Chapter 24

Jonas saw off in the distance The Giver playing with a girl his age, she was smiling to her ears, her eyes were bright with joy, The Giver looked at her grinning. Jonas felt that feeling of love and happiness. He wanted to go over to him and see him, but when he tried to walk his feet were stuck to the grass. He was in a gorgeous place, the grass was so green, and the sky was so blue, and he thought of the river water. He then realized he was in a dream, The Giver was now with his daughter and that meant that The Giver was...dead. Jonas felt a sadness, but he knew this was what The Giver wanted.

Jonas wasn't cold he was warm, he looked down and suddenly Gabriel was at his feet, he didn't think he had seen him before. Then a thought crossed his mind, was he and Gabriel dead too? He thought for sure that they were dead, then he felt a sudden gust of cold wind and he awoke in a dark room. He was there, but Gabriel was not. The room wasn't as cold as the outside, but Jonas was still shivering. Jonas tried to stand up, but we couldn't his legs were still too cold. He kept trying though.

"You shouldn't try to stand." A warm female voice said. He looked over at the doorway and saw a tall girl, looked maybe a couple years older than him. She had short jet black hair and pale skin. Her eyes were green and her cheeks were red, looking as though she had just gotten out of the cold. She walked in with a fire lit lamp and a blanket.

"You're too weak, if you keep trying you'll end up hurting yourself." She sat down next to him and wrapped the blanket around him, instantly warming him.

"My name is Annabeth." Annabeth smiled at him and he remembered the girl from his dream, then he remembered Gabriel.

"Where is Gabriel?" I asked.

"Gabriel? Oh, you must be talking about the little baby you were with." I nodded instantly.

"He is alright, although he almost didn't make it." I took a deep breath in and asked very calmly,

"Where is he? I have to go see him!" She looked down and smiled.

"You must be very worried, but you see you are too weak, and Gabriel well his heart is very weak now. Seeing you might make him too excited. We need to wait a couple days -"

"A couple days!? I can't wait that long! He needs me! I need him! A couple days is too long!" I yelled. She looked down and got up.

"What's your name?" She asked me. I was surprised and angry, why would she ask me at a time like this?

"Please just answer me!" I yelled angrily. She just smirked,
"Okay Mystery boy, there is food in the kitchen if you get hungry." She stalked out, shutting the door behind her. Jonas wanted to felt like hours, maybe even days before Jonas knew that he could stand up, although he had many failed attempts. Jonas stood up with all of this sudden energy. He walked slowly, but steadily and got to the door. The real challenge was opening it. It was a big steel door with a big steel handle. As he was trying to open it, someone else opened it from the other side and knocked Jonas down.

"Ow!" Jonas was on the floor again...great! Annabeth walked to him laughing hysterically.

"Sorry I had no idea-" she couldn't keep going she was laughing so hard. She got up and calmed herself down.

"Whew, right sorry, I had no idea you were there Mystery boy." She was grinning wildly. Somehow her good mood changed Jonas's mood.

"It's fine." He smiled. "And the names Jonas." He added. She looked down and smiled.

"I think I like Mystery boy better." Jonas laughed and got back up.

"Well, I came here to tell you that Gabriel's awake and he won't stop crying, so I thought maybe seeing you will calm him down." Jonas followed her out of the hallway, slowing her down considering he was still pretty weak. We stopped at a door and he heard the screaming. He walked in, immediately going to pick up Gabriel.

"Shh, Gabriel you're okay." He stopped crying and looked up at him, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hi baby boy!" I said excitedly, knowing it will cheer Gabriel up. I looked over at Annabeth and see her admiring us reunite. He starts crying again and he cuddles up to Jonas.

"I think he's cold, do you have any more blankets?" I wrap him up in the blanket I currently had on, and I see one of the other ladies that is there rushing over to me.

"Oh no sir, you need to keep that on, you'll get to cold." She gets a new blanket for Gabriel and wraps mine around me. Annabeth and him had been spending a lot of time together after that, although Jonas never liked to leave Gabriel. Jonas looked lovingly at Gabriel and hugged him close to his chest. Jonas started crying, he was so happy to be with him and he was so close to losing him.

