High school cringe based on The Giver by Lois Lowry.

*****

The sled would go no further. The snow was piled too thick and was too soft for the runners to cooperate. Jonas forced his cold legs to support him as he stood, holding Gabriel close to his body. With a newfound hope surging through his veins, Jonas pushed forward and entered the town.

"Jonas! C'mon, it's getting dark! Jonas!" Jonas found that he recognized the woman's voice as his mother's.

"They're here! They're here!" shouted the voice of an exuberant young girl, undoubtedly Lily. A car door slammed, and two new voices as well as his mother's and Lily's added themselves to the chill air. Jonas turned down the street that he knew so well, the street that led to his dwelling.

"Jonas!" An old woman opened her arms wide as he found himself running into her embrace.

"My, how you've grown!" An old man hugged Jonas next. Both of the Old ushered him inside.

"And this must be Gabriel. Hi, Gabey!" the old woman gushed in a special voice just for babies. She lifted Gabriel out of Jonas's arms, although Jonas was sure he had tucked Gabriel in his shirt. He looked down at himself to find that he was bundled up in snow boots, snow pants, a winter coat, a scarf, and a hat. He tugged those off and hung them up in the coat closet in the entryway. A rich aroma filled his nostrils. He followed it and the Old, which he now knew were his grandparents, into the kitchen. Another pair of grandparents sat around the table, along with several women, men, and children of varying ages that he didn't know.

"Jonas, you can sit here," said one woman, smiling pleasantly. He did. After everybody was comfortably seated and the scent was almost unbearable, his father announced that it was now time to say grace. Everybody bowed his or her heads respectfully.

"Father, please bless this wonderful food and the equally wonderful family who will eat it. Amen." Everybody began talking as the roast turkey, salads, and other foods were passed around the table. Jonas was astonished. He'd never seen so much food at once! Would they even eat this much? Could they?

The turkey reached him, and he took a drumstick. Then some salad, two slices of garlic bread, mashed potatoes... And his mother set before him a glass of milk. He took up his fork and began to eat.

"Whoa, slow down there, Jonas!" said the woman next to him, laughing. Jonas blushed and tried to eat at a respectable pace. He noticed that Gabe, in a high chair next to him, was eating a lot as well.

*****

After supper, the entire family sat on couches, armchairs, or the floor in the living room. Jonas had picked up during supper that this was his extended family. The woman who had sat next to him was his Aunt Mary. His own family lived a fair distance from the rest of the family, which meant that they normally had to be completely reintroduced each year at Christmas.

Some of the younger children began reading the labels on wrapped boxes surrounding a cedar tree and passed the boxes to the person they belonged to. Jonas had a sizeable pile in front of him very quickly.

"Why don't you start, Jonas?" He hesitated, aware of all the eyes on him, and picked a small package. It contained a Hot Wheels car. He thanked the person who had given it to him, and then the next cousin opened a present. The opening of presents proceeded around the circle until it was back to him. He picked another package, and the ceremony continued.

*****

By midnight, Jonas was exhausted, but happy. He still wanted to stay up, however, when his mother announced that it was bedtime. He glanced over at Gabe, who was waving around a teddy bear, and smiled.

"C'mon Jonas, time for kids to go to bed," said his mother. He regretfully got up, gathered up his presents, and was about to pick up the wrappings when his aunt Mary said,

"We'll get that. You just go on to bed."

His mother led him down a hallway, up a set of stairs, and into a room that was clearly his. Although he couldn't quite remember when he had decorated it this way. The door had his name on it, and there were posters all over the walls and even the ceiling.

"You'll have to share your room with a few cousins tonight," said his mother. He nodded, waited for her to leave, and changed into a pair of warm pajamas. He listened to the ruckus downstairs, where other aunts were gathering their children for bedtime. And then his mother entered his room again and placed Gabriel in a crib near his bed.

"Since he doesn't sleep soundly in any other room, father and I decided it would be best for him to stay in here," she explained. Jonas sighed and fell backwards into bed. He was home.