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this is the last video for The Giver
chapters 21 to 23 chapter 21 it would
work they could make it work Jonas told
himself again and again throughout the
day but that evening everything changed
all of it all the things that they had
thought through so meticulously fell
apart that night Jonas was forced to
flee he left the dwelling shortly after
the sky became dark in the community
still it was terribly dangerous because
some of the work crews were still about
but he moved stealthily and silently
staying in the shadows making his way
past the darkened dwellings and empty
central plaza toward the river beyond
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the plaza he could see the house of the
old with the annex behind it outlined
against the night sky but he could not
stop there there was no time every
minute counted now and every minute must
take him farther from the community now
he was on the bridge hunched over on the
bicycle pedaling steadily he could see
the dark churning water far below
he felt surprisingly no fear nor any
regret at leaving the community behind
but he felt a deep very deep sadness
that he had left his closest friend
behind he knew that in the danger of his
escape he must be absolutely silent but
with his heart and mind he called back
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and hoped that with his capacity for
hearing beyond the giver would know that
Jonas had said goodbye it had happened
at the evening meal the family unit was
eating together as always Lily
chattering away mother and father making
their customary comments and lies Jonas
knew about the day near by Gabriel
played happily on the floor babbling his
baby talk looking with glee now and then
toward Jonas obviously delighted to have
him back after the unexpected night away
from the dwelling father glanced down
toward the toddler enjoy it little guy
he said this is your last night as
visitor what do you mean
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Jonas asked him asked him father sighed
with this appointment well you know he
wasn't here when you got home this
morning because we had him stay
overnight at the nurturing Center it
seemed like a good opportunity with you
gone to give it a try
he'd been sleeping so soundly didn't it
go well mother asked sympathetically
father gave a rueful laugh that's an
understatement it was a disaster he
cried all night apparently the night
crew couldn't handle it they were really
frazzled by the time I got to work Gabe
you naughty thing will he said with a
scolding little cluck toward the
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grinning toddler on the floor so father
went on we obviously had to make the
decision even I voted for Gabriel's
release when we had the meeting
afternoon Jonah's put his fork put down
his fork and stared at his father
release he asked father nodded
we certainly gave it our best try didn't
we yes we did mother agreed
empathetically only nodded in agreement
- Jonas worked at keeping his voice
absolutely calm when he asked when will
he be released first thing tomorrow
morning we'll have to start our
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preparations for the naming ceremony but
so we thought we'd get this taken care
of right away
it's bye-bye - you gave in the morning
father had said in his sweet singsong
voice Jonah's reached the opposite side
of the river stopped briefly and looked
back the community where his entire life
had been lived lay behind him now
sleeping at dawn the orderly disciplined
life he had always known would continue
again without him the life where nothing
was ever unexpected or inconvenient or
unusual the life without color pain or
past he pushed firmly again again at the
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pedal with his foot and continued riding
along the road it was not safe to spend
time looking back he thought of the
rules he had broken so far enough that
if he were caught now he would be
condemned first he had left the dwelling
at night a major transgression second he
had robbed the community of food a very
serious crime even though what he had
taken was leftovers set out on the
dwelling doorstep for collection third
he had stolen his father's bicycle he
has headed he hesitated for a moment
standing beside the bike port in the
darkness not wanting anything of his
father's and uncertain as well whether
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he could comfortably ride the larger
bike when he was so accustomed to his
own but it was necessary because it had
the child seat attached to the back and
he had taken Gabriel - he could feel the
little head nyjah's back bouncing gently
against him as he rode Gabriel was
sleeping soundly strapped into the seat
before he left the dwelling he laid his
hands firmly on Gabe's back and
transmitted to him the most soothing
memory he could a slow swinging hammock
under palm trees an aisle at an island
someplace at evening with a rhythmic
sound of languid water lapping
hypnotically against a bench nearby as
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the memory seeped from him into the new
child he could feel Gabe sleep ease and
deepen there had been no stir at all
when Jonah's lifted him from the crib
and placed him gently into the molded
seat he knew that he had the remaining
hours of night before they would be
aware of his escape so he rode hard
steadily willing himself not a tire as
the minutes and miles passed
there'd been no time to receive the
memories he and the giver had counted on
of strength and courage so he relied on
what he had and hoped it would be enough
he circled the under the outlying
communities their dwellings dark
gradually the distance between
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communities widened and with note with
longer stretch of empty Road his lathes
legs ached at first then his time passed
they became numb at dawn Gabriel began
to stir they were in an isolated place
fields on either side of the road were
dotted with thickets of trees here and
there he saw a stream and made his way
to it across a rutted bumpy meadow
Gabriel wide awake now giggled as the
bicycle jolted him up and down
Jonah's unstrapped Gabe lifted him from
the bike and watched him investigate the
