Unwind By: Neal Shusterman
Alternative Ending
Risa
"You have a visitor" a nurse said.
Standing behind the nurse is Conner. Conner has a sling on his right arm and has scars all over the right side of his face. The right eye was slightly different shade of brown. I could sense something was wrong.
"Conner what's wrong?" he didn't answer but he shuffled. His sling moved. On his arm was he unmistakable tiger tattoo. I just stared.
"I promise to never ever touch you with this arm." Conner pleaded with a look of promise in his eye.
"Conner come here please." He came slowly. I picked up his hand and let him caresses my face.
"You see Conner. Roland would never touch me like that." He looks a little bit happier.
"So, what about your injuries?"
"They told me I'm temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. They also said that they have no idea how long I could be paralyzed."
"What's going to happen?" Conner asked.
"Well I'm going to need to try and do physical therapy until I can walk again, but until then I will be put on the disable list. Since there are laws against unwinding the disable I'm safe. What about you can they still unwind you?"
"No. They found an I.D. card with the picture burned off and according to the nurse my name is Elvis Robert Mullard. I'm also nineteen. So I'm of legal age."
"I guess we both beat the system Conner.
Lev
I was in a cell hanging in the air with my arms spread out on each side of me wrapped in layers of fire-resistant insulation. In a cell that can withstand an explosion in a high-security federal detention center. The only time somebody comes to see me is to give me food, let me use the restroom, or for federal agents who question me. You see I was a clapper so they have given me four blood transfusions to try and get all the explosives out of my system. I might need more.
Today there was a surprise. My door opened, I look up but instead of a federal agent it was my old Pastor Dan.
"Hello Lev."
"Hello Pastor Dan."
"How are you? Are they treating you alright?"
"I'm doing fine and considering they can't beat me. I'm doing okay," Replied Lev.
"Well as you know you've become a ward of the state when your parents signed the unwind orders. After what happened at the harvest camp the state offered custody back to your parents, but they refused."
"Is my last name going to be ward now?
"No your brother Marcus is trying to get custody of you."
"Pastor Dan do you know what's going to happen after all the explosive leave my system?"
"Well the explosive never really leave your system so they can't unwind you any more. You will probably serve house arrest for a couple of years."
"Oh. Okay. Thanks for visiting. Will you be coming again?"
"Your welcome and I plan on visiting every week." Pastor Dan replied."
"Well yea it gets kind of lonely in here most of the time because I can't do anything."
Two Years Later
Lev
The pastor kept true to his word and visited every week until I was released. I was released under the custody of my brother Marcus and was put under house arrest for four years. I have just completed my first year. My parents never visit me at my brother's house and I get letters from Conner and Risa telling me how they have been.
Risa
I gained most of my movement from my waist down back and I still play the piano. It only took a year and half to gain most of my movement back. I help Conner run the camp and keep it a success. We have been together since I got out of the hospital.
Conner
I am now eighteen years old and in charge of a camp for runaways. The scars on my face and shoulder have faded with time. I have been dating Risa for two years now and she is of legal age too. About a year ago Lev's friend CyFi convinced the congress to change the legal age to seventeen.
I did eventually find out that Lev was the clapper that survived, but I didn't hold a grudge for long. After all he did save me from the burning building. All in all everything has been good. I look out of the window and see my runaways out doing their own thing and my beautiful Risa playing the piano as always as the sun sets.