A few weeks later Lily woke up and blinked. She had the weirdest dream. And when Lily went to the kitchen table that morning her parents asked her if she had any dreams. At first she hesitated, but poor Lily had to tell.
But then she stopped. No, she didn't have to tell. The Giver told her now that she was the new Reciever she could lie anytime she wanted to. So Lily just said, "No, I didn't have any dreams last night."
As her parents nodded and chated on Lily started to daydream. She had the most amazing dream about Asher, Jonas' old best friend. Asher still came to visit Lily's dwelling every once in a while, even though it had been over four years since Jonas had disappeared. Often when he visited their dwelling he would have simple conversations with Lily, but ignored the subject about Jonas since it was forbidden.
But her dream was very unusual. Lily was in her room, and Asher was there also. Asher was talking to her and was smiling and laughing with her. Then he pushed Lily gently down on the bed and he looked into her eyes. It was an akward but pleasurable moment. Lily felt this strong wanting. It was something she was craving when she looked back at Asher in the dream, but she couldn't quite understand what the wanting was.
Then Asher reached out to her face and touched her cheek and he leaned in closer to her, then his lips briefly touched hers. . .
And then Lily woke up. She felt uncomfortable in happy in an odd sort of way. She wanted to have the dream again, and yet she felt guilty about it. Something felt wrong about those. . .feelings she had for Asher.
'Besides,' Lily thought. 'Asher probably, I don't know, think I was stupid if he found out about the dream. He's four years older than me! He's a Sixteen, anyway.'
There was no Ceremony for children older than Twelves. It was just to be announced on the Speaker. Asher was a Sixteen and his training would be over in a couple of years when he turned into an Eighteen, then he would be officially an adult of the community.
Asher was intelligent and hard-working, Lily knew. He was assigned the role of Assistant Director of Recreation. She admired him, and there was something more deep inside her than just looking up to him. She felt a craving for him all the time, and ever since The Giver had given her the Memory of romance (she felt stupid when she looked back on this) everytime Lily saw Asher her cheeks went hot and she wanted to get closer to him for some reason.
But that dream. . .It was something stirring inside her when she had it - That was it! It was the Stirrings! Lily had heard of them before, and you were forced to take a small pill everyday so you wouldn't get the Stirrings. She had wondered about what they exactly were, and now Lily had experienced them.
There was no way Lily would talk to her parents about it. It was too akward and embarressing. Should she have talked to The Giver. . .? No. Lily wouldn't feel comfortable talking to a Elder male about her Stirrings.
"Lily?" Her mother was looking at her strangely.
"Yes? Oh, I apologize for not paying attention." She said quickly.
"Apology accepted." Her mother smiled. "Now, you should be going to recieve your training. . ."
"Yes, mother." Lily smiled back, but inside she felt slightly fearful to go see The Giver. "I'll go get my bike. Good-bye."
As Lily rode her bike to go see The Giver, she was trembling. Last time she saw him he gave her the Memory of needles, where a sharp pain was injected inside Lily's small arm. She shuttered to think about it.
But Lily rode on, trying to shake away the thoughts. She went back to thinking of the Stirrings.