grass and twigs with the light carefully
he had the bicycle and the thick bushes
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morning meal Gabe he unwrapped some of
the food and fed them both then he
filled the cup he had brought with water
from the stream and held it for Gabriel
to drink he drank thirstily himself and
sat by the stream watching the new child
play he was exhausted he knew he must
sleep resting his own muscles and
preparing himself for more hours on the
bicycle it would not be safe to travel
in daylight they would be looking for
him soon he found a place deeply hidden
in the trees took the new child there
and lay down holding Gabriel in his arms
Gabe struggled cheerfully as if it were
a wrestling game the kind they had
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played back in the dwelling and with
tickles and laughter sorry Gabe Jonas
told him I know it's morning and I know
you just woke up but we have to sleep
now he cuddled the small body close to
him and rubbed the little back he
murmured to Gabriel soothingly then
pressed his hands firmly and transmitted
a memory of deep contented exhaustion
Gabriel's head nodded after a moment and
fell against Jonas's chest together the
fugitive slept through the first
dangerous day the most terrifying thing
was the plains by now days had passed
Jonah's no longer knew how many the
journey had become automatic the sleep
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by days hidden in underbrush and trees
the finding of water the careful
division of scraps of food augmented by
what he could find in the fields and the
endless endless miles on the bicycle by
night his leg muscles were taught now
they egg 20 saddle himself to sleep but
they were stronger and he stopped to
left now less often to rest sometimes he
paused and lifted Gabriel down for a
brief bit of exercise running down the
road or through the field together in
the dark but always when he returned
strapped the uncomplaining toddler into
the seat again and remount
his legs were ready so he had enough
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strength of his own and had not needed
what the giver might have provided had
there been time but when the planes came
he wished that he could have received
the courage he knew they were search
planes they flew so low that they woke
him with the noise of their engines and
sometimes looking out and up fearfully
from the hiding places he could almost
see the faces of the searchers he knew
they could not see color and that their
flash as well as Gabriel's light golden
curls would be no more than smears of
gray against colorless foliage but he
remembered from a science and technology
studies at school that the search planes
used heat-seeking devices which could
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identify body warmth and wood homed in
on to humans huddled in shrubbery so
always when he heard the aircraft sound
he reached to Gabriel and transmitted
memories of snow keeping some for
himself together they became cold and
when the planes were gone they would
shiver holding each other until sleep
came again sometimes urging the memories
into Gabriel Jonas felt that they were
more shallow a little weaker than they
had been it was what he had hoped what
he and the giver had planned that as he
moved away from the community he was
shed the memories and leave them behind
for the people but now when he needed
them when the planes came he tried hard
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to cling on to what he still had of cold
to use it for their survival
usually the aircraft came by day when
they were hiding but he was alert at
night to on the road always listening
intently for the sound of the engines
even Gabriel listened and what caught
plane plane sometimes before Jonas had
heard the terrifying noise when the
aircraft searchers came as they
occasionally did during the night as
they rode Jonas sped to the nearest tree
or bush dropped to the ground and made
himself and Gabriel cold but it
sometimes it was a frightening lean
close call as he pedaled through the
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nights through isolated landscape now
with the communities far behind and no
sign of human habitation around him or
ahead he was constantly vigilant looking
for the next nearest hiding place should
the sound of engines come but the
frequency of the planes diminished they
came less often and flew when they did
come less slowly as if the search should
become haphazard and no longer hopeful
finally there was an entire day and
night when they did not come at all
chapter 22 now the landscape was
changing it was a subtle change hard to
identify at first the road was narrower
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and bumpy apparently no longer tended by
road crews it was harder suddenly to
balance on the bike as the front wheel
wobbled over stones and ruts
one night Jonah's fell and the bike
jolted to a sudden stop against a rock
he grabbed instinctively for Gabriel and
the new child strapped tightly in his
seat was uninjured only frightened when
the bike fell to its side but Jonah's
his ankle was twisted and his knees were
scraped in raw blood seeping through his
torn trousers painfully he righted
himself in the bike and reassured Gabe
tentatively he began to ride in daylight
he had forgotten the fear of the
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searchers who seemed to have diminished
into the past but now there were new
fears the unfamiliar landscape held
hidden unknown perils trees became more
numerous and the forest besides the road
were dark and thick with mystery they
saw streams more frequently now and
stopped often to drink
Jonah's carefully washed his injured
knees wincing as he rubbed at the raw
flesh the constant ache of the swollen
ankle was eased when he soaked it
occasionally in the cold water that
rushed to the roadside gullies he was
newly aware that Gabriel's safety
depended entirely upon his own continued
strength this other first waterfall and
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for the first time wildlife playing
playing Gabriel called and Jonas turned
swiftly into the trees though he had not
seen planes in days he did not hear an
aircraft engine now when he stopped the
