A/N: I actually wrote this for an English assignment since we had to read the book The Giver for a novel study. The assignment was to write a twenty-fourth chapter or an epilogue to the book. I wrote an epilogue. It takes place many years after Jonas and Gabriel arrived in Elsewhere, though covers what happens immediately after, as well as what happens some time after.
Enjoy!
***
Epilogue
"How did he know, Grandpa Gabe? How did he know this place was here?" the little boy asked eagerly, his eyes wide with excitement.
The elderly man smiled, his vivid green eyes twinkling. He wasn't the boy's grandfather, indeed he had never had children, but in a way he was a grandfather to all the youngsters of the town. He treated each child as if they were his own, just as Jonas had treated him before he had passed. All the children respected him and looked up to him, his amazing skill of storytelling bringing all the children to him. Each sat near his feet, listening aptly.
"I don't know," Gabriel admitted, then paused as an idea came to him. "You all remember the story of Jonas' community, right?"
The children nearby chorused a, "Yes," for the story of the place where Jonas had grown up was a well known one.
Gabriel smiled. "And you all remember that when the children reached Twelve, they were assigned a job?"
"Yes," they chorused again.
"But," a young silvery-blonde girl interrupted, "they said Grampa was selected, not assigned, right, Gabe? They made him a Receiver, didn't they? And he learned about Elsewhere."
"But," another girl piped up, this one identical to the one who had just spoken except for a difference in eye colour (hers were gray and her sister's blue), "Elsewhere is here! Grampa was learning about us!"
Gabe nodded, smiling. The twin girls knew the story of Jonas off by heart, for Jonas had been their grandfather and he himself had told them the story many times.
"That's correct. I think Jonas knew that he was approaching our town because of his ability to 'see-beyond.'"
"'Seeing-beyond' to Grampa was seeing like us, right Grandpa Gabe?" the first blonde interrupted again.
"In a way," Gabriel said, for it was easiest to explain "seeing-beyond" to the children by saying that it was seeing as they did. "Now hush! Let me finish the story before your parents come to take you to bed!"
The children fell silent, not wanting to miss out on the end of a great story.
"Jonas somehow knew that Elsewhere was close, and it gave him the courage and strength to keep going. He felt that if he had gone that far, he could go all the way.
"He wasn't actually that far from the town at all. Just on the other side of that hill." The elderly man pointed out the window at the hill looming nearby and all the children turned to look. It was a favourite sledding place of the children in the winter. He himself had spent many hours sledding down it as a boy.
"He found a sled atop the hill, one that had been left there by a child earlier that day, and used it to make his way down the hill. It was rather ironic that Jonas' first memory of Elsewhere was one of sledding down a hill, and that he should finally enter Elsewhere by doing just the same."
"What's ironic?" a black haired boy asked, confused.
"Ironic is when something happens by coincidence, but is related to something going on at that time, or something that has affected what is going on," Gabe explained gently.
All the children nodded, now understanding, and Gabe carried on.
"Jonas reached the town on Christmas and heard singing for the first time. Following the sound, he staggered to the nearest house, knocking weakly on the door. It was the McCollum house, and they took both Jonas and me in without hesitation...."
***
To Jonas, it wasn't reality. It was one of his memories. He remembered it perfectly. Though at the same time, he knew it couldn't be a memory. All his memories had gone back to the Community, and there was one thing about the scene that allowed Jonas to know for sure it was life.
There was a fire burning brightly in a fireplace nearby, the heat it gave off comforting Jonas. Two children sat around a tree decorated with lights and ornaments, each watching him curiously. On a chesterfield nearby sat two elderly people -- a man and a woman -- and Jonas remembered them as grandparents. A woman was standing nearby, a baby in her arms.
It was because of the baby that Jonas knew he was physically there, not just mentally there. It was because the baby was Gabriel.
At first Jonas tried to reach out to the toddler, to take him away from this potential harm, but his arm wouldn't lift from the floor upon which he'd collapsed. A gentle voice told him soothingly to relax, that everything would be all right.
But Jonas wouldn't relax, not until Gabe was safe at his side.
Looking up once more, he saw that Gabriel had ceased crying and that the woman was singing quietly to him, rocking him back and forth. He saw Gabe's body go limp as his eyelids closed, his chest rising in contented sleep.
Sleep.
It was safe for Gabe to sleep, so it was safe for Jonas to sleep, too.
And sleep he did.
