Chapter 9:





It was much hotter now. Fiona's skin had begun to take on a reddish hue that Lily knew the girl could not see. She was being sunburned, as was Lily. They walked in the daylight now, but that had provided a new problem: the sunburns. They were never thirsty, because they stayed along the river, but the heat of the summer was exhausting.

"I don' t know how much longer I can keep this up, Lily," Fiona admitted, as they rested beside the river. It was the hottest time of the day, the sun directly overhead, and they were seeking shelter in the shade of the trees. "All this walking. . ."

"I know, Fiona. But, we've got to keep moving. There isn't enough food here, and I don't know what we can eat besides these apples."

Fiona waded into the water.

"I dreamed of Jonas last night," Fiona told her, as she squatted down, getting herself throughly soaked without going out of the shade. "It was a stirring dream. It's been six days since my pill, Lily. I'm afraid of what will happen to me."

"Nothing will happen to you, Fiona, I promise."

"Is it part of your training?"

"The pill? No, of course not. But, Jonas always threw his out. I saw him, even when he thought no one was around. I've never taken the pill a day in my life."

"Why not?"

"Because, I thought that if it wasn't good enough for Jonas, it wasn't good enough for me."

"Like the community?"

"I guess so." Lily joined her friend it the river. She pulled her hand through the slowly moving waves, the water parting around her hand. The water shimmered in the sunlight, and the was a flash of blue within the water. Lily smiled. She loved colour. It filled her with joy, seeing colour without summoning the colour into her vision.

"Lily? What is it?"

"Blue," she replied softly. "For a moment, the water was blue."

"Blue? Is that another colour?"

"Yes. One of the many colours of the rainbow."

"Rainbow?" Lily sighed.

"We have a while to rest. Why don't you lay down in the grass, and I'll give you a memory of a rainbow."



Fiona lay down on the grass, her head resting on her arms. Lily placed her hand on the girl's back, and she called to her the memory of rainbow. Immediately she knew she had done something she shouldn't have. She felt it slipping from her, and a terrible throbbing pain within her head. Fiona gasped in rapture below her, but Lily felt as if someone had cut something from her mind. She tumbled back into the grass. She had done something wrong. She tried to call the memory of the rainbow back to her, but she could not. She tried to make another copy of the rainbow appear before her eyes, as she had learned to do. Nothing happened.

Lily sat, stunned, for a few more minutes, until the throbbing subsided. Fiona cried out it shock.

"Lily, it's fading!" she cried.

"Fading?"

"I can't see it anymore!"

Curious, Lily called the memory up. She was surprised to find that it returned as bright as ever to her.

"Let me try again," Lily offered. She placed her hand on her friend's back, and created another rainbow, using the one in her memory as a template. Again Fiona gasped in delight, but Lily felt no throbbing in her head.

They sat in silence for a long time, Lily watching the river flow by, catching occasional glimpses of blue, Fiona sleeping peacefully under the trees. Lily saw a fish leap from the water. She tried to catch it, using her tunic as a net, but the fish eluded her capture. Sighing, wishing for fish for dinner, Lily woke Fiona from her heavy sleep, and the two of them continued on their way.





* * * * *



He felt like a newchild, watching his parents pace back and forth. They were very upset. The Parenting Committee had summoned them, and he knew that meant big trouble. They were supposed to have gone two days ago, but the Old Receiver had gone away to Elsewhere, and the new Receiver had to find those who had been given memories. Only thirteen had been reported.

He hadn't reported them, through. He had received a memory while he slept, of a beautiful rainbow, filled with colours, bright and beautiful. He did not want to give it up. So he hadn't told his parents, or any of his class mates. Besides, none of his classmates talked to him now unless they were required to do so. Some of them even poked fun at him.

Alone in his bedroom, he began to think. He knew his parents were going to be chastised. They had Lost two of their children, after all. The other children in his group thought it was funny, that his parents could not look after their children very well. He didn't think it was funny at all. It was terrible.

"I miss you," he whispered, so softly he could barely hear it. He didn't want the speakers to hear him. Then he'd get in trouble too.



Jonas yawned, and changed into his night clothes. His mother stuck her head in, to bid him good night. Then Jonas leaned back. He pulled the image of a rainbow into his mind. The colours made him feel happy. Suddenly, the memory began to change. He was in the dream-land, where the dream dweller had talked to him. He looked for the dream dweller, but he could not find him.

