AN: Just a little story that I wrote a while ago while we were reading The Giver in class. I just found it again and decided to post it and see what others think about it. And I have read Gathering BLue and Messanger, but it was only after this was written, so it doesn't take anything from those books into accoundIt's also based on a person experience dealing with the death of one of my friends. Hope you enjoy it. Please read and review!
PS- For anyone that's interested, just a bit of info. They are beginning to work on making a movie based on the book. According to Lois Lowry, the most recent script is the most true to the book one that she has read yet.
Fiona and Asher sat by the river staring at the serene movements of the water, yet not really seeing it. Both were lost in their own thoughts and memories of their friend Jonas, who was now lost to the community. Neither of them had made a sound since they had meet two hours ago. In the beginning they had tried, attempting to remember their friend, but the conversation was awkward.
Fiona sighed and shifted, turning to glance at Asher, before looking back at the river.
"Before we were assigned, I think I knew that there was something different about him. Something special, but I couldn't say anything. Now I wish I had."
Asher looked up, startled, when Fiona began speaking. When it was announced that Jonas had been lost, she had looked so helpless, which was something he now understood. But she had also looked guilty, like she had done something that she shouldn't have. Now he knew, it was something that she hadn't done that made her feel guilty. The same thing that he hadn't done.
"I think I knew also. There was this one day… we were tossing an apple back and forth, when he said that it had changed. I just laughed it off and I said something, I don't remember what, but he ended up apologizing and he never mentioned it again so I completely forgot about it. I think I knew then. Maybe if I had-"
"Maybe if I had," Fiona interrupted "I'm sorry for interrupting Asher." She finished quickly, once she realized what she had done.
The automatic response followed, but then nothing. Once again the two lapsed into silence, getting lost in their own memories.
The next morning the sun rose upon the two embracing friends, waking them. After looking at the other and reciting the customary apologies, the two embraced each other once more before turning and heading home to their respective housing units, a small smile upon both of their faces. They knew that Jonas was not coming back, but they knew that even though others in the community had not shared the bond that they had with their friend, they were no longer alone in their guilt.
For years after the two meet in the same spot on the anniversary of their friend's death, but as the years went by they became shorter and shorter, until one year passed without seeing the two by the river bank.
Jonas smiled upon reading the most recent of the Giver's letters, what he had written as he said to be his last. It had been hard for him to leave his best friends without so much as a warning and he knew that he would break their hearts in doing so, but it had to have been done. And luckily, even though time had passed, he was glad to know that they had moved on.