Okay folks, here's the last chapter! Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed!
Disclaimer: Still don't own the The Giver.
An Epilogue by Receiver the Second: Diana
So says Alan, he who trained me and became like a father to me. However, in his memory I feel it necessary to add some other developments in the community from years past.
With each passing day more rules were added. All females under Nine were to have hair ribbons tied neatly at all times. Assignments would be given out at the Ceremony of Twelve. There shall be no more automobiles, bicycles only. Family units shall have only two children: one male and one female. These were all to create a sense of order.
Stirrings were to be suppressed with pills. Children could not attend ceremonies of release. You would be released after a third offense. Citizens may not leave the dwellings after nightfall. These rules were for our own protection.
The community struggled for the first few years. At first, there were no fish in the river, cutting off a potential food supply. Then there were citizens who didn't fully agree with the Chief Elder's ideas. After sending it to a committee for study, the answer came back that those people could form their own communities somewhere near ours. Losing members was a painful blow, but it was evened out when the number of births a year jumped from 35 to 50. New jobs like Nurturers and Caretakers of the Old were created. The flora surrounding the community started to slowly grow again.
Life is perfect now, or it would be if only they understood the pain. He once said, "They know nothing." He was right.