A couple hours passed as Gabriel and Jonas slowly fell asleep together. Jonas woke up as he saw light shining through his window. Gabriel is tossing and turning in his arms, he cradled him until he stopped moving and is breathing steadily again. Jonas got up and put him in his crib, his arms tingling from holding him for so long. He quietly opened the door and walk out into the hall. He walked around a bit till he found the kitchen. On the table is one ready plate, steaming from just being made. He sat down and picked up the fork, his stomach persistent for food. He was starving, absolutely, most utterly starving. Honestly, He didn't realize that he was so hungry. He put the spoonful of scrambled eggs into his mouth and savored the one bite, he couldn't control himself. He ate and ate, till his plate of food was gone. His stomach was full with satisfaction, but it was also upset, from eating too much. He was taking his plate outside when he realized that that was not his life anymore. He had absolutely no clue where to put it, so he just put it on the table. He didn't know what to do after that. He was on his way back to Gabriel's room when he heard someone running down the hall.

"Jonas!" It was Annabeth. Only this time she didn't sound happy, or giggly. She sounded urgent and concerned. He looked at her with loving eyes.

"What is it?" Jonas said taking her hands.

"Jonas, they know where you are! They know you're in elsewhere!"

"How do you know about elsewhere?" He asked her.

"It doesn't matter, we just need to get you and Gabriel out of here!" There were tears in her eyes and he pulled her into a hug. Even he surprised himself by doing this. He wasn't used to any sort of physical affection with anyone, and now he was hugging Annabeth, practically a stranger.

"Annabeth, you need to tell me what you know, okay? Because we don't have to rush, if it's not a for sure, alright?" Jonas said reassuring her.

"Jonas! We need to leave right now! Okay? It's not safe for me or you, and especially not safe for Gabriel." He could see the look in her eyes, the worry and the pain.

"We can't leave now, we have to wait till Gabriel is healthy, he's too weak!" Jonas urged her to listen to him, but she was too upset.

"No! No, no, no!" She started crying and Jonas lead her away from Gabriel's room to an empty one.

"Tell me everything." He said trying to calm her down.

"Jonas, they seem innocent, but they're evil! Everything that's different isn't acceptable, they get rid of them, they kil-"

"I know what they do!" He yelled, interrupting her. "My own father killed a newborn! He killed him! Why do you think that I left?" Her eyes were wide with shock and tears.

"Jonas, my father was killed because of them. He tried to escape with us, he knew what they were doing, but they found us, took us back and killed him. I found out what they were doing after my father had been released, fuming that they had taken him away from us."

"Then why-"

"Jonas, let me talk!" She screamed. Jonas shut up.

"We can't let them get you too, Jonas we just can't. They deserve to die! Not us! My father was an innocent man, he deserved so much more!" She started sobbing and he went over to her and took her into his arms.

"Shhh…" I whisper into her ear.

"The community will get them back, don't worry." I say knowing that the plan The Giver and I had done worked. She looked up at me and kissed me on the cheek. We sat there for awhile just crying and talking. She had told me that the guards with the planes were on there way, that the town had seen them coming this way. There had been searchlights in the sky at night, but of course no one would expect them to be in a town's home. But soon the guards will be looking in every house. She said we had a few days, not even that. Annabeth said that they would keep looking for me until I was confirmed dead, until they saw my lifeless body

"Annabeth, I think they just want me, not Gabriel and you, so you guys stay here and I'll get out of here." She looked at me in the eyes.

"Jonas, I'm not leaving you. I won't! Gabriel and I are coming with you. Mystery boy I can't leave you." She whispers. What did this mean?

"I can see that confused look in your eyes, Jonas it's called love and not even I know what it means." She squeezes my hand and looks at me.

"Annabeth you and I both know that's an idiotic idea. Why put your lives in danger?" He just wanted to leave and not be anyone else's problem. He didn't want to leave Annabeth and Gabriel, but Jonas knew that he needs to.

"Jonas, I will take care of Gabriel, But I'm coming with you." She got up and walked out. I was shocked. I didn't want to put them in danger I had done enough to them already. Jonas got up and followed her to Gabriel's room.