***
Something wasn't right. Rolling over, he instinctively reached for Gabe to keep him warm while they slept. But his hand didn't find the child's form and his eyes snapped open. He sat up in panic, knocking a girl aside as he did so. His panic surged on at the unfamiliar surroundings and at the unfamiliar girl. Who was she? Why was she here?
"Sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you, but you've been sleep for quite some time. My mom sent me in to check on you." She didn't wait for Jonas to accept her apology as she carried on. "My name is Reba. What's yours?" Her smile was soft, her eyes pale, like Jonas'. But it was her hair that caught Jonas' attention the most. It was a strawberry-blonde colour and the boy was instantly reminded of Fiona. He quickly drove the memory from his mind. He would never see Fiona again.
"Jonas. Where's Gabe?" He said it without thinking, trying to place where he was. He was sure he was in Elsewhere; he remembered sledding down the hill and making his way to a house where he was helped in, but all was a blank after that.
"Gabe? Oh, the baby. He's downstairs eating right now. Where do you come from?"
He didn't hear her as he sighed with relief at the news of Gabe. Less panicked, he took in his surroundings. He was in a small but comfortable room, one that contained only a bed, dresser and desk. There was a large window to his left and outside he could see children playing in the snow. It was no longer falling from the sky, only covering the earth in a white blanket.
"Hello? Are you listening?"
At Reba's voice, Jonas turned to look at her once more. "Sorry, I didn't hear you," he mumbled, surprised by the almost unconditional acceptance.
"I said, where do you come from?"
Jonas was momentarily surprised at the fact that Reba hadn't accepted his apology, then realized that people in Elsewhere must not have such strict rules governing rudeness.
"The Community," he finally replied, sure that if all those from the Community knew about Elsewhere, all those from Elsewhere would know about the Community. But Reba only looked confused.
"What community, silly?"
"The Community."
Reba frowned, not understanding. "Okay, what was your community called? What was it's name?"
"The Community! We called it the Community!"
"All right! You don't have to get so mad about it!" Reba exclaimed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "So how'd you get here? Did you get lost?"
"No, I ran away."
"Really?" Reba's eyes widened. "Why?"
Jonas watched the girl intently for a few minutes before sighing. "You want the whole story?"
Reba nodded eagerly and Jonas sighed again. He found it strange that this girl didn't seem suspicious at all but was actually friendly, and waiting impatiently for the story of Jonas' community. He also found it strange that he was actually going to tell her the story, this complete stranger who's name he had only just learned. At the same time, however, he found himself anxious to tell of his former home and decided now was as good a time as any.
"You should probably know that my Community is nothing like Elsewhere. Everything is the same. There's no colour and no choice, but most of all, there's no differences...."
***
"And so Jonas met Reba, the woman he would later fall in love with and marry," Gabe said. "They became friends almost instantly, being the same age and having many of the same interests.
"Without question, Jonas and I remained in the McCollum house, being raised as though we were there own, even taking their last name. To me, the McCollum's are my parents, and I called them 'Mom' and 'Dad' all my life. Jonas, however, had grown up calling other's by those names, and to him, the McCollum's were 'Anita' and 'Shawn,' though that didn't make him care for them any less and vice versa.
"Shortly after Jonas' and Reba's marriage, Reba gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, their first and only child. Her name was Fiona...."
***
The child's crying had stopped as she had drifted into sleep, Reba smiling down upon it fondly from her place in the bed beside it. She knew the nurses would take it to the nursery soon, so these were the moments to treasure the miracle she had just brought into the world.
Jonas stood nearby, his gaze transfixed on his daughter's hair. Red. Bright red.
"What should we name her?" Reba asked, tucking a strand of strawberry-blonde hair behind her ear.
Jonas hesitated, then gave his suggestion. "I'd like to call her Fiona. I knew a girl named Fiona once, she lived in my community--"
"I remember you telling me about her," Reba said, looking up at her husband. "She had red hair. Just like our daughter. I think Fiona is a wonderful name. If you want to call her that, then Fiona McCollum she will be."
Jonas smiled, his heart fit to burst because of the love he felt for his kind and generous wife. And now there was another whom he could share his love with.
"Would you like to hold her?" Reba inquired, lifting Fiona from the bed carefully.
Jonas stepped forward and took the infant from his wife's arms, holding her close. This Fiona would never live a day without knowing she was loved; she would never live a day without knowing what love was. Jonas had lived both. His daughter would not live the same. He vowed it so.
