disclaimer: anyone from The Giver does not belong to be since i am not the author.
Jonas clutched Gabriel closer to him, fearing the young child would die in the cold, ignoring what could happen to him.
"Jonas." Gabe said softly, feeling Jonas' conscious took less notice of the world around them.
"Gabe, we're almost there..." Jonas whispered each word slower than the one before.
"Lily!" Gabe exclaimed as he pointed at a young figure, a female, approach.
Jonas shook his head gently. "Silly Gabe; Lily's back at the community, not here..."
"Look Jonas, look!" Gabe persisted, still pointing at the figure.
"Gabriel..." Jonas began, as he was no longer certain of what was happening around them.
"Oh my god!" The female shouted when she took notice of the two.
Jonas lay, motionless, in a bed of a home he was unfamiliar with; more or less, even seen, for he was in a coma.
"I believe that he may not make it through even this week," A voice spoke, a hint of sorrow for Jonas even if he did not know him.
Who?! Oh no! Gabriel! The only part of Jonas' conscious aware screamed mentally.
"And the other one?" A second inquired, referring to Jonas' companion, Gabriel.
"I fear the reason for this one's lack of health is because of the younger one's." The first explained. "I fear that this one literally starved himself to save the little one,"
What? Oh my-! I was the one they thought wouldn't make it! Jonas' mind realized.
"Excuse me, Doctor, but this child is being a fit; he won't fall asleep or anything; he just says 'Jonas' and trying to get over here. I think he wants to be with this one," A third stated. "May I?"
"Oh yes, if it'll calm the little one down," The first, the doctor, replied.
Jonas felt pressure on his stomach, and a small hand pressing his nose to where he couldn't breath trough it; then, another covering his mouth. He coughed, from the lack of air, and opened his eyes. He saw Gabriel on him, and three more people surrounding him, whom, he didn't know. Noticing his eyes open, Gabriel removed his grips on his nose and mouth.
"Jonas wake!" Gabriel exclaimed, clapping his hands, exuberantly.
Jonas smiled at Gabriel. "Hello to you too, Gabe."
The younger of the two females Jonas had saw when he woke, smiled. "Took you long enough."
"Took me long enough to do what?" Jonas inquired, confused with the saying.
She shook her head.
The other female, the nurse left, seeing that Gabriel was off her hands now that Jonas had wakened.
The Doctor, spoke as soon as the nurse had left. "What's your name, boy? And the child also,"
"I'm Jonas. This," Jonas gestured to the child still on his stomach. "Is Gabriel."
The Doctor frowned a bit. "Surname?"
"What?" Jonas replied.
"What?" Little Gabriel echoed.
"You're family name," The female explained.
"I -we- don't have a 'family name'. Where we come from, there are only family units, and Gabe, here, wasn't assigned to a unit yet," Jonas answered.
"Then, how do you know if someone is talking to you or another person named Jonas?" The female asked.
"Numbers and age,"
"What?" Both the female and the Doctor said unison.
"We're called by numbers until we're assigned a family unit; for Gabe, my 'father' broke the Rules and looked up his name. For example, I'm Nineteen, and my full number is Twelve-Nineteen because I was the nineteenth child born my year, and I am twelve years of age. Gabriel is, I think, Twenty-three." Jonas mumbled.
"Uh-huh. And where is this place where you come from? We should tell you're family where you are," The Doctor muttered.
"I told you- they're not my real family. Plus, the only way you could tell them is if you go the way I came and told them in person. Also, where I used to live, has no name; it's just called a Community like all the others nearby it." Jonas started to transfer a memory of sailing on a lake to a whining Gabriel, who was interrupting them.
Both the female and doctor stared blankly at Jonas as he made Gabriel fall into a sound sleep.
"How did you do that?" The female asked in amazement.
Ignoring the fact that she did not apologize for being rude, Jonas answered, "Where I came from, only certain people could have memories of the past, of color, animals, true pain, and true happiness. I, was one; Gabriel, I suppose, is another also. The one before me, the Giver, could give me memories of the past, of times when we had snow and all the things you have here. I, being the next Receiver Of Memories, can transfer memories to Gabe, who is probably going to be the one after me,"
"Uh-huh," The Doctor muttered in disbelief, "Got any friends or family nearby that you two can stay with until we contact your parents?"
"None, sir."
"I could take them in with my family, Dr. Wolfe," The female interrupted, once again, before Jonas could even finish saying 'none'.
"Stay with Lily!" Gabe agreed; still think the female was Jonas' 'sister'.
