Disclaimer: I do not own rights to The Giver.
Jonas must have blacked out, because when he awoke, he saw strange people dressed in long, white coats all around him, and they were looking at him. Jonas looked around, and discovered that he was lying in a bed, with white sheets. He realized that he was in a hospital. Suddenly, a woman exclaimed, "Oh! Everyone, he is awake!"
Then, that woman leaned over Jonas and asked Jonas, "Hello. You are finally awake. What is your name? How are you feeling? My name is Violet. Welcome to Elsewhere."
Jonas told Violet his name, and said that he was fine. Then he asked:"What had happened? How long have I been in this hospital? What day is it today?"
Then Jonas heard an infant crying somewhere in the distance, and suddenly remembered about Gabriel. Jonas asked Violet if the crying was from a baby named Gabriel and if he could see him. Violet replied that Gabriel was fine, and asked another nurse to bring Gabriel into the room. The nurse came back with Gabriel. Gabriel looked extremely happy to see Jonas again, and Jonas decided to stay with Gabriel for a couple of days since he was still quite weak, with Gabriel around him it would not be that boring. So he asked a nurse to bring in a crib for Gabriel.
The days passed quickly, and Jonas gradually realized as he got his strength back, that he could remember everything from the past and see colours. Then, one day, in a dream, The Giver showed up and told Jonas that the memories given to Jonas had returned to the community of sameness, and it had been wiped out from the brain of Jonas; however, once he woke up, Jonas found out that his brain kept a copy of those memories, which meant that he still had them, even though the memories had went back to the sameness community. It was time for Jonas to start a new life soon. Before Jonas checked out of the hospital, the hospital staff gave him and Gabriel warm clothing so that they would not freeze to death. When Jonas checked out of the hospital with Gabriel, he was lost for a while, because he did not know what to do and where to go. Violet told him that the people in Elsewhere were very kind, and that many people would be willing to take in Jonas and Gabriel.
Jonas set out to explore the new community, "Elsewhere", with Gabriel and found a home for himself and Gabriel. Walking along the street, they were greeted by many smiling people. Through big windows of some houses, Jonas could see colourfully decorated trees inside, candles on tables, children playing, old people smiling, and fire dancing in something he recalled as a fireplace. Jonas also recalled that the old people could be grandparents for those young kids. The people in all of the houses seemed to be happy, and even from outside, Jonas could feel the strong feeling of love in every house. Jonas wanted to settle into all the families he saw, but the problem was he could not decide which one he should choose to stay in. Jonas looked into the windows of each house and said to himself, "I will count to twenty one, and the twenty first family would be my new family!"
As he looked throught the window of the twenty first house, Jonas received a shock.He saw two familiar faces. Jonas could not believe his eyes! He rubbed his eyes, and recognized them as Lily and Fiona. Almost immediately, Jonas decided to ask if that family would take him and Gabriel in.
As soon as Jonas knocked on the door, the girl who looked like Fiona opened it and invited Jonas in. The girl's mother came out of the kitchen and greeted Jonas. The woman said, "Welcome. What is your name? Where do you come from? Do you need a place to stay? You and the baby are welcomed to stay with us."
Jonas told the woman his name, said he was from a place where there was sameness, and thanked the woman for letting him and Gabriel stay with her family. By that time, the girl who looked like Lily also walked into the room, and was hiding behind the girl who looked like Fiona. The woman introduced herself as Ms. Kay, and her daughters, Faith, age Thirteen, and Laura, age Nine. Jonas greeted both girls, and could not help but notice how much Faith resembled Fiona, and how much Laura resembled Lily. Laura bounded up to Jonas and said, "Welcome! I am going to be nine years old soon. Can I hold the baby? What is his name? Is he your brother?"
Jonas let Laura hold Gabriel, and told her Gabriel's name, and that Gabriel was his brother. Leaving Laura to play with Gabriel, Jonas went over to talk with Faith. "Hello Faith. I am Jonas. I am very pleased that I could stay with your family. How long have you and your family been in Elsewhere? What is this holiday you and your family are celebrating?"
Faith replied, "Well, my father and my grandparents have been here long time. My mother said we came from a community where there was sameness. My mother took me here when I was still too young to remember anything. The holiday we are celebrating is Christmas. Christmas is a wonderful holiday when everyone shows they care others and people send presents to others, and it is a time for families to get together as well."