"Jonas," said a voice. It was not the dream dweller, but someone who looked like him, a Twelve. His hair and his eyes were pale.

"Who are you?" asked Jonas.

"My name is Gabriel, Jonas. I am a dream guardian."

"A dream guardian? Don't you mean a dream dweller?"

"Um, yes," the dream boy stumbled. "Jonas, there is a terrible problem."

"A problem?" Jonas asked, peering at the dream boy. The dream boy nodded.

"We have been watching you, and we know what is going on. Your parents are both going to be Released."

"What! No, they can't do that!" Jonas cried. He felt panic, and then, more strongly, anger.

"They can. They will send you to another house, and when they do, we won't be able to find you any more."

"Can you help my parents? Take them to your dream world, so that they won't be Released?"

"Your parents cannot leave their world. They love the rules too much. The rules say that they have to be Released, because they failed with both of their children."

"The rules. . ." Jonas whispered. He tried to wake up.

"Jonas, this is serious," Gabriel said. "You make the choice: come with me, to Elsewhere, and we will see if Fiona comes to us, or live here, until you are Released too."

"But what if they don't Release my parents? Then they will be left all alone, and they'll be sad. I want to stay with them."

"Jonas. . ." Gabriel looked sad.

"How would you take me to Elsewhere?" Jonas asked, trying to change the subject.

"I will attack a belt to you, and it will bring you to me."

"Can you attack the belt and tell me how to get to you?"

"Of course I can. Can you handle the responsibility?"

"Yes," Jonas replied. He grinned. "I'm a seven. That's pretty old you know." Gabriel gave him a smile.

"Come here, then, Jonas." Jonas obeyed. "This belt will only work once, and only on you. You can't take it off."

"It's a good thing I had my bath yesterday," Jonas said. Gabriel laughed.

"Yes it is. Hold your arms up. Yes, just like that. Now, if you want to come to my place, you only need to press this red button."

"Red?" Jonas whispered. "You see colours?" Gabriel made a face.

"Yes, all dream dwellers do," he said, too quickly. Jonas gave him a funny look. Gabriel went wide-eyed. "You know colours?"

"Yeah," he admitted. What did it matter if a dream boy knew he had seen colours?

"Very cool."

"What's cool mean?"

"Never mind, Jonas. It's just a saying."

"Oh."

"Have a good sleep, Jonas. I have to get going."

"Okay. Bye, Gabriel."

"Bye, Jonas. I hope I'll see you later."





Jonas woke up when his mother began to gently shake him.

"Jonas, time to get up."

"Okay, mother," he sighed. He went to sit for the telling of dreams.

"Did you dream last night, Jonas?" his mother asked. Jonas smiled.

"I did. A Twelve called Gabriel came to me, and we talked."

"About what?" his mother asked. Jonas looked over at his father. His father looked very uncomfortable.

"About Releases," Jonas replied. "He said he came from Elsewhere." His father started to stare at him in a rude way.

"Gabriel? Are you sure that was his name?"

"Yes, and he was from Elsewhere. He had very. . ." Jonas tried to find the right word. He didn't want to seem rude, "unusual eyes. They were pale." His father jumped to his feet.

"Calm down," his mother said. "It was only a dream." She smiled. "Thank you for your dream, Jonas." She looked sad for a moment. "Jonas, since you brought up Release, I have some thing to tell you." Jonas flinched in expectation.

"Yes, mother," he said softly.

"Your father and I are not fit to be parents. You will be moving into a family unit that has only a girl."

"I would like to stay with you," he told her, trying to keep the tears from his voice.

"You can't, Jonas."

"What is going to happen to you, mother, father?"

"We are going to be Released."

"No, please, you can't!"

"It is the rules, Jonas," his mother said softly. Jonas forced all his sadness into his toes.

"I understand," he lied. He felt horrible for lying, but there was no choice. "I don't feel well. I'm going to the washroom."

"Hurry, son. Your father wants to take you to school."

"I'll hurry," he lied again. He stopped before heading into the washroom. "I love you," he called to them. He ran to his room, slamming the door shut. He pushed his bed up against the door, and lifted his night-shirt. The belt was there. He ignored the tears, and he pushed the button as his father shoved the door out of the way.

"Jonas!" he called.

"Goodbye, father," Jonas yelled. His father turned, and Jonas smiled. "I love you. I hope you are happy in Elsewhere."