The female smiled. "Isn't he smart? He guessed my name correctly on the first try,"
Jonas nearly chocked. "Your name is Lily?"
"Yeah. Why?" She asked.
"Well, my 'younger sister's' name is Lily..." Jonas stammered.
"Well, Lily, I called your parents and they allow Jonas and Gabriel to stay with them. You all may leave now," Dr. Wolfe said, Lily, Gabriel, and Jonas barely even noticing he had left.
"Thanks, Dr. Wolfe." Lily motioned for Jonas and Gabriel to follow her out of the room.
"Mom! Dad! I'm home; along with Jonas and Gabriel here," Lily shouted as they entered her family's home.
Two young girls ran up to Lily wearing black and gold colored dresses; seven year-olds named Hope and Faith. "Lily!" They exclaimed as they embraced her in a hug.
A male both one year older Jonas' and Lily's age walked in the room, followed by a man and woman; Lily's parents.
"Hey cousin." The boy said to Lily. He gave her a high-five and sat in the couch nearby.
Her parents smiled at Jonas and Gabriel.
"Nice to meet you," They greeted as they shook Jonas' and even Gabriel's hands; which, Jonas had responded with "nice to meet you too", and Gabriel responded with a giggle.
"Mind telling us how you met Jonas and Gabriel?" Lily's cousin inquired- his name was Luke.
"Well, actually..." Lily began.
"I was caught in the snow, being too tired to continue, and lack of strength. I mean 'we'." Jonas supplied.
"Yeah. Then I saw Jonas unconscious and Gabriel about to cry as I was walking. I called Dr. Wolfe and I was with them at the hospital for last night and this morning." Lily finished.
"Poor thing," Lily's mother-Arlene-muttered.
Jonas, who had misunderstood Arlene, replied with, "I'm not poor", but in a whisper so only Gabriel heard it.
"Not poor!" Gabriel echoed, loud enough that everyone in the room heard.
"Uh, Jonas, what my mom meant by, 'poor thing', is that you been through harsh things," Lily muttered in Jonas' ear.
"So, Jonas, mind telling us about where you came from? That is, if you want to," Lily's father-Mike-asked.
"Well, first thing, you can only have two children per family unit; a male and female. Second, there's no color; only shades of gray; at least, to most people. Third, you can't choose your Assignment or spouse. Fourth, you have to be given your job/Assignment at the age of twelve..." Jonas continued telling them of the Community, stating the Rules, and what he could do.
"Jonas," Young Hope asked when he finished, "Can you give us memories-like sailing on a lake?"
Jonas smiled. "I'll try," He placed a hand on Hope's small shoulders and concentrated on a memory of a gentle sail in early spring.
Hope's shoulders drooped a bit, as she relaxed, thinking she was on an actually sail.
"Did you like it?" Jonas asked as the memory ended.
Hope smiled a large grin. "I loved it!"
"My turn!" Faith yelled. "I want to sail!"
Jonas smirked as he placed his hand on Faith.
The night ended as soon as everyone had a memory of the past that pleased them. Luke-surfing; Lily-biking downhill; Faith and Hope-sailing; Arlene-relaxing on a beach; Mike-flying in a plane; and Gabriel-a sled ride to help him sleep.
People of all ages gathered in an auditorium for the Ceremony of Ones, Twos, Threes, Fours, Fives, and another that was unaccounted for.
The Chief Elder and Giver stood after the Ceremony of Fives.
"Now, we are gathered for a Ceremony of Loss." The Chief Elder spoke.
There were gasps of surprise from the crowd; there hadn't been a Ceremony of Loss since a few years ago when a Four named Caleb drowned in the river.
"This ceremony," Giver said with difficultly. "Is for the Receiver Of Memories, Jonas."
More gasps escaped from the crowd; even some crying for they had known Jonas.
"Jonas has died from what we know. We Elders believe he had, possibly, killed himself because he couldn't handle the stress of being the Receiver of Memory." The Chief Elder explained. "It has been a year since anyone has seen Jonas and a new child Gabriel. We also, are giving his family unit a replacement child because of their request."
A Nurturer walked up to her holding a young male.
She held the child until Jonas' family unit could walk through from their spots to the platform. "Number Fifty-one. Jonas."
Once again, the crowd gasped; never, had there been more than fifty newborns per year.
"This child, the replacement child Jonas, is indeed the number Fifty-one. An exception because no other new child fitted the original Jonas' family unit." The Nurturer said, noticing both the Chief Elder and Giver did not know how to explain.