Fiona sighed as her eyes opened. She hadn't slept long, but Jonas was glad. He had yet to see her eyes, and she had yet to lay eyes upon him. He gazed down at her, the loving stare returned by a pair of smaller, sleepy ones. Fiona's eyes were blue, and although Jonas knew most newborns were born with the same eye colour, he was also sure that her eyes would remain blue.
Fiona sighed again, this time one of contented happiness, before closing her eyes and falling asleep once more.
***
"Jonas seemed so much happier after the birth of Fiona," Gabe said, looking over the wide-eyed children. The story still had the ability to capture their full attention. "Thinking about it now, I believe it's because he had missed Fiona dearly and now felt as though she were there with him. But there was always a... detachment, I suppose, about Jonas as well. He was often deep in thought and looked as though he felt he didn't quite belong. No one paid much attention to it until a few years later, the town woke to found Jonas gone."
***
He had made the journey once and he could make it again. This time would be much easier and much faster for this time he was driving his car rather than riding a bicycle, and he had to hurry if he had any intention of seeing the Giver one last time before his old friend's Release.
How Jonas knew the Giver's Release was drawing near, he himself didn't know. He had awoke in the late night knowing that he had to go, but having every intention of returning. He just needed to see the Giver one more time -- to say good-bye. He hadn't gotten the chance to bid his successor farewell before leaving for Elsewhere.
***
He reached the Community in record time, this time the journey taking only four days The area was still with the darkness of night but it appeared the same save for a few touch-ups on the buildings. He wasn't surprised to see the Department of Bicycle Repair in a different location than it had been when he'd left the Community.
Parking his car in an out-of-the-way location, Jonas climbed out, making his way to the location where the House of the Old had sat when he had lived there. To his relief, it still stood tall, the doors shining from a fresh polish.
Jonas remembered only one door had been locked in the Community when he was a boy, and it was the Giver's door. He hoped it was still so as he turned the doorknob, pushing the door gently inward as he did so. Jonas smiled as the door swung open, creaking only slightly.
The building was pitch black but Jonas didn't dare turn on a light as he closed the door behind him. He didn't want to be noticed; he was sure he was a disgrace to the Community because he had run away and didn't want to think about what would happen if he were spotted by anyone other than the Giver. He didn't even want to risk finding his old friends and his family.
Jonas hurried to the Old's sleeping quarters, praying he found the Giver without too much difficulty. There was no moon to judge the time by. He rushed up the stairs, quickly but silently, and turned the corner to go to the dormitories when he almost crashed into a man.
His breath caught in his throat as he backed up, preparing to flee the Community. As much as he wanted to see the Giver, he wanted no trouble even more. The man grabbed his arm, stopping Jonas' movement and in the blackness Jonas could just make out a smile gracing the man's face.
"Jonas! Jonas. I didn't think I'd see you again! How did you get here? How did you know?" The man pulled him into a hug and Jonas instantly knew it was the Giver. "Why didn't you follow the plan? And why did you take Gabriel? Why, Jonas? It was just like losing Rosemary!" The elderly man was giving Jonas no time to speak, and Jonas could feel the wetness of tears on his neck as they embraced.
Jonas pulled away. "I'm glad to see you too, Giver. I knew you would be Released soon, somehow, and I needed to come see you to say good-bye while I still had the chance. I'm sorry I didn't follow the plan, but they were going to Release Gabe! That's why I took him with me!"
The Giver smiled through his tears of joy. "I thought something like that had happened. But you could have sent word somehow! I thought you were dead! The Community thought you were Lost." He said it with distaste.
Jonas had to chuckle. "No, Giver. I made it to Elsewhere. It's wonderful there: I have a wife now, and a daughter, too... but I miss my friends and my family. I especially miss you."
***
"So Jonas told the Giver all about his terrifying voyage from the Community, all about his life in Elsewhere, and all about his stressful journey back, wondering the whole time if the Giver had already been Released," Gabriel said, his quiet voice seeming to boom out over the silent crowd.
"The Giver told Jonas about life in the Community. The people had managed to cope with the memories all right, though the Community didn't change. Jonas didn't feel he had fled for nothing, though, for he had saved me from certain death.
"The Giver told Jonas about Lily's assignment as Storyteller and the Community's Fiona's wonderful work in the House of the Old. The Giver said that Fiona had cared for him herself. He also said -- with much anguish -- that, after learning the news of Jonas Asher had fled the Community as well, longing for the adventure Jonas he was sure Jonas had had. Asher refused to believe that Jonas had died, or as the Community said it, Lost. Asher was certain Jonas had made it to Elsewhere and was determined to seek out Elsewhere as well.
