Chapter 2

Happiness, Recognition, and the End

Jonas really didn't want to go back now. The boy in the memories had gotten worse. He had stopped eating. He had just stopped eating. He stared at the screen all day, not moving, barely breathing, miserable, and barely alive. It was a horrible nightmare. Thanks to this kid who was obsessed with getting a review, he had to receive more than obsession. He had to feel anorexia, anxiety, being miserable, and loneliness.

When Jonas was riding his bike, he wasn't really paying attention. He was too worried. He messed up a turn and fell on his knee. It hurt a lot. He didn't want to face the pain in his leg AND more pain from the Giver. He couldn't do it. He wasn't strong enough. But he knew he had to. He started to get up when Asher came up to him.

"Need some help getting up?" Jonas smiled. He could always rely on Asher for help or for cheering up. They had always been friends. Asher helped him up and back on to his bike.

"Maybe you should get some medicine for your fall." Asher advised. Jonas shook his head. He didn't want to look like a wimp. Then Jonas realized how silly he had been thinking that. Asher didn't know what a "wimp" was. He hadn't gotten memories of weakness and cowardice. Jonas had. He didn't want to be like that. He didn't want to be weak like the boy in the recent memories.

Asher went off. Jonas watched him happily play with the other kids. He watched Fiona tag Asher in a game of tag. He saw Katharine, a young blue-eyed girl, jump over Pierre, a boy his age, in a game of leap of frog. He felt like crying. He was becoming weaker and weaker. He knew he was weak like the boy. He knew he was a coward. He wanted to be strong and wise like the Giver. The Giver had taken all the memories. He knew his job was important. Wishing he could play wit the other kids wouldn't get him anywhere. He toughened up and soon he was in the annex, lying on his back, ready for a memory.

He expected to hear the boy's sobs or nothing because the boy would be just staring at the screen, but instead he heard laughing. He didn't recognize it at first. He hadn't laughed in a long, long time. But then he realized what it was, and he was glad he was being given a memory that didn't take place in that dreadful basement. He opened his eyes and was shocked to find he was in the basement. There wasn't anyone but the boy. The boy was laughing! It was like a miracle. He was happy. Jonas had never expected the boy to smile, let alone laugh so hysterically. Then the boy picked a thin black thing, Jonas perceived it was a razor phone, opened it up, dialed a number, and started talking with the thing against his ear. He was talking fast and he was excited. He finally put down the thing and went upstairs. Then the memory ended.

He was back in the annex room. The Giver was smiling. Jonas looked at him, smiling back. Then Jonas hugged him. The Giver was surprised at first, but then he hugged him back. He could see he was happy and didn't want to ruin the moment.

"So, you see Jonas, the boy finally got some recognition. Somebody reviewed it and liked it. The boy decided that sitting in front of a screen all day was not the life for him. So he called an old friend he hadn't talked to in a long time. He went over to his friend's house and never wrote another fan fiction story for he knew what trouble it could cause. He lived a happy life."

"Giver, I came here today thinking you were going to give me another horrible of the boy in pain or not eating. But you showed me a happy memory. And you showed me something else. What is it?"

"It's hope. There is always hope. I am glad to have given you a memory that cheered you up."

Jonas left the annex with a bigger smile than anyone who was playing games. Jonas forgot to ask how good the boy's story was. He figured it was worth something. Tomorrow he would read the story in a memory and judge for himself.

He went to the Giver the next day wanting to read the story the boy wrote. The Giver started the memory and he started to read…

Fin.

Should I write a sequel?