bicycle in the shrubbery and turned to
grab Gabe he saw the small chubby arm
pointing to the sky terrified he looked
up but it was not a plane at all though
he had never seen one before he
identified it from his fading memories
for the giver had given him them to him
often it was a bird soon there were many
birds along the way soaring overhead
calling they saw a deer and once beside
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the road looking at them curious and
unafraid a small reddish-brown creature
with a thick tail whose name Jonas did
not know he slowed the bike and they
stared at one another until the creature
turned away and disappeared into the
woods all of it was new to him after a
life of sameness and predictability he
was awed by the surprises that lay
beyond each curve in the road he slowed
the bike again and again to look with
Wonder at wildflowers to enjoy the
throaty warble of a new bird nearby or
merely to watch the way wind shifted the
leaves in the trees during his 12 years
in the community he had never felt such
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simple moments of exquisite happiness
but there were desperate fears building
in him now as well the most relentless
of his new fears was that they would
starve now that they had left the
cultivated fields behind them it was
almost impossible to find food they
finished the meager store of potatoes
and carrots they had saved from the last
agricultural area and
they were always hungry Jonas knelt by a
stream and tried without success to
catch a fish with his hands frustrated
he threw rocks into the water knowing
even as he did so that it was useless
finally in desperation he fashioned a
makeshift net looping the strands of
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Gabriel's blanket around a curved stick
after countless tries the net yielded to
flopping silvery fish methodically
Jonah's hacked them to pieces with a
sharp rock and fed the raw shreds to
himself into Gabriel they ate some
berries and tried without success to
catch a bird at night while Gabriel
slept beside him Jonas lay awake
tortured by hunger and remembering his
life in the community where meals were
delivered to each dwelling every day he
tried to use the flagging power of his
memory to recreate meals and managed
brief tantalizing fragments banquets
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with huge roasted meats birthday parties
with thick frosted cakes and lush fruits
picked and eaten Sun warmed and dripping
from trees when the memory glimpses
subsided he was left with the gnawing
painful emptiness
Jonah's remembered suddenly in grimly
the time in his childhood when he had
been chastised for misusing a word the
word had been starving you have never
been starving he had told he was told
you will never be starving now he was if
he had stayed in the community he would
not be it was as simple as that once he
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had yearned for choice then when he had
a choice he'd made the wrong one the
choice to leave and now he was starving
but if he had stayed his thoughts
continued if he had stayed he would have
starved in other ways he would have
lived a life hungry for feelings for
color for love and Gabriel for Gabriel
there would have been no life at all so
there had not really been a choice it
became a struggle to ride the bicycle as
Jonah's weakened from lack of food and
realized at the same time that he was
encountering something he had for a long
time yearned to see Hills his sprained
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ankle throbbed as he forced the pedal
downward an effort that was almost
beyond him and the weather was changing
it rained for two days
Jonah's had never seen rain and though
he had experienced it often in the
memories he liked those rains enjoyed
the feeling of it but this was different
he and Gabriel became cold and wet and
it was hard to get dry even when
sunshine occasionally followed Gabriel
had not cried during the long
frightening journey now he did he cried
because he was hungry and
cold and terribly weak Jonah's cried too
for the same reasons and another reason
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as well he wept because he was afraid
now that he could not save Gabriel he no
longer cared about himself chapter 23
Jonas felt more and more certain that
the destination lay ahead of him very
near now in the night that was
approaching none of his senses confirmed
it he's on nothing ahead except the
endless ribbon of road and folding and
twisting narrow curves he heard no sound
ahead dead he felt it he felt that
elsewhere was not far away but he had
little hope left that he would be able
to reach it his hope diminished further
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while the sharp cold air began to blur
and thicken with swirling white Gabriel
wrapped in his inadequate blanket was
hunched shivering and silent in his
little seat Jonas stopped the bike
wearily lifted the child down and
realized with heartbreak how cold and
weak Gabe had become standing in the
freezing Mound that was thickening
around his numb feet Jonas opened his
own tunic held Gabriel to his bare chest
and tied the torn and dirty blanket
around them both Gabriel moved feebly
against him and whimpered briefly into
the silence that surrounded them
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dimly from a nearly forgotten perception
as blurred as the substance itself
Jonas recalled what the whiteness was
it's called snow Gabe
Jonas whispered snowflakes they fall
down from the sky and they're very
beautiful there was no response from the
child who had once been so curious and
alert Jonas looked down through the dusk
at the little head against his chest
Gabriel's curly hair was matted and
filthy they were tear stains outlined in
dirt on his pale cheeks his eyes were
closed as Jonas watched a snow flake
drifted down and was caught briefly for
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a moment sparkle in the tiny fluttering
eyelashes wearily he remounted the
bicycle a steep hill loomed ahead in the
best of conditions the hill would have
been a difficult demanding ride but now
the rapidly deepening snow obscured the
narrow road and made the right
impossible his front wheel moved forward