"He had escaped the Community during the night, just as Jonas had, though the search teams found him the following day . He had died, attacked by an animal."
There was an anguished gasp from the children, so absorbed they were in the story it felt to them as though they were actually there when Asher's body had been found.
"The Community had fallen upon hard times. First the loss of their Receiver-in-training and the receiving of the memories, then the loss of their soon-to-be Recreation Director. The Community overcame the difficult times, however, with the help of the Giver. He did more than help them deal with the memories, he provided support for the grieving.
"Because the memories were such an unexpected and unwelcome surprise, the Community hadn't had time to perform a Ceremony of Loss for Asher and Gabe, so the Community openly grieved. Though there would be no Ceremony for Jonas, for he was considered a disgrace to the Community, this had yet to be confirmed and publicly stated, so people grieved for him as well.
"News of their lives from the time Jonas had fled to date were shared between the two men, each talking quickly to share as much as possible before people began to rise for the following day and Jonas had to leave.
"It was while Jonas was describing his journey back to the Community that the Giver passed unexpectedly, leaving Jonas alone with a lifeless body...."
***
"It's a blue car, Giver. Nothing special, though much faster than a bike."
"And it uses up less of your energy too, right? I remember memories of cars." The Giver smiled. He was sitting on the ground, his back against the wall, Jonas beside him.
"It has air conditioning, too. Do you have memories of that?" Jonas asked.
The Giver nodded. "I do. It cools the car down--" he stopped short, his body going rigid.
Jonas looked over in concern. "Is something wrong, Giver?" His voice was hushed. "Is someone coming?"
The Giver only shook his head as his gaze shifted to Jonas. He looked at the younger man a moment or two before saying, "I want you to remember that I love you like a son, Jonas. Like a son."
The words uttered, the Giver's heart failed and his body went limp, sliding down the wall until he was sprawled out across the ground.
Shock was apparent in Jonas' eyes, so sudden was the Giver's death. It had come without warning. Tears welled up in Jonas' blue eyes and he tried hard to keep from sobbing for fear of waking anyone nearby. He watched the Giver's still body for a moment before taking his friend's hand.
"And I love you like a father, Giver. Like a father."
He dropped the Giver's hand a minute later and stood, running from the House of the Old and to his car. Without so much as a backwards glance, Jonas sped away, the blue vehicle carrying him away from the Community forever.
***
"Why didn't Grampa ever return?" the gray-eyed blonde asked, her eyes wet with tears at the mention of the Giver's passing.
"I suppose the pain was too much for him," Gabriel sighed. "Besides, he had no more reason to return. The Giver was gone and he couldn't go and visit anyone else. He was a disgrace, remember."
"That's terrible," the blue-eyed twin said. "Grampa went to visit the Giver and the Giver died!"
"Death is part of life," Gabriel said. "Everyone dies eventually. The Giver simply never made it to the date of his Release before it came upon him.
"When Jonas returned to the town, he refused to speak of his visit to the Community and refused to make mention of the Giver. Although it was obvious he was grieving, the sense of detachment seemed to have left Jonas. I guess all he needed was to say good-bye to the Giver and let him know that he hadn't forgotten him."
The children were silent. Some were thinking, others sleeping, the story having lulled them to sleep. It was a dark-skinned boy who broke the silence.
"I like that story. It's sad, but it's good. Jonas was so brave trav'lling to our town with you, Grandpa Gabe. I'd like to have a'venture, too, but for now I'm gonna go to sleep."
Gabriel chuckled in amusement at the boy's statement as he stood and left the room to seek out his parents.
"I'm tired, too," another boy admitted, rubbing his eyes, and all the other children began to agree. One by one they began to leave the room, eager to get to their beds, until only the twin girls were left.
"Grandpa Gabe," the one with blue eyes said, "do you think the Giver and Grampa are together now?"
"It's possible. Only those who have died know for sure."
"I think they are," the gray-eyed one said, standing. She motioned to her sister, "C'mon, he gotta get to bed, G'night, Gabe."
Gabriel smiled at them. "Good night," he said, watching the girls retreat from the room.
Though he was alone, Gabriel stayed in the room a while longer, watching the sky through the window. He wondered if it were true, what the twins had said. Were Jonas and the Giver together?
He yawned, shrugging it off. One day he'd know. Hopefully that day would be a little later rather than sooner. He still had stories to tell and children to entertain, and Gabriel had every intention of continuing to do so for a long, long time.
***
A/N: And there you have it. My first Giver fic. Hope you liked it! ^.^