Jonas's eyes widened, he realized what the echo of music was behind him in he hills. It was the sweet voice of his dear friends Fiona. NO! It couldn't be; was she really capable of making the incredible journey through the freezing, rigorous snow and terrain?
"I have to go, I have to go, my friend is out there she must be almost dead by now!"
"Slow down Jonas, I will take you outside; where is she? How do you know she is out there?" Maggie's voice felt so calming to Jonas. It was like she has a way of soothing him they way he would sooth Gabe to sleep.
"I have to go now! Please, Maggie, I have to find her." Maggie could not help but to give into him, he had this presence to him of innocence and wonder.
"Come on, I'll bring you outside." Maggie stood up beside the bed and helped Jonas to his feet. She picked up his shoes from beside the bed and helped him put them on. Maggie walked to a door, opened it, reached in and pulled out a coat for Jonas to wear. They then headed for the front door and walked into the bitter cold. Jonas's nosed turned red from the freezing air, but he did not care; he had to find Fiona. He wished that she were safe if it really was her voice he heard.
Jonas recalled the steps he too to the best of his knowledge. He ran as fast as his weak legs could carry him. Maggie was trailing behind trying to keep up with Jonas; she did not want him to collapse again.
It seemed like Jonas was running forever; steadily he kept on moving. "Fiona is out there," he continued repeating over and over in his brain.
It was not yet completely dark, but it was hard to see through the fog. The hill came into view and at the bottom Jonas saw something. Something familiar in color and size, but yet it seemed like he had never seen it before. "Could it be Fiona?" he thought, "Please let her be alright."
Jonas bent down in the snow to see what the creature was. He noticed the blanket and the red hair first. "Fiona! Fiona!" Jonas shouted as he turned the girl over to see her face. It was she; she escaped sameness, but how? For what reason did she leave the community? It did not seem to matter because she made it. That was behind both of them now; a place they could never return to.
"Please, Maggie, help me pick her up and bring her to your house where it is warm." Jonas looked as if he would cry while he held the girl close to him. Jonas brushed all the snow off her and wrapped Fiona in his coat to keep her tiny body warm. She was so frail and shriveled. Fiona's face was so cold it was almost a bluish-purple color.
Maggie bent over cradled the girl's body is her arms. Jonas grabbed her legs and they both stood in unison holding Fiona. Now both Jonas and Maggie were running back to the house to arm up Fiona. She had a cut on her forehead that appeared to be bleeding.
They sprinted down the street passing all the houses decorated with colorful lights. As they reached the house, Jonas opened the door while Maggie held Fiona in her arms. The temperature in the house was so different from that outside. It was warm and Jonas feel safe and secure, as if nothing could harm him, or Fiona anymore.
Maggie placed Fiona on her back lying on the long soft couch that faced the tree with lights. She propped Fiona's head up with a pillow.
"Sit here next to her, Jonas, in case she wakes up. I'm going to get some hot water and cleaning materials to take care of the gash on her head." Maggie walked down t he long hallway and entered the door on her left. Jonas saw the reflection of light coming from t he room on the hallway wall. Then, he heard running water from a faucet; Jonas assumed Maggie was in the bathroom.
As he sat on the couch next to Fiona's motionless body he looked around and noticed all the details of decor in the room. The oddest thing was the tree with lights and decorations on it. He had never seen anything like it in his life. He remembered seeing trees like it while in the wilderness, but they were covered with snow. The floor was cushioned and soft. It felt good to Jonas's bare toes. He glanced down at Fiona and lightly took her right hand and placed it between his hands. HE could not understand why she would leave the community. Could it be because of him? Did something so terrible happen that she had to leave?
Maggie returned to room and kneeled down on the floor next to Fiona's head. She handed the warm towel to Jonas.
"Here, clean her face with this, it might wake her up."
"What are you going to do to the cut on her head?"
"I'm going to clean it with medicine to prevent it form infection. It may hurt her, so it is best to do it while she is sleeping." Maggie opened a bottle of antiseptic and gently poured a small amount on to the cut. It began to foam and Maggie let it do so for a minute or two. Then, she whipped it away and rubbed a creamy-clear colored ointment over it. Next, she placed a soft white cloth over it and taped it to Fiona's forehead.
Jonas had never felt so helpless. All he could do is sit and wait until his friend would wake up.
"How long will it be until she wakes up?"
"I'm not sure, Jonas, it only too you forty five minutes to wake, but Fiona may take longer because we do not know how long she was lying in the snow."
"Maggie, can I live with you?" Jonas looked at the older lady for answers and comfort.
"I would love for you and your friend to live with my husband and me. You will have to adjust to life in Freetopia. I am not sure how t hat will work out."
"Do you have any children?
"They are all grown up with families and children of their own. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, how many children do you have?"