"How are you so sure that Jonas and Gabriel are really dead?" A thirteen year old male asked, standing with another thirteen year old female at his side. "He could have made it to another community and could be living there,"
"And, didn't you say that when the Receiver of Memory before him, when she died, that memories came to the people of the community?" The female inquired.
"Fiona, Asher! How dare you disagree?!" The Chief Elder snapped.
"Sarah," Giver placed a hand on the Chief Elder. "They are correct. When Rosemary-"
"How dare you speak her name?!" The Chief Elder-Sarah-shouted.
"-died," Giver continued, ignoring her, "The memories I had given her had escaped to the minds of the Community. That, has not happen again since the disappearance of Jonas and Gabriel. Therefore, they are still alive," Giver had been slowly joining Asher and Fiona who had stepped into the aisle as he spoke.
Jonas' family unit walked up to the trio in the aisle and stood there, proving what they believed, or mostly did.
Soon, the people had chosen between what Jonas' family unit and friends believed and what Sarah believed; the Community was split in half- one half thinking Jonas and Gabriel lived; the other thinking he died.
Jonas smiled as Gabriel started to learn how to walk.
"Jonas! Jonas!" The exuberant child yelled as he walked to Jonas.
Lily sat next to Jonas, both watching Gabriel walk towards them.
"Jonas," She asked.
"Yeah?"
"Don't you want to go back?"
Jonas laughed a bit. "Why would i want to go to a town where there's no choice, color, and feelings?"
"Don't you think your family unit and friends are worried sick?"
"How can they if they don't have feelings? Besides, they can get a replacement child."
"What about Giver?"
Jonas paused. "I, um, uh..." He sat quietly for a while. "I guess he would miss me,"
"Well, it's December; you know what's happening now there," Lily leaned forward on her knees.
"Today's the Ceremony of Ones, Twos, Threes, Fours, and Fives. Tomorrow, the Ceremony of Sixes, Sevens, Eights, Nines, Tens, Elevens, and Twelves." Jonas replied. "No Christmas," he added as an afterthought.
"You said something about a Ceremony of Loss. Do you think they did one for you and Gabriel?" She inquired as Gabriel reached them.
"Maybe. They could also be having a replacement child given to my family unit today," Jonas sighed.
"Why Jonas sad?" Gabriel wondered, tilting his head to the side.
"Because, Gabe," Jonas said. "I miss Asher and Fiona,"
"Is Fiona supposed to be your assigned spouse?" Lily muttered.
"No; because I didn't apply for a spouse. They're just my friends." Jonas pictured Asher as they used to play games such as the silly fake war nearly every child- twelve and under- played while he held Gabriel on his leg and Lily still holding Gabriel's stomach.
Gabriel and Lily became still quickly in their positions; Jonas not moving since he said the word "friends".
Jonas struggled to keep the memory as he noticed it being harder to recall; not knowing that he had been giving it to Lily and Gabriel.
"My head," Jonas complained as the memory was too little for him to recall.
Lily and Gabriel started to move again, the memory finished.
"Why did you have to leave if you had so many great times with them?" Lily mumbled after a few moments for her to recover.
"Why leave friends, Jonas?" Gabriel whispered the same message as Lily but in his own words.
"Huh?" Jonas wondered, confused.
"You gave Gabe and me a memory of you and some other kids playing this fake war game," Lily said.
"I didn't give anyone a memory for the past few days!" Jonas stated. "Wait... When I was recalling the memory, it started to become hard to recall it after a while. I think I was giving you two memories by accident,"
"Well, why did you leave?" Lily repeated.
"I'm not sure why I left; but I do know why I took Gabriel- they were going to kill him, remember?" Jonas answered, not wanting to repeat the story of their escape right then.
"Yeah," Lily smiled, telling Jonas that she didn't have any more questions and that she would leave to do something.
Jonas and Gabriel smiled back as she left.
-----
It was chaos. The community was nearly starting a war against each other just because of what they believed what had happened to Jonas.
"Stop!" A voice yelled over the ruckus. "Stop fighting over if Jonas and Gabriel are dead or not!"
The crowd turned to the source of the voice and found a male, only fourteen, helping Giver who had been nearly trampled by them.
"Yes, please stop. It is pointless to fight over two people's faiths." Giver said weakly.
"Look at yourselves! You are practically killing each other!" The male stated. "If Jonas and Gabriel were here, right now, they wouldn't want this! They would want there to be peace!"
"How do you know what they want unless you are one of them, themselves?" Sarah spat.
"Let's say I know someone who has let the two live with their family," The male replied. "Now, stop fighting! If this continues, memories of WAR may be exposed to the Community when I tell Jonas what is happening here! He may kill himself because of this!" And with that, he turned to leave, but not before Asher and Fiona had reached him.
