As Jonas sled down the snowy hill, he couldn't help but focus on the sounds emanating from the nearby house. He listened intently, trying to catch every word and note of the enchanting melody. The voices carried a sense of familiarity as if he had heard them before. Finally reaching the bottom of the hill, Jonas carefully lifted Gabe onto his lap and made his way towards the house. The vibrant lights, ranging from a strawberry red to a bright kelly green, danced across the facade of the building illuminating it in a spectrum of colors. Jonas was intrigued by the source of the sound. Eager to find out who the voices belonged to, he knocked on the door of the house.
Suddenly, the melodious singing abruptly came to an end. Jonas' ears perked up and he listened intently to the soft footsteps that slowly approached the door. The door creaked open and a young girl with striking blue eyes that seemed to shine like electricity excitedly called out to someone else in the house,
"There's another two!" she shouted. He heard the sound of multiple footsteps hurrying towards the door and his heart raced with anticipation. In a few moments, a young woman in her mid-twenties with dark chocolate brown hair and an old man with weathered features appeared before him and Gabe. Though their faces seemed so familiar, Jonas struggled to recall their names, but he sensed a feeling of warmth and kindness radiating from them that put him at ease.
"Who are you?" Jonas asked, intrigued.
I'm Rosemary," the girl answered, "I'm the leader of the House of Release, which you can think of as a dwelling. It's a place where people who have been released from their communities come after wandering through Elsewhere. It serves as their refuge."
"You're Rosemary?!" Jonas replied exasperated, "The Givers' daughter?"
"Yeah, did you know him?"
"Yeah, you could say that."
"Jonas, is that you?" the old man asked with a surprised tone.
"Roberto!" Jonas remembered, "Your name is Roberto."
"Well, obviously, Jonas. Who else would I be?" Roberto said jokingly.
"I- I remember," Jonas whispered to himself. Then he looked at the girl with electric blue eyes, and he instantly recognized whom those blinding eyes belonged to. "You were one of Lily's friends. Kate, wasn't it?"
"Yes." she replied so vaguely. Jonas's mind was a whirlwind of curiosity and inquisitiveness. He was desperate to know more about the mysterious House of Release. When did it first come into existence? How did it come to be? He was consumed by a burning desire to gain knowledge about the lives of those who were released. He had assumed that the injection they received would kill them, but now he knew differently. The million questions buzzing around his head were a constant reminder of his insatiable thirst for answers.
Rosemary saw the confusion on Jonas' face, "I'll explain all of your inquiries later. For now, come in the house and have a cup of hot cocoa while we get someone to clean up this cutie in your hands."
Rosemary said "Cutie" similarly to how Jonas' father used to say it; in his squeaky voice. Hit by a wave of nostalgia, Jonas felt tears in his eyes start to form as he remembered his family that he left behind in his old community. He felt a deep sensation of remorse as he visualized his family unit being interrogated by the Elders. His family unit didn't know anything about Jonas' escape, the Elders could harm them for information that they don't have.
Roberto spotted the tears in Jonas' pale eyes, "He's probably in shock," he said to no one in particular.
Rosemary called out to two other people in the house, "Cody, Lia, come help me with these new releases." A few moments later, Jake and Lia appeared at the front door. They both looked relatively young, maybe Jonas' age. Lia took Gabe from Jonas' hands. Jonas was hesitant to let go of Gabriel at first, but then he realized that Lia was trying to help them, so he let go of Gabe.
After this, Cody led Jonas into the House of Release, into a small cozy room. There was a wooden bed with light blue smooth sheets in the center of the room. Jake set up a warm bath for Jonas, got him a towel, and waited outside the room until Jonas was done with his relaxing bath.
A few days passed and Jonas was still in the House of Release. All Jonas wanted was to see his family unit again, to see his best friend Asher, and to see Fiona.
"I have to go back," he whispered to himself, surprised by his unnecessary burst of heroicness. From there, Jonas stood up from his creaking bed and made his way towards the front door.
"Yeah, you're not going anywhere without supervision," he heard a voice call. He looked up and saw Rosemary staring down at him in between the door post, her olive-green eyes glistening in the morning sunlight.
"Then come with me." Jonas confidently replied.
"I-" Rosemary hesitated, "I can't leave my community here alone."
"You could get Roberto or another person to be your substitute leader until we get back."
"Why do you even want to go back to that hellhole, Jonas? Nothing good ever comes from that place."
"Because, Rosemary, I left my family unit and all my friends behind; I don't think I could live peacefully knowing that I've left them with no safeguard in 'that hellhole.'"
Rosemary paused, she seemed as if she were contemplating all this now, "Fine," she answered.
Then she called Alex from inside the house and told him she would be leaving the community for some time and that she needed someone to watch over the community.
"Do you want to pack your stuff?" Jonas inquired towards Rosemary.