"Listen, I understand what you are trying to do, but I just want you to be safe." He looked at her and grasped her face with his hands.

"Jonas, we have to go now."She said all of a sudden, worry filling her words. She pointed to the window and there, outside was one of the community's guards walking door to door looking inside each house.

"Oh god, we do need to go now. Grab Gabriel! What's the easiest way we can get out without being seen?"

"Umm...we can go out the back and climb under the fence. You go get at least a two week supply of food and I'll get all of our stuff, and don't get seen." She stated. I ducked it the hallway and ran to the kitchen, emptied the fridge and put water into all sorts of containers.

"JONAS THEIR NEARLY HERE!" She yelled. Running into the room with a dazed Gabriel.

"Jonas!"He yelled happily, not quite getting his name right, but knowing it was him.

"Shhh, Gabriel." He said, planting a kiss on his head. They ran to the back just as there was a knock on the door.

"Open up!" A deep voice yelled, banging on the door. We got to the back and quietly opened the door, running to the the fence. We heard him bust the door open,we started panicking, quickly trying to run under the fence. Annabeth climbed under first, then I pushed Gabriel through. I looked behind me and saw the guard coming towards the back, spotting us. He looked un-amused.

"Jonas, come with me. It's better in the community, and if you run you'll put your little friends in danger too" He said nodding to, Annabeth and Gabriel.

"Annabeth, run." Jonas whisperd.

"Jonas, please! Don't give up that easily, we both need you." She said with tears in her eyes.

"Jonas, I thank you for making the right decision." The guard said, trying to move things along.

"Now don't worry, you'll be safe with us." Jonas knew it was a lie, and Annabeth was right he couldn't give up that easily.

"You're welcome." He said smirking. Jonas did something he didn't know he could do, but he ran over to the guard, punching him in the jaw, and running under the fence. They ran straight, not looking back, but just as Jonas thought that they were going to get away safely, something happened. A burning pain started in his left shoulder, making him stumble and fall to the ground. Annabeth stopped, looking at me with huge eyes.

"Annabeth, you need to get out of here." I coughed blood. Annabeth fell to the ground, shaking with terror.

"Jonas." She whispered. "I promise I will take care of Gabriel." She whimpered. Gabriel looked down at Jonas, knowing something was wrong.

"Jonas, please, it's okay to be scared." Annabeth seeing the terrified look in his eyes.

"Annabeth, I would like you to know that I care about you very much." Jonas said, knowing that she should know.

"It's called love Jonas, I love you too." She then kissed me. And you know Jonas wasn't surprised.

"Gabriel, I love you." Jonas said, thinking of how confused Gabriel must be.

"I wove you too." Gabriel said. Jonas heard one last thing before everything around him went dark,

"We love you Mystery Boy." Then everything went black. And in that moment he knew he was dead and all of these memories came coming back. His mom and Dad, his little sister. His friends, Asher and Fiona. His home, his school. The Giver and Annabeth and Gabriel. He opened his eyes again and saw the landscape that was in the beginning of his dream. A hand touched him and Jonas turned around,

"Jonas, you are so brave." Jonas saw a familiar kind face, and he knew that this was his new elsewhere.

Epilogue

After Annabeth and Gabriel left Jonas, they found a town just a couple miles West, it took days to find this town, but eventually they did. They entered the town and asked around where a good place to stay would be, but unfortunately there was nowhere. But, an old woman overheard them.

"Um, excuse me? I overheard you were looking for somewhere to stay, and I have an extra room in my house that you're welcome to!" The kindness in her eyes reminded Annabeth of Jonas. She just nodded, following the woman. They settled in, Gabriel's crib next to her bed, and Annabeth, with a broken heart. A few years passed and Annabeth wanted to adopt Gabriel, considering she had promised Jonas that she would. Annabeth will always remember Jonas, it was hard to forget about him, he was everywhere. She could smell him in the sweet bread, that the kind old lady would make, and hear him when the leaves brushed across the ground, but most of all she could see him in Gabriel. His sweet laugh, his lovely smile, and his soft grey eyes.

By Ella Hewitt-Link