Giver1

Now updated! Enjoy!


*Original Author's Note*
I'm back! This is Chapter one to my story. Not much happens, but alot of the background is laid down, and things happen that will be important later.

I want to thank Rebeller, Alex Foster, and Leevee for their nice reviews, they meant so much to me!

Disclaimer- The Giver belongs to Lois Lowry.

There! Done with that! On to the story!




Chapter 1
Elsewhere
December 25, 2245



Who is he? The voice was young.

Shh, you can't imagine how tired he must be. Older...

Why were they talking so loud. His head hurt. Couldn't they be quiet?

Eliza, please stop asking questions. Please do.

Jonas almost felt it as that conversation had been swirling clouds, materializing into voices, he was tired, very tired, and hungry too. Let's take it one step at a time.'. Jonas sat up, slowly.

He's awake Papa! A little girl squealed, she couldn't be more than a eight, not much older than... his sister. It had been days since he thought about her. Strange. Why did this little girl remind him of her. They didn't even look similar. This young girl had fire red hair, like... Fiona.

What's your name, son? The older man asked. Before Jonas answered he looked around. So many colors! Blue, yellow, red, green, purple. The people in front of him were all like the very, very, few in the Community that had red hair, or blue eyes.

I'm Jonas. Who are you? Jonas answered tentatively

The green eyed, yellow haired man in front of him smiled, and said, I'm Goren, and this is my daughter, Eliza. he paused, and a troubled look came over his jade colored eyes. Jonas, are you from... The Community?

Jonas cut himself off, suddenly realized something, Where is Gabe?

You mean the cute little boy you brought with you? He's with my wife in the next room. Hey! I'm starving, do you want to stay for Christmas dinner? My wife always makes enough for an army. Goren replied, switching the topic several times. Jonas stared at him. Twice Goren had not used procession of language. Twice, and Goren was fully grown!

Gabe's laughter brought him out of whatever world he had been in. Jonas looked at the door, and smiled. Gabe was fine.

You said you were from the Community. How did you manage the Sameness? Goren asked. Your eyes are blue. I've rarely seen that in one of your kind. But I'm hoping you will become one of us.

When I was a twelve, I was chosen to be a Receiver, a holder of the memories. It was a blessing. And a curse. He closed his eyes, willing his eyes not to betray him and begin to fill with tears.

I saw things I'd never believed could ever happen. I learned about Elsewhere, and how all these things existed. Smell, colors, sunlight, stars, none existed before I received the memories. All of my friends are still there, still in Sameness, he thought.

Then, I decided to do something about it, so... I left. So the memories should have gone back. To the people. I wanted to take the Giver with me, but he wouldn't hear it. He said he had to help the others. Some help I was...

Why bring Gabe? He's just a little kid! Goren asked, did he think he'd wanted to drag a little boy with him. It had been a necessity

They were going to kill him because he couldn't sleep well at night. Jonas replied coldly.

Goren whispered, and averted his eyes.

So is Jonas going to stay with us? Please can he? You mean the Community really exists? WOW! I thought it was just a story. Eliza rushed out the words like they were on fire and the only way to survive was to spill them out as fast as possible. He couldn't help but to smile at her antics. But then he was all business.

Jonas said gravely, I want to go back. There are some friends of mine I want to help.

Will they live through the memories? Goren asked. He was so blunt. Jonas couldn't believe how rude- Cut that thought, Jonas, he chided himself, this isn't the Community.

I know they will. They just have to. Or my whole trip was a waste. Jonas answered with a wisdom that was beyond his years. Asher... Fiona.

Come on! You have to meet Granny! And Mama! And my brothers! Eliza shot out at light speed. Idly, Jonas wondered if the child could talk in a normal tone of voice.

Jonas allowed himself a small smile as he let himself be tugged out of the room and down the stairs into the dining room.

Again, there was so much color, candles on the table, and several people seated around it. Goren pointed to an empty seat between two two boys who looked to be around his age. He also noticed that he was across from Gabe.

Gabe was seated in another chair that was raised to accommodate his smaller size. Just then two women walked in, one young, one older, with red hair streaked with white pulled back into a tight bun at the base of her neck. They brought plates of steaming food to the table, set them down, and went for more.

Smells reached Jonas' nose that he couldn't even begin to imagine. But then a startled shout jerked him back to the present.

Jonas! The whole room just blinked! What is wrong with Honey's hair? It's weird! Gabe shouted. Jonas realized that Gabe was beginning to see colors, Honey must be Goren's spouse, for her hair was a violent red that reminded Jonas of Fiona.

Fiona.

Alright everyone, I want to introduce Jonas and Gabe. Goren pointed to each in turn, then paused as the women slipped into seats at the table. Jonas, Gabe, this is my wife Honey, her mother- Goren was interrupted.

Goren stop embarrassing yourself! I'm Granny, don't call me anything different. Duke, Jake, introduce yourselves. You've already met Eliza. Granny interrupted Goren, with a small smile. Let them introduce themselves!

Hi! I'm Jake! The boy to his left told him with a small smile, and shy eyes. And I'm Duke! That was the boy to to right, he grinned broadly, and thumped him on the back/ We're twins! The two boys took turns, coming together at the end. They were identical, right down to their jade eyes and strawberry blond hair.

Twins. In the community one of them wouldn't even be alive. From the way they had spoken to him, they knew it too.

All that meal, The Community wasn't even brought up. The whole family talked about anything and everything under the sun. He decided that he liked it here, and he just had to get Fiona and Asher here too.

**********
Community

Asher kicked a stone ahead of him, he now knew why Jonas had been so weird when they played that game. It was a war game. Asher now knew what war was, and wished he'd never learned. He kicked at the stone again, missed, and sighed.

Sure, every now and again he got a good memory, but they didn't begin to make up for the bad ones. He sometimes found himself hating Jonas for dieing, but he also knew that that wasn't a good thing for himself, or for his good memories of his best friend from so long ago.

Asher decided to go see the one man who knew how to deal with what he was feeling.

The Giver.

He walked into the Annex, and found the door to a room inside,opened it, and to his total surprise, there was Fiona.
**********

Fiona listened as the Giver told her the tale of his life. The memories, and how they gave him wisdom.

Other than you and two others, one of which being Jonas, I've never told this to anyone. Nobody. The Giver ended, or began.

Now I will tell you about Jo-

Asher was suddenly in the doorway.

I want to hear too. I want to help. Asher stated.

Very well. Let me begin. Jonas is not dead. Now, don't interrupt me yet, he isn't anywhere around here. Jonas left for Elsewhere. He took Gabe, that's the little boy his family was helping, and left on a bike. The Giver paused, and glanced at the two people in front of him. They were young, but he decided that they were exactly what he needed.

We decided that this was the best thing to do because, as he got further away from the Community, they Memories would come back. You have seen the memories, and I'm sure both of you have begun to see glimmers of color. Both children nodded.

I'm sure Jonas will be coming back too. It is the kind of person he is. He is an individual, different. Let's give him something to come back too. The Giver explained in a low calm voice that seemed so comforting. Neither interrupted.

Almost all the memories are back. I think that there will only be a few more waves. The major problem comes afterward, when they try to go back to the Sameness. We can't let them. We are too close to stop now. The two youths could only nod, and hope that what they do would be enough.

~Siti~