Jonas Wakes Up
The red sled flew down the snowy hill with a freezing Jonas and Gabe on top of it.
Jonas whispered into the small childs ear,"We're going to make it Gabe. We'll be alright. Can you hear the music? We're going to live!"
The sled slowed to a stop. Jonas pulled himself up, shivering, and clutching Gabe tightly. He looked at the place they had entered on the sled.
There were a few dwellings- houses, the giver had called them- on the long road that lay ahead of them. The houses were bright against the dark night sky. The snow lay on them like blankets. Inside the windows, you could see people-people! jonas thought to himself- moving around. They looked warm and comfortable.
Jonas trudged towards the nearest house and knocked on the door.
A tall man with dark hair answered.
"We need help,"Jonas croaked weakly.
The tall man gasped,"Millie, i think you better come here."
A short fat woman came to the door,"Lord! You must be freezing to death out there. Come in quickly and get warm." The woman - Millie, the man had called her - took Gabe from Jonas's grip and the tall man shuffled them all inside. Jonas was greatful to leave the cold into the warm, welcoming house.
The man seated Jonas on the couch next to a blazing fireplace. He grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around the boy. Millie, wrapped Gabe in about 6 blankets and sat down with him near the fire.
The man got up and walked to the kitchen,"I'll make some hot tea and sandwiches for them."
Millie nodded to her husband,"Good idea Frank. Appart from being freezing and alone, i bet their starving!"
Jonas nodded with little strength.
"Why are you alone?" Millie asked.
Jonas tightened the blanket around himself,"No where to go.....Cant go back."
Millie sighed,"Troubled home? Is this here, your brother?"
Jonas smiled,"Yes he's my brother. His name is Gabe."
"And whats your name?" she asked.
"I'm Jonas. " he said.
Frank re-entered the room with a huge plate of sandwiches and a mug of tea. He handed the mug to Jonas and set the plate on the small table in front of him. "Eat up."
Jonas kneeled on the floor and took a snadwich and bit into it enthusiasticly. Millie took one and began feeding Gabe bits at a time.
No one talked for a few moments. Jonas just ate. When he finally was full he pulled himself up onto the couch again. "Thank you,"he said politely. And then he fell into a deep sleep, smiling.
* * * *
"Jonas, wake up."
Jonas heard a voice trying to wake him. He jumped out of bed, opening his eyes. His mother stood next to him. He was in his dwelling back at home.
"Hurry up Jonas, or we'll be late for the Ceremony. You wouldnt want to miss your ceremony of twelve would you?"his mother said quickly as she bustled out of the room to help lily get ready.
Jonas blinked. He was becoming a twelve today. He would recieve his assignment. He bit his lip nervously. He wondered what he would get.
In a little while his mother and lily where ready, so the three of them got on their bicycles and went to the audittoruim.
Jonas went up to his seat, alone. He sat in number 19. That wqas the number he had been given at birth.
Jonas sighed,. Something felt wierd. Like it had all happened before. The ceremony started and soon, it became time for the ceremony of twelve.
Jonas clasped his sweating hands together waiting for his turn. They were at number 14. Jonas looked around. His eyes stopped at an old man he had never seen before. The Giver. Jonas thought suddenly.
Then he shook his head. Who? He didnt know the man and he wasnt a giver.
Another thought jumped into Jonas's mind. They'll skip my number.
The thought was silly because the commity never made mistakes like that. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind.
Finally, Jonas was called up onto the stage and they didnt skip him.
"Jonas is a very fine person. He enjoyed very many jobs and did not place himself in one spot. But we noticed how you were eager to learn. Therefore, Jonas, we give you the job of........Instructer of 9's." The woman smiled at him warmly,"We thank you for your childhood."
Everyone clapped as Jonas walked off the stage, as a new instructer. Jonas smiled. The job sounded ok. But he still couldnt shake off the feeling that this had all happened before. Well maybe not the part where he recived the job as an instructer, but the ceremony. And the giver. And skipping his number. Jonas squinted his eyes trying to figure out what he was thinking.
Asher looked at him funny,"What are you doing?"
Jonas pulled himself out of his trance,"Oh nothing. Dont worry about it."
Jonas sat down. It must have been a dream he had had, and forgotten or something.
Jonas decieded to forget it. After all, he was important now and he would live until he was released. He would be fine. In his community. Forever.
