As Jonas slid down the hill he smiled at the familiar feeling. This was his own memory. Now Gabe had his own sledding memory too. As he got nearer to the bottom of the hill he could feel a strong pull. "Keep going, going!" it seemed to be saying. "You're almost there, almost there…"
As the sled slowed down near the bottom of the hill he felt his cheeks burn. His energy renewed he plowed through the snow. He traveled through the brush on a path that he somehow knew was there. "Keep going, going!" the wind seemed to be saying. "You're almost there, almost there," the bushes whispered.
He stumbled onto a real path. This one was paved. His feet were numb and he knew that they would start to hurt if they ever thawed. As he walked along the asphalt he realized that it was cleared. The snow was piled up along the side of the path but the actual path was clear.
His heart jumped. "Who cleared the path? Was there another community he needed to avoid?" Jonas thought with a shudder. "No, I know somehow that there isn't." He reassured himself.
Jonas stumbled forward, knowing that the path could go for miles. The soft drifts at the side of the road seemed to call to him. "Come, we laid a fresh blanket for you. Just a little rest couldn't hurt. You need the sleep, Jonas." He shook his head, mumbling, "No…must go farther…almost there…" His footsteps were getting slower. His feet were harder to pick up.
"Is this the end?" Jonas thought. "Have I traveled this far just to fail now?" He fell to his knees, clutching his precious bundle. "Thirsty…need water…" he mumbled to the unyielding snow. Jonas stood up again, "must…keep…going…"
Jonas looked down at his knees. They were wet. "Where did the wet come from? Could he drink it?" Questions flashed through his mind. "Is it the snow, is there water underneath the snow?" Then in a desperate flash of inspiration he realized, "it is the snow!"
"We are saved, Gabe, saved!" He decided to test his theory. He grabbed a handful of the cleanest, whitest snow he could see and put it in his mouth. It was cold but it immediately melted in his mouth and he swallowed the newly discovered water.
Taking a smaller handful he gently shook Gabe awake and prompted him to open his mouth. The toddler shivered at the first cold sensation but relaxed once he realized what it was.
Jonas took a long look at Gabe's face. It was getting skinny. They both needed food. He reeled at the thought of food, realizing just how hungry he really was. He no longer needed the Giver's memory of hunger; he had developed one of his own.
Just as his vision was about to go black two bright lights came rushing along the path. Loud squeaks and squeals and they stopped. Jonas heard a door slam and feet running toward him.
"Well, fancy meeting someone way out here tonight. Are you alright, son?" A strong voice greeted him, sounding more cheerful then he had felt in a long time. "You look mighty tired, what's that you got there? Why you're half frozen! Come, lad, get in the truck, we'll get you warm." Strong hands helped him sit down on a cushioned seat.
"There now, just you rest. When you wake up I'll just have the missus wish you a Merry Christmas and feed you as much as you can eat. For Christmas dinner you won't believe what she feeds us…"As the voice droned on in a comforting tone Jonas settled back, still hugging Gabe. He was safe and warm at last. He was right before, his feet did hurt…the man was right, it was time to sleep…he had no doubt about the new word that came into his mind before sleep took him over…kindness…
