The Giver (Continuation)

2019

… But perhaps it was only an echo.

Suddenly, the sled slowed down, the runners having piled up too much snow and the sled having finally reached flat ground. The sled stopped, and Jonas stared up at the patterns the sled made on the magnificent, snowy-white hill on its journey down. He then glanced at Gabe, who was now so cold and weak it made Jonas’ heart wrench in pain. He summoned the last happy memory he had received from The Giver – a family seated around a living room decorated with green and red, with a pine tree in the center of the room, everyone in the room laughing and happily opening presents, their hearts full of joy – and transferred it to Gabe. Jonas was starved and frost bitten himself, but the only thing he cared about was saving Gabriel.

And reaching Elsewhere.

They trudged through the two feet-deep snow and were surrounded by a white mist that hung in the air. Jonas, determined to reach his desired destination, hiked through the unforgiving snow and fog, as he knew that there was an Elsewhere, and that they could reach it.

After what seemed like an eternity of pain and suffering, they finally reached the end of the blinding whiteness that enveloped them, and laid his eyes on what lay ahead them. Jonas saw some sort of abandoned settlement, encircled by snow like it was struck by a blizzard. He stepped completely out of the fog and subconsciously started towards the deserted settlement, like it was pulling him in, like metal to a magnet. He walked int the “village” and was greeted by a swirl of snow which settled at his feet. Jonas continued down the path that twisted and turned through the village. It might have once been a road of some sort, but the snow covered most of it in a thick, white blanket.

Jonas turned his head and saw an old, broken down playground. Suddenly, a sense of déjà vu struck him. He felt dizzy as he realized the playground seemed to look exactly alike to the on in which his friends, Asher and Fiona played their shooting game in. With difficulty, Jonas managed to make his legs start moving again, and he continued down the unforgiving landscape that led through the village.

Gabe whimpered in his blanket, as the last wisps of the happy memory faded away. Jonas peered down at Gabe, and what he saw was a baby’s body, now frail and barely breathing. As Jonas trotted on, questions rampaged around in his mind, demanding to be answered : What happened to this place? Is this Elsewhere? If so, why is it so abandoned and depressed?

Jonas could not feel his toes, fingers, or anywhere other part of him as he continued down the trail, and he was sure Gabe felt the same way, if not, worse. By now, Jonas had to put all his strength into his legs to keep moving, one foot in front of the other. Left, right. Left, right. Left, right. Left, ri-

KLONK

His foot bounced off of something made of metal. Jonas bent down and started digging into the snow curiously. Finally, his hands reached the metallic object. He tugged, and realized the object was much bigger than he anticipated. Using all his remaining strength, he pulled the thing out of the snow, and nearest toppled over. He stood up and looked down at the object. Once he got a clear look at it, he almost fell over again.

It was a bicycle, with a nametag. And the tag read… Jonas.

Jonas was stunned. He couldn’t comprehend what he was looking at. Why would his bike, the bike he received when he turned to a nine, be lying miserably on the snow-patched floor of a random village?

Unless it wasn’t a random village.

Jonas slowly looked up. At the building four meters to his right, and studied it carefully. After three whole minutes spent solely on staring at the broken building, he made a terrifying discovery: The building looked exactly like The House Of The Old, where his friend Fiona worked in.

Suddenly, as if realizing the true identity of the building made his vision so much clearer, he could see the Annex, the auditorium, the recreation center, and even some of his friend’s houses. All of it felt so familiar, yet so, so different. All of the houses, buildings and streets were deserted, bikes, benches, and random bricks from demolished houses were strewn all over the roads and sidewalks like a city bombed by military planes.

As Jonas continued down the path, avoiding broken widow pieces and bricks, and kicking past clumps of snow, he became more confused with every step, mind-boggling questions piled up in his head. He simply didn’t understand. Why did this mysterious place look exactly like the community from which he was born in, lived in, and after 12 years, left? Why is this village completely annihilated, no matter if it is or isn’t the Community he turned his back on?

Though he did not know it at the time, all of his questions would be answered sooner than he expected.

Jonas brought Gabe up to his chest and as he looked at the little, weakened figure of the baby, tears filled his eyes, at the sight of Gabe’s nearly dead form. He needed to heal him quickly, or it would be too late. Jonas quickened his pace, but something stopped him mid step, something he could not explain.

What he saw was a white, misty figure, standing ten meters in front of him. Jonas dared himself to go closer, but his mind told him not to. Eventually, his curiosity took over, and he walked closer to the figure.

Without warning, the ghostly apparition split into five. Jonas squinted his eyes, and made out the form of Lily, his sister, Asher and Fiona, his two best friends, and hi parents.

“W-What?” Jonas stuttered. He didn’t understand. Why would his friends and family be standing right in front of him, partially hovering, white and transparent?

All of a sudden, the ghostly form of Lily spoke: “You failed us, Jonas.”

“ What? No! Lily… what happened?” Jonas was cut off by the sight of hundreds of transparent apparitions silently walking towards him, and stopped behind his family.

What he saw puzzled him even more. He saw his classmates from school, the Chief Elder, his teachers, and everyone else who lived in the Community. They stopped shuffling and formed several lines, all of them staring at Jonas.

Jonas stammered: “But…”

The ghosts did not wait for him to finish. Instead, they spoke as one in a terrifying, deathly voice: “ You failed us, Jonas. We are all dead.”