Gabriel, his once curious blue eyes dulled by hunger and exhaustion. He wouldn't let their escape be in vain. With this newfound revelation, Jonas picked up speed. He pedaled faster, the rain feeling more like mist against him. Somehow, he knew that his destination was getting closer.
Suddenly he saw another flash, and illuminated was a creature blocking his path, its eyes glazed over in fear. With a startled yelp, Jonas swerved abruptly, his body lurched sideways, and with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach, he realized that he was no longer on the road.
Jonas rode recklessly through the forest, swerving to avoid trees, rocks and other hazards. Gabriel shrieked in fear, thrashing against his restraints. Jonas tried to stop the bike with his good leg in order to calm the wailing newchild, but that brief lapse of time was enough to have him crash into a boulder.
He felt his leg smash against the boulder, waves of agonizing pain surging through his body as he slid painfully off the bike, Gabriel still screaming in fear.
He fell gracelessly into the mud, the rain cooling his aching body as he curled into a ball. He tried to move his injured leg, but a new wave of pain surged through his body, causing him to clench his teeth in order to stop from screaming. Somehow, he knew that he had broken his leg.
Gabriel was shrieking, thrashing wildly in his restraints, trying in vain to escape his seat. Soon, his shrieks lowered to desperate sobs and his thrashing lowered to weak struggling.
Jonas didn't want to see Gabe like this. His once cheerful disposition now gone, replaced by terror and hunger. Jonas, filled with resolve, and then righted himself into a sitting position. His back was against the boulder and his leg was throbbing in pain. He then started to gently rock the bike, -as his father did, he remembered bitterly- lulling the newchild.
"Hello? Is anyone out there?" Jonas yelled, hoping to catch someone's attention.
"My leg is broken, I have no food and there's a baby with me!"
"Please, if you can hear me, say something, ANYTHING!"
"PLEASE HELP US! WE'RE GOING TO DIE OUT HERE!"'
"P-please, A-a-anyone… We're scared and alone…"
His body racked with sobs as tears clouded his vision. It was hopeless. He failed. Now he and Gabe were going to die in a land far from their own, cold, starving, and alone. His sobs subsided into small whimpers and he soon fell into an uneasy sleep.
Jonas woke up to the sight of white.
He got up from the ground, feeling no sense of pain from either of his legs. He could also see flakes falling from the sky, and a mound of land in the distance.
Snow! He recalled excitedly. And hills!
Before he could explore the new land, he felt something tug at his pants leg. It was Gabriel, standing on unsteady legs, gazing at Jonas expectantly. His blue eyes were shining brightly, and he smiled up at Jonas curiously.
Grinning in relief at the newchild, Jonas picked him up and began to walk up the hill. A snowflake landed on Gabriel's forehead, and he giggled as it melted against his skin. Jonas was glad to finally see the newchild in high spirits again.
As the duo reached the top of the hill, a wave of familiarity struck Jonas, the lingering feeling that he had been here before.
He saw someone standing on the other side of the hill, their hands buried in their pockets, and their long hair blew in the wind. Somehow, he knew that the figure was female.
"Uh… Hey!" He called out to the female. She turned to face him, her brilliant blue eyes staring at him curiously. Another sense of déjà vu hit him. There was something about this girl that was familiar; he just had no idea what it was.
The female walked towards him, the snow crunching under her boots as her eyes shone warmly.
"It is a tremendous honor to meet you, Jonas," the female said respectfully, her voice quiet yet thoughtful.
Now, Jonas was confused.
"How do you know my name?" he asked the female, slowly becoming nervous. Was this girl going to take him back to the Community? The female looked at him curiously.
"Well, it would be foolish to not know the name of my own Successor!"
His confusion deepened. How could this girl be the former Giver? There was no one else besides him and the current Giver. Unless… His confusion soon deepened into shock, once he realized who the mysterious female was.
"Wait… a-are you Rosemary?" The female nodded in response.
"But... That's IMPOSSIBLE! You applied for Release and you…you-"
"Died? I guess I did."
Jonas was shocked. How could Rosemary be so casual about her own suicide?
"So that means…I'm dead?" Jonas whispered hesitantly.
"Of course not!" Rosemary said casually. "I know how confusing this must be for you, but let me explain."
She gestured to the snow covered land. "You see all of this? This is all a representation of your first given memory, something that only occurs when you reach your full potential as a Receiver. This memory becomes the gateway to complete enlightenment."
"But I never got all of the Giver's memories. How could I have possibly reached my full potential?" Jonas asked.
"Jonas, you may not have received all of your memories, but you have shown the qualities of a true Receiver of Memory."
"Intelligence. You used all the resources and prior knowledge that you had in order to survive."
"Integrity. You always kept your priorities straight, and never abused your power of lying."
"Courage. Although you've believed that you were not courageous enough, you had shown this trait on your own, without excess memories to guide you. You risked everything to leave what was once home to you, all for one life, maybe more." Rosemary glanced meaningfully at Gabe, who smiled bashfully at the girl.
"Wisdom. You've dedicated a year of your life to learning the ways of the past, good and bad memories alike. Despite their ignorance, you still strived to remind the community of the world that they long since left behind."
"And the final trait that you show is the ability to See Beyond. If you didn't have this ability, you would have not made it this far. You've seen all the colors around you and used the knowledge of your past life to your advantage."
"Since you have realized all five of these traits, you have finally reached your full potential as a Receiver, something that I couldn't achieve." Rosemary concluded, slightly wistful.
She grabbed Jonas' free hand -something that still made him feel uncomfortable, despite memories showing him otherwise- and escorted him to the edge of the hill, where a red sled lay waiting. Jonas looked to Rosemary for guidance, but she simply nodded at the sled. He got on, Gabriel sitting in front of him as he prepared to take off.
"Rosemary, will we ever meet again?" Jonas asked the girl.
"Hopefully," she replied. "I'd love to hear about what you will do in the future." She laughed a warm, bubbly, pleasant sound that would stay with Jonas forever.
Then he pushed forward, clutching Gabriel tightly as he sped down the hill, exhilaration and excitement filling him.
She had spotted the two bodies first.
"Grandfather, there are people over there, and they are seriously hurt!"
The man ushered the girl away to inspect the bodies. It was a boy, possibly thirteen, with a twisted ankle and a leg caked with blood and dry mud. Next to him was a bike, leaned on its side. In the seat was a baby, covered in a dirty blanket, possibly malnourished. Thankfully, they were both breathing.
"We should take them back to the village," The man told the girl. "Our people could fix them up, and The Elders could decide what to do with them."
The two left for their village, the girl carrying the baby, and the man carrying the boy.
Whoever these two were, they would be safe with their village.
The End