"Please, tell us where he has gone," Fiona pleaded just as Jonas' family unit was near the male also.
He turned to the group- Giver, Fiona, Asher, and Jonas' family unit- with a bit of sorrow in his eyes. "I will show you six, but no more. Jonas would want only close people to see him again."
Lily waited at the porch. She soon spotted a group of seven approaching her home. She waved at them and the one in the front waved back.
"Got room for six more than normally?!" The male at the front yelled.
Lily nodded. "Hey, Jonas, Gabe! You two have a little surprise today!"
"All right." Jonas walked out from inside the house, holding Gabriel's small hand as he tried to steady himself; neither looking ahead, only towards the floor- Gabriel to make sure he didn't step on his own feet; Jonas to make sure Gabriel didn't trip. "What is it, Lily?"
"Visitors!" The male who had spoken at the ceremony, Luke, answered. He and the others reached the porch. "I believe you know each other already."
"Jonas!" The six others-Asher, Fiona, Giver, Jonas' family unit-exclaimed.
"Asher, Fiona, 'Mother', 'Father', Lily, Giver, what are all of you doing here?" Jonas asked as he picked up Gabriel.
"What?" Asher joked. "We're not allowed to visit someone who half of the community believes is dead and the other half believes is alive?"
"There was nearly a kill-everyone-you-can spree." Added Luke.
"Killing spree?!" Jonas felt like he was going to chock. "But no one is actually dead, right?"
"None, thankfully." Answered Fiona.
"I just remembered," Giver said, "that both Receivers of Memories are right here."
"So?" The older Lily asked.
"There must always be at least one Receiver of Memory in the community or," Giver started.
"Chaos." Jonas, Asher, Fiona, and Jonas' family unit finished.
The group's prediction was correct- it was chaos in the community.
People ran rambunctiously around, some grabbing anything that could be a weapon and trying to kill each other. Others were screaming about a escaped memory about war that came to them.
It was only around a hour since Luke had spoken there at the Ceremony and was, once again, there, trying to get the people to calm down.
"Stop!" Luke repeated the words that he had yelled earlier. "Be calm! Giver, nor Jonas and Gabriel, are dead! And, most of all, STOP TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER!"
Lily, not Jonas' "sister", stood next to Luke. "Look at what you are doing! You are destroying the possibilities of generations of people to come! You all wanted a place of peace, an utopia! Now, you all are at each others' necks with knifes! Look at those young children over there!" Lily pointed at the group of Twelves and under, many cowering, hiding, not wanting to be hurt.
"Do you want these children to have memories of this fight, especially at a young age?! They'll never have a good life if this continues!" Arlene, who had joined the others back, stated.
The people of the community gentled a bit, realizing what they were doing.
Mike, Jonas, his family unit, Gabriel, Asher, Fiona, and Giver arrived then, being caught up in the fighting crowd.
"This is worse than war!" Jonas exclaimed, suddenly recalling the memory of war Giver had given him, his leg now throbbing in pain once again.
"You're letting those children watch it, for a worse thing," Jonas' "father", a Nurturer for one thing, hated what hey had done for letting the children see it, for one reason.
"Monsters you are if you let them watch," Mike said, feeling glad that he left Faith and Hope at their friends' home.
The Chief Elder, Sarah, stared at them coldly. "You were the ones that should have protected the community from this!"
"Sarah, it is not entirely our job to protect the community from war; it is only the Receivers of Memories job to protect the community from the memories of it," Giver replied softly. "It is all the people of the community's job to protect it from real war; which, I quote, you are not doing a great job if this is what you let the children see."
Jonas glared at the people of the community coldly. He handed Gabriel to Mike then followed Asher, Fiona, and the older Lily to the cowering children.
Many of the people both noticed the glare and agreed with Giver's speech.
"We, will let whoever that wants to come with us and be free of Sameness. If anyone wishes to stay in Sameness, they may do so. For those who want to leave, follow us now." Arlene stated.
Asher, Fiona, the older Lily, and Jonas returned carrying the ones too young to walk, followed by the older children who both could and wanted to be free of Sameness.
The group left the community, soon followed by the Old, the Childless People, and most Elders who decided quickly. Some of the "parents" and Sarah were uncertain or wanted to stay in Sameness. The "parents" started to run after the group, then, pursued by a still uncertain Chief Elder.
It just wasn't quite yet the end of Jonas who died at an old age because of a sickness. But, it was the beginning of little Gabriel's, a child who was to be Protector From Sameness later on.
But that, my friends, is a story of another time.