Ch 4- Thanks 4 being patient… I was slow on this chapter….
Jonas went out the next day, bundled tightly in heavy clothes. He wanted to observe this place called "Verita." As Jonas crunched quietly along in the freshly fallen snow, he was abruptly reminded of the Giver. Snow was the first memory he had received. A strong yearning to see his grandfather again blossomed within him.
He wished so hard that he could see the Giver one more time. His input on life had affected him significantly. The Giver had showed him life; to its true extent. Jonas admired the thriving life that surrounded him now.
Old couples were walking slowly, hand in hand along the street. They wore broad grins on their faces. Children danced around them as the elders chuckled at the sight. Small children were laughing and catching snowflakes in their mouths. To see cheery faces once more strengthened Jonas immensely. An unexpected smile reached Jonas's own face. It had finally hit him; he was in Elsewhere! He had made it!
Movement to the right of Jonas had acquired his attention. Some kids were doing a rather unusual thing. They were lying in the snow doing a jumping jack. Jonas frowned.
"Aren't you supposed to be standing up? The exercise is not quite as effective if one were to do it in a horizontal position," commented Jonas to a small little girl.
"Silly!" giggled the girl. Her nose wrinkled up into a laugh. "It's a snow angle!"
Jonas had no concept of what a "snow angel" was and his face must have showed it for the girl collapsed in a whirl of resounding laughter.
"Here, I'll show you!" she took Jonas's cold hand into her warm ones and lead him over to a fresh untouched patch of glittering snow. "Lay down," she commanded in a comically high-pitched voice.
Jonas lay down, surrounded in an icy abyss. He thought back to the time when staying on the ground felt like the most comfortable thing in the world, when death was a welcome release. This time he was not on the brink of death and instead sat freely with the little girl.
"Now move your hands up and down..." she was saying. Jonas gazed at the girl. Her eyes were lit up- she was so innocent and joyful. The youngster's eyes were not black or gray, but rather a pale blue.
Jonas gawked. Her eyes! They had color!
"Watchya staring at?" asked the girl with youthful curiosity. "My name's Carla by the way. You can call me Carry though. Everyone does!"
Slowly not only the girl's eyes had color but her cheeks brought on a tinge of rose. Jonas was bewildered.
"I am called Jonas," he said barely hearing his own voice. What could the returning colors mean? Was the girl special? Or… Jonas's stomach lurched. Perhaps he was seeing colors because something terrible had happened to his community!
"Jonas then! Jonas, you're my new best friend!" Carla said enthusiastically.
Suddenly Jonas wanted to be back at Rosemary's. He didn't want to be with this child nor this snow angel thing. Panic was gripping him. What if something happened to the Giver! He looked down, "Thank you Carry. I'm sorry to tell you that I must be going though."
She looked tremendously disappointed. Some of the sparkle in her blue eyes dimmed. Jonas felt guilty. "But I'll be back tomorrow!" Her eyes glowed and shimmered.
"Where do you live?" she wondered aloud.
"I live with Rosemary at the moment. I got hurt and she helped me get better," Jonas spoke quickly. As the words drifted out of his mouth, a frown formed along her mouth.
"My mama says she's unwanted here. She says I shant go near her less I be punished. But don't worry Jonas, I'll still visit you!" and with that dismissive thought, she skipped away.
Jonas wondered what Rosemary could have done to have been treated with such disdain. He put it out of his head as a lamppost turned green. Jonas raced through the streets.
"Rosemary!" gasped Jonas as he halted terrified in the woman's kitchen. She whirled around. "What's wrong Jonas?"
"Rosemary… I - cansee—COLOR!" he said between breaths of air.
"That's wonderful Jonas! I'm so happy for you!" Rosemary hugged him. Jonas was awed by her reaction.
"What does this mean!" Jonas questioned still mystified by her response.
She looked at him quizzically. "It happened to me as well. Why?"
Jonas sat back in a sigh of relief, "I thought something horribly wrong had happened to our... erm…. other community and that maybe the memories had sought me out because of it."
She laughed shortly. "No, no it's perfectly all right…. Hey Jonas," she paused. "I guess you still think a lot about the community, don't you."
"Every day," he said solemnly.
There was an awkward silence before Rosemary turned to enter the bedroom. Jonas's thoughts were still on the community. He thought back on the conversation that they had last night. She had come so close to telling him how she escaped. Now the questioned burned inside him.
"Rosemary," she turned. "How did you escape Release?"
She sighed as if half expecting this question would come. "Come here Jonas."
He came and they sat down in chairs at the kitchen table.
"After I had seen my friend released, I could not bear it. I had to leave; I applied for release. When I was finally admitted into the sterile sanitary room, they sat me down. I asked if I could inject the poison into myself. They weren't to keen on the idea but eventually they gave in; One of them had to use the restroom. Since the camera and a release lady were still there in the room, I stabbed what looked to be my arm. In fact, I actually punctured the table's puffy padding that was next to my arm. Neither the lady nor the camera could tell what happened, because I was blocking their view with my body. I cried out in mock pain as I emptied the syringe. I let the empty tube fall to the ground. I twitched for a second or two and then I slumped forward. The lady obviously didn't know the difference between death and acting so she stuffed me in this flimsy container. After dark, I broke free and took off."
Jonas was impressed. He sat back. The Giver would have been proud.
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Long enough? Gosh! That took 4ever! Sorry I update slowly! However, please (despite this) review! I want your input!