The red sled flew down the snowy hill with a freezing Jonas and Gabe on top of it.
Jonas whispered into the small childs ear,"We're going to make it Gabe. We'll be alright. Can you hear the music? We're going to live!"
The sled slowed to a stop. Jonas pulled himself up, shivering, and clutching Gabe tightly. He looked at the place they had entered on the sled.
There were a few dwellings- houses, the giver had called them- on the long road that lay ahead of them. The houses were bright against the dark night sky. The snow lay on them like blankets. Inside the windows, you could see people-people! jonas thought to himself- moving around. They looked warm and comfortable.
Jonas trudged towards the nearest house and knocked on the door.
A tall man with dark hair answered.
"We need help,"Jonas croaked weakly.
The tall man gasped,"Millie, i think you better come here."
A short fat woman came to the door,"Lord! You must be freezing to death out there. Come in quickly and get warm." The woman - Millie, the man had called her - took Gabe from Jonas's grip and the tall man shuffled them all inside. Jonas was greatful to leave the cold into the warm, welcoming house.
The man seated Jonas on the couch next to a blazing fireplace. He grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around the boy. Millie, wrapped Gabe in about 6 blankets and sat down with him near the fire.
The man got up and walked to the kitchen,"I'll make some hot tea and sandwiches for them."
Millie nodded to her husband,"Good idea Frank. Appart from being freezing and alone, i bet their starving!"
Jonas nodded with little strength.
"Why are you alone?" Millie asked.
Jonas tightened the blanket around himself,"No where to go.....Cant go back."
Millie sighed,"Troubled home? Is this here, your brother?"
Jonas smiled,"Yes he's my brother. His name is Gabe."
"And whats your name?" she asked.
"I'm Jonas. " he said.
Frank re-entered the room with a huge plate of sandwiches and a mug of tea. He handed the mug to Jonas and set the plate on the small table in front of him. "Eat up."
Jonas kneeled on the floor and took a snadwich and bit into it enthusiasticly. Millie took one and began feeding Gabe bits at a time.
No one talked for a few moments. Jonas just ate. When he finally was full he pulled himself up onto the couch again. "Thank you,"he said politely. And then he fell into a deep sleep, smiling.
* * * *
"Jonas, wake up."
Jonas heard a voice trying to wake him. He jumped out of bed, opening his eyes. His mother stood next to him. He was in his dwelling back at home.
"Hurry up Jonas, or we'll be late for the Ceremony. You wouldnt want to miss your ceremony of twelve would you?"his mother said quickly as she bustled out of the room to help lily get ready.
Jonas blinked. He was becoming a twelve today. He would recieve his assignment. He bit his lip nervously. He wondered what he would get.
In a little while his mother and lily where ready, so the three of them got on their bicycles and went to the audittoruim.
Jonas went up to his seat, alone. He sat in number 19. That wqas the number he had been given at birth.
Jonas sighed,. Something felt wierd. Like it had all happened before. The ceremony started and soon, it became time for the ceremony of twelve.
Jonas clasped his sweating hands together waiting for his turn. They were at number 14. Jonas looked around. His eyes stopped at an old man he had never seen before. The Giver. Jonas thought suddenly.
Then he shook his head. Who? He didnt know the man and he wasnt a giver.
Another thought jumped into Jonas's mind. They'll skip my number.
The thought was silly because the commity never made mistakes like that. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind.
Finally, Jonas was called up onto the stage and they didnt skip him.
"Jonas is a very fine person. He enjoyed very many jobs and did not place himself in one spot. But we noticed how you were eager to learn. Therefore, Jonas, we give you the job of........Instructer of 9's." The woman smiled at him warmly,"We thank you for your childhood."
Everyone clapped as Jonas walked off the stage, as a new instructer. Jonas smiled. The job sounded ok. But he still couldnt shake off the feeling that this had all happened before. Well maybe not the part where he recived the job as an instructer, but the ceremony. And the giver. And skipping his number. Jonas squinted his eyes trying to figure out what he was thinking.
Asher looked at him funny,"What are you doing?"
Jonas pulled himself out of his trance,"Oh nothing. Dont worry about it."
Jonas sat down. It must have been a dream he had had, and forgotten or something.
Jonas decieded to forget it. After all, he was important now and he would live until he was released. He would be fine. In his community. Forever.