"Yes, let me get my stuff," Rosemary replied, running towards her room. Moments later, she returned to the doorpost with a cami green small backpack. She changed her clothes as well. Now she wore a black silky tank top with matching black leggings and a black leather jacket.
"Let's go," she said walking out of the House of Release.
As Jonas and Rosemary journeyed through Elsewhere, they stumbled upon vibrant communities, each with its own set of captivating rituals. One day when they were walking through a freezing-cold tundra, they saw a group of people gathered in a clearing, their faces adorned with intricate paint patterns, dancing around a flickering bonfire. The air was filled with the rhythmic beat of drums and the melodic chants of the participants. Jonas and Rosemary stood on the outskirts, mesmerized by the unity and joy radiating from the group. Unlike their previous community, where everything was meticulously planned, here everything unfolded spontaneously, with a sense of freedom and excitement in the air. The leaders of these communities, wise and compassionate, only guided their people when absolutely necessary, allowing them to embrace their individuality and find their own path within the collective. It was a beautiful sight to behold, a celebration of diversity and the power of community.
Days have passed now and Jonas and Rosemary have finally arrived at the border of their community. Jonas felt anxious as he walked closer and closer to the barrier. He was uneasy anticipating how his family unit was doing during the month he was gone. Did the Elders take them? Are they mourning their loss of Jonas? Did they even want him back? They stopped in front of the shimmering barrier of the community.
Rosemary sighed, "You ready, Jonas?"
"Yeah, let's go," he answered. They both took one step, then hesitated.
"Let's wait," Rosemary responded, sitting down on the floor.
Jonas exhaled in relief, "I agree," he said, collapsing next to her.
Rosemary fidgeted with her fingers. She also seemed anxious. But why? She was one of the bravest people Jonas had ever met. Yes, she did apply for release because she couldn't handle the memories that she received, but after she was released she created a whole community of the Released, bringing in anyone who was stranded in Elsewhere. She was compassionate for others. She didn't let her life go to waste after she was released, unlike hundreds of others before her and Jonas have.
"What's wrong, Rosemary?" Jonas asked.
"It's just" –she paused– "I never thought I'd ever be here again."
"And? Don't you miss your father?"
"I do! Well, obviously I do, but what if he doesn't miss me. I don't think I could live knowing that my release didn't affect my father. Not like I wanted it to or anything like that–"
"I know how you feel, Rosemary. In fact, I feel the exact same way. Just towards my family unit." Jonas replied.
Rosemary gave a small chuckle, "Really?"
"Really." Jonas said.
"Okay," Rosemary said getting up, "Are we ready to go now?"
"Yup," Jonas responded.
"On the count of three." Rosemary said.
"One…" Jonas started.
"Two…" Rosemary continued.
"Three!" they shouted in unison as they passed the border into their old community. In that second, they both blacked out.
Jonas' eyes fluttered open. He heard familiar voices discussing a topic in the distance. All of his muscles ached as lay on the soft bed. He didn't think he would be able to will his body to sit up, but to his surprise, he did. Jonas heard a moan from his left and quickly turned his head to the source of the sound; it was Rosemary, but she was still asleep. Jonas sighed, at least his friend was okay, but where were they? He listened earnestly, trying to decipher who the voices belonged to. Jonas heard two pairs of feet scurrying towards him.
"Jonas!" Fiona exclaimed, running towards Jonas to give him a warm embrace. They hugged for a long time, soaking in each others' warmth for the first time in weeks.
After a few minutes, they heard "We thought you were Lost," Asher said with tears in his eyes.
"Asher," Jonas said ecstatic. Then Asher joined their hug, and the three friends were reunited again.
"Well, this is a wholesome moment but I think we should get back to our plan." the Giver said impatiently.
"Hello to you too Giver," Jonas replied slightly offended.
"I apologize, Jonas, but war is happening as we speak," the Giver responded apologetically.
Jonas shot up out of his bed, "WHAT!" he exclaimed. Jonas knew what war was and it was nothing pretty. Hundreds of deaths from both sides no matter who wins.
"Huh?" they all turned to look at Rosemary who appeared to just have woken up.
"Rosemary," the Giver said, walking up cautiously to her. Rosemary shot out of her bed and ran to her father for a hug. They embraced virtuously, father and daughter united again after a decade. They let go after a minute or so, and faced Asher
"Okay; let's do this," Asher said, returning back to the room they were in before.
Asher, Fiona, and the Giver told Jonas and Rosemary the intricate plan on how to win the revolution against the Elders. It was a very thought out plan with many details that were not easy to remember but somehow they all did. Asher showed Jonas the Rebels' huge army and now Jonas was confident that they were going to win.
Fighting went on for days, but one day the Rebels finally came out victorious. They journeyed back to the House of Release. Though some people were reluctant at first, in the end they still came because they had nowhere else to go. Finally, after days of walking through Elsewhere, they made it to the House of Release, living in peace and harmony for generations and generations to come.