At that point, Ms. Kay arrived in the room, carrying snacks on a tray. She continued, "Yes. My daughter and I escaped from a community where everything was the same; however, Faith is not really my daughter; she is one of twin sisters released from that community. Everyone from the community of sameness comes here when they escaped or released. I used to think that release meant someone was to be killed, but now I know better. Releasing just makes a person fall into a deep sleep; then the person is put into a chute, slides to this place, and wakes up, feeling confused. That person would wander around, eventually finding a place to stay. Laura must have also been released, because she came to this dwelling looking very cold and confused. She asked for a place to stay, and I accepted her into this home. Faith looks about the same age as you, Jonas; do you know anyone who looks like her? Do you know anyone that looks like Laura too?"
Jonas was speechless for a moment from the information he had been given, but he suddenly remembered that Ms. Kay had asked him two questions. "I had a very good friend named Fiona, who looks exactly like Faith. My sister, a girl assigned to my family unit, looked like Laura. Her name is Lily, and she looked like she was about the same age as Laura," Jonas replied.
Laura had stopped playing with Gabriel, and both she and Faith were looking at Jonas with their mouths hanging open. Faith regained her ability to speak first. "So you are saying that I have a twin sister somewhere in a community with sameness, and that Laura also has a twin sister in the same community?"
Jonas replied, "Well, you are both the same as Fiona and Lily as far as the way you look and the way you act. Faith, you are caring, like Fiona, and let me into this dwelling, and Lily, you like Gabriel and you are enthusiastic, just like Lily."
Both girls looked shocked, and Ms. Kay said, "I will leave you alone now. You can get to know each other better."
After she left, Faith and Laura started asking Jonas questions about the community of sameness, their twin sisters, and Jonas and Gabriel. Jonas answered all of the questions, and told them that he had been chosen as a Receiver of Memory, and all the events that led up to him taking Gabriel and leaving the community of sameness.
Over the days, Christmas came and went, and all the children, including Jonas and Gabriel, got a present. Jonas got a new backpack, which he would use when he started school in January. It was navy blue, with lots of room for books and homework. Jonas loved that backpack. Gabriel got a lot of baby toys, which he loved to play with.
Jonas and Gabriel lived with the kind family until they grew up, and Jonas married Faith and moved into their own dwelling. Gabriel and Laura became instructors for English at the local high school. For Jonas, his life in the community of sameness was no more than a dim memory. For Gabriel, all he could remember from life before Elsewhere was that he had been cold most of the time, with the exception of being warm a few times, and the warmth only lasted for a very short period of time each time.
Meanwhile, in the community of sameness............
Lily, who had been assigned the assignment of Nurturer, got up one morning and put on her Nurturer uniform. After Jonas had been lost to the river, a new Receiver of Memory had been chosen two years later. Everyone in the community was supposed to give all of the memories that had gone to them to the new Receiver. Nobody knew it, but Lily had kept a memory for herself, the memory of love. Lily was supposed to release a male newchild that day, but she felt sad for him because she had grown to love him.
Later that day, just before the releasing ceremony, Lily decided to take the newchild and run away to Elsewhere, because even though the community was told that Jonas had been lost to the river, she did not believe it. Lily had gone to The Giver, and The Giver admitted that Jonas had escaped to Elsewhere. Since Jonas had escaped with a newchild who was to be released, Lily was determined that she could too.
Lily got her bicycle, and started pedalling towards the edge of the community. She managed to get out of the community without being seen, and after riding for many days, she managed to get to Elsewhere. She saw pretty dwellings, and when she went to knock on one, someone who looked like Fiona opened it. Behind her, Jonas appeared with a female newchild, who looked younger than a One. Jonas invited Lily in, and took the male newchild so that Lily could get some rest. Together with his wife, Jonas answered all of Lily's questions, and explained about his wife's identical appearance with Fiona. Jonas also told Lily that there was someone who looked like Lily. Lily settled down with Jonas' family, and life before Elsewhere was rarely mentioned.
A/N: Review? Points at the review button.
LMDGlUVR4EVA: Thanks for the review!I might get around to Harry Potter, ifI have the time.I like harry/hermione, but there's other pairs I don't really mind either.