"I have three children. Two girls, Anna and Marissa, they are twins. My son is George. All of them live miles away in another town."
"Twins? Doesn't that mean that they were born at the same time and may look a like?"
"Yes, that is true, but you can the difference in Marissa and Anna. Anna has short hair, while Marissa has long hair."
"In the community twins were not allowed; one would always be released, usually the smallest one. Also, everyone had the same hair length. Everything was the same, difference were uncomfortable and never mentioned if they occurred."
"Who is the infant which you brought with you?"
"Gabe? My family was taking care of him at night. My father worked in the nurturing center where he takes care of the newborn children. Gabe was not able to sleep soundly at night so my father was going to release him. That is when I ran away with him."
"Can you tell me about your friend Fiona? Do you know why she left the community?"
"I . . . I have no idea why she would leave. Something really terrible must have happened for her to leave."
"Were you and Fiona close friends?"
"We were friends, but not that close, I have always admired her from afar. I always have this weird feeling in m body when I am around her. I do not know how to explain it. It felt calm and peaceful, but yet so empty because I knew I could never show my real feelings towards her. Now I can. We both escaped to a better place."
"Love, Jonas, you feel love for Fiona."
"Love?" Jonas knew how love was thought about in the community. To the people there it was meaningless and never used. "It is one of the reasons I left, I wanted to have love in my life."
"Jonas, you can have anything now and be anything you wish. Memories are free and each person has their own, good and bad."
"No! No!" The loud screams came pouring out of Fiona's mouth. Jonas shock her mar ad whispered, "Fiona, wake up, its only a dream, Fiona."
Her eyes opened in a jolt. "Jonas?" she questioned.
"Fiona?" Jonas asked.
"Is it really you?" Each asked simultaneously. Jonas reached sown and embraced Fiona in his arms.
"I found you, I can not believe I found you! Where are we?" Fiona had mountains of questions for Jonas; as well Jonas did for Fiona.
"I will explain later, but first, please tell me, how did, why did you come here?
" I started to get memories, I was getting them more than anyone else. So, I went to the Receiver of Memory for help and guidance. E told me why you left, and then I had a dream one night about being chastised for gaining memories. Then I left. I realized how fake our lives were."
"What did the Giver tell you?"
"The Giver? Do you mean Receiver of Memory?"
"Yes, that is what he told me to call him."
"He told me that the memory I had described to him was love. It mad me happy, but sad because I knew I would never be able to have it id I remained in the community."
"I felt the same way when I got my first memory of love. It was one the reasons I left the community."
"I have to go, I have to go, my friend is out there she must be almost dead by now!"
"Slow down Jonas, I will take you outside; where is she? How do you know she is out there?" Maggie's voice felt so calming to Jonas. It was like she has a way of soothing him they way he would sooth Gabe to sleep.
"I have to go now! Please, Maggie, I have to find her." Maggie could not help but to give into him, he had this presence to him of innocence and wonder.
"Come on, I'll bring you outside." Maggie stood up beside the bed and helped Jonas to his feet. She picked up his shoes from beside the bed and helped him put them on. Maggie walked to a door, opened it, reached in and pulled out a coat for Jonas to wear. They then headed for the front door and walked into the bitter cold. Jonas's nosed turned red from the freezing air, but he did not care; he had to find Fiona. He wished that she were safe if it really was her voice he heard.
Jonas recalled the steps he too to the best of his knowledge. He ran as fast as his weak legs could carry him. Maggie was trailing behind trying to keep up with Jonas; she did not want him to collapse again.
It seemed like Jonas was running forever; steadily he kept on moving. "Fiona is out there," he continued repeating over and over in his brain.
It was not yet completely dark, but it was hard to see through the fog. The hill came into view and at the bottom Jonas saw something. Something familiar in color and size, but yet it seemed like he had never seen it before. "Could it be Fiona?" he thought, "Please let her be alright."
Jonas bent down in the snow to see what the creature was. He noticed the blanket and the red hair first. "Fiona! Fiona!" Jonas shouted as he turned the girl over to see her face. It was she; she escaped sameness, but how? For what reason did she leave the community? It did not seem to matter because she made it. That was behind both of them now; a place they could never return to.
"Please, Maggie, help me pick her up and bring her to your house where it is warm." Jonas looked as if he would cry while he held the girl close to him. Jonas brushed all the snow off her and wrapped Fiona in his coat to keep her tiny body warm. She was so frail and shriveled. Fiona's face was so cold it was almost a bluish-purple color.
Maggie bent over cradled the girl's body is her arms. Jonas grabbed her legs and they both stood in unison holding Fiona. Now both Jonas and Maggie were running back to the house to arm up Fiona. She had a cut on her forehead that appeared to be bleeding.