imperceptibly as he pushed on the pedals
with his numb exhausted legs but the
bicycle stopped it would not move he got
off and let it drop sideways in the snow
for a moment he thought how easy it
would be to drop beside it and and it
himself to let himself and Gabriel slide
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into the softness of the snow the
darkness of the night the worgen comfort
of sleep but he
come this far he must try to go on the
memories had fallen behind him now
escaping from his protection to return
to the people of his community were
there any left at all could he hold on
to a last bit of warmth did he still
have the strength to give could Gabriel
still receive he pressed his hands into
Gabriel's back and tried to remember
sunshine for a moment it seemed that
nothing came to him that his power was
completely gone then it flickered
suddenly and he felt tiny tongues of
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heat begin to creep across and into his
frozen legs and feet he felt his face
begin to glow in the tense cold skin of
his arms and hands relax for a fleeting
second he felt that he wanted to keep it
for himself to let himself bathe in
sunlight unburdened by anything or
anyone else but the moment passed and
was followed by an urge and need a
passionate yearning to share the warmth
that the one person left for him to love
aching from the effort he forced the
memory of warmth into the thin shivering
body in his arms
Gabriel stirred for a moment they were
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both bathed in warmth and renewed
strength as they stood hugging each
other in the blinding snow
Jonas began to walk up the hill the
memory was agonizingly brief he had
trudged no more than a few yards through
the night when it was gone and they were
cold again but his mind was alert now
warming himself ever so briefly had
shaken away the lethargy and resignation
and restored his will to survive he
began to walk faster on feet that could
no longer feel but the hill was
treacherously steep he was impeded by
the snow in his own lack of strength he
didn't make it very far before he
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stumbled and fell forward on his knees
unable to rise Jonas tried a second time
his consciousness grasped but a wisp of
another warm memory and tried
desperately to hold it there to enlarge
it and pass it in to Gabriel his spirits
and strength lifted with the momentary
warmth and he stood again Gabriel
stirred against him as he began to climb
but the memory faded leaving him colder
than before if only he had time to
receive more warmth from the giver
before he escaped maybe there would be
more left for him now
but there was no purpose and if onlys
his entire concentration now had to be
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on moving his feet warming Gabriel and
himself and going forward he climbed
stopped and warmed them both briefly
again with a tiny scrap of memory that
seemed certainly to be all he had left
at the top of the hill the top of the
hill seemed so far away and he did not
know
it lay beyond but there was nothing left
to do but continue he trudged upward as
he approached the summit of the hill at
last something began to happen he was
not warmer if anything he felt more numb
and more cold he was not less exhausted
on the contrary his steps were led and
he could barely move his freezing tired
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legs but he began suddenly to feel happy
he began to recall happy times he
remembered his parents and his sister he
remembered his friends Asher and Fiona
he remembered the giver memories of joy
flooded through him suddenly he reached
the place where the hill crested and he
could feel the ground under his
snow-covered feet become level it would
not be uphill anymore almost there
Gabriel he whispered feeling quite
certain without knowing why I remember
this place Gabe and it was true but it
was not a grasping of a thin and
burdensome recollection this was
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different this was something that he
could keep it was a memory of his own he
hugged Gabriel and rubbed in briskly
warming him to keep him alive the wind
was bitterly cold the snow swirled
blurring his vision but somewhere ahead
through the blinding storm he knew there
was warmth and light using his final
strength and a special knowledge that
was deep inside him
Jonah's found the sled that was waiting
for them at the top of the hill numb Lee
his hands fumbled for the Rope he
settled himself on the sled and hugged
Gabe close the hill was steep but the
snow was powdery and soft and he knew
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that this time there would be no ice no
fall no pain inside his freezing body
his heart surged with hope they started
down
Jonah's felt himself losing
consciousness and with his whole being
willed himself to say up right atop the
sled clutching Gabriel keeping him safe
the runners sliced the snow and the wind
whipped at his face as they sped in a
straight line through an incision that
seemed to lead to the final destination
the place he had always felt was waiting
the elsewhere that held their future and
their past he forced his eyes open as
they went downward downwards sliding and
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all at once he could see lights and he
recognized them now he knew they were
shining through the windows of rooms but
they were the red blue and yellow lights
that twinkled from trees and places
where families created and kept memories
where they celebrated love downward
downward faster and faster suddenly he
was aware with certainty enjoy the below
ahead they were waiting for him but they
were waiting too for the baby for the
first time he heard something
that he knew to be music he heard people
singing behind him across vast distances
of space and time the place he had left
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he thought he heard music too but
perhaps it was only an echo well that's
the end of The Giver check the video
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Jonas survived with Gabriel whether they
died and went to elsewhere or whether
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