They sprinted down the street passing all the houses decorated with colorful lights. As they reached the house, Jonas opened the door while Maggie held Fiona in her arms. The temperature in the house was so different from that outside. It was warm and Jonas feel safe and secure, as if nothing could harm him, or Fiona anymore.
Maggie placed Fiona on her back lying on the long soft couch that faced the tree with lights. She propped Fiona's head up with a pillow.
"Sit here next to her, Jonas, in case she wakes up. I'm going to get some hot water and cleaning materials to take care of the gash on her head." Maggie walked down t he long hallway and entered the door on her left. Jonas saw the reflection of light coming from t he room on the hallway wall. Then, he heard running water from a faucet; Jonas assumed Maggie was in the bathroom.
As he sat on the couch next to Fiona's motionless body he looked around and noticed all the details of decor in the room. The oddest thing was the tree with lights and decorations on it. He had never seen anything like it in his life. He remembered seeing trees like it while in the wilderness, but they were covered with snow. The floor was cushioned and soft. It felt good to Jonas's bare toes. He glanced down at Fiona and lightly took her right hand and placed it between his hands. HE could not understand why she would leave the community. Could it be because of him? Did something so terrible happen that she had to leave?
Maggie returned to room and kneeled down on the floor next to Fiona's head. She handed the warm towel to Jonas.
"Here, clean her face with this, it might wake her up."
"What are you going to do to the cut on her head?"
"I'm going to clean it with medicine to prevent it form infection. It may hurt her, so it is best to do it while she is sleeping." Maggie opened a bottle of antiseptic and gently poured a small amount on to the cut. It began to foam and Maggie let it do so for a minute or two. Then, she whipped it away and rubbed a creamy-clear colored ointment over it. Next, she placed a soft white cloth over it and taped it to Fiona's forehead.
Jonas had never felt so helpless. All he could do is sit and wait until his friend would wake up.
"How long will it be until she wakes up?"
"I'm not sure, Jonas, it only too you forty five minutes to wake, but Fiona may take longer because we do not know how long she was lying in the snow."
"Maggie, can I live with you?" Jonas looked at the older lady for answers and comfort.
"I would love for you and your friend to live with my husband and me. You will have to adjust to life in Freetopia. I am not sure how t hat will work out."
"Do you have any children?
"They are all grown up with families and children of their own. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, how many children do you have?"
"I have three children. Two girls, Anna and Marissa, they are twins. My son is George. All of them live miles away in another town."
"Twins? Doesn't that mean that they were born at the same time and may look a like?"
"Yes, that is true, but you can the difference in Marissa and Anna. Anna has short hair, while Marissa has long hair."
"In the community twins were not allowed; one would always be released, usually the smallest one. Also, everyone had the same hair length. Everything was the same, difference were uncomfortable and never mentioned if they occurred."
"Who is the infant which you brought with you?"
"Gabe? My family was taking care of him at night. My father worked in the nurturing center where he takes care of the newborn children. Gabe was not able to sleep soundly at night so my father was going to release him. That is when I ran away with him."
"Can you tell me about your friend Fiona? Do you know why she left the community?"
"I . . . I have no idea why she would leave. Something really terrible must have happened for her to leave."
"Were you and Fiona close friends?"
"We were friends, but not that close, I have always admired her from afar. I always have this weird feeling in m body when I am around her. I do not know how to explain it. It felt calm and peaceful, but yet so empty because I knew I could never show my real feelings towards her. Now I can. We both escaped to a better place."
"Love, Jonas, you feel love for Fiona."
"Love?" Jonas knew how love was thought about in the community. To the people there it was meaningless and never used. "It is one of the reasons I left, I wanted to have love in my life."
"Jonas, you can have anything now and be anything you wish. Memories are free and each person has their own, good and bad."
"No! No!" The loud screams came pouring out of Fiona's mouth. Jonas shock her mar ad whispered, "Fiona, wake up, its only a dream, Fiona."
Her eyes opened in a jolt. "Jonas?" she questioned.
"Fiona?" Jonas asked.
"Is it really you?" Each asked simultaneously. Jonas reached sown and embraced Fiona in his arms.
"I found you, I can not believe I found you! Where are we?" Fiona had mountains of questions for Jonas; as well Jonas did for Fiona.
"I will explain later, but first, please tell me, how did, why did you come here?
" I started to get memories, I was getting them more than anyone else. So, I went to the Receiver of Memory for help and guidance. E told me why you left, and then I had a dream one night about being chastised for gaining memories. Then I left. I realized how fake our lives were."
"What did the Giver tell you?"
"The Giver? Do you mean Receiver of Memory?"
"Yes, that is what he told me to call him."
"He told me that the memory I had described to him was love. It mad me happy, but sad because I knew I would never be able to have it id I remained in the community."
"I felt the same way when I got my first memory of love. It was one the reasons I left the community."
