Jonas's POV
"I remember this place, Gabe" I said as I climbed into the sled with him in my arms.

Making sure Gabe was safe, I pulled on the ropes and the sled flew down the mountain, the runners cutting into the snow. It was exhilarating! When we reached the bottom, I saw a dwelling, sitting there in the snow covered in lights. 'Strange' I thought. Why would anyone want lights on the outside of their dwelling? But that doesn't matter, I have to get Gabe and myself out of the cold. I walked up to the front door and knocked. "Who could that be at this hour?" I heard a gruff voice ask. "I don't know, grandpa" replied a younger, more feminine voice. Footsteps got closer to the door as it opened, revealing an old looking man with a beard, sporting a plaid shirt, and dark green overalls. 'Must be the voice we heard earlier' I thought. "Who are you and why are you disrupting my family's annual Christmas karaoke party?" he asked, clearly irritated.

"M-m-my n-n-name's J-j-j-Jonas, a-and t-this i-is G-Gabriel. M-May w-we p-please c-come i-i-in?" I shivered. "Please, dad? They're freezing out there" begged an older, feminine voice. "Oh, fine. Just wipe your feet and don't get anything wet, you hear me?" asked the elderly man. I smiled as I stepped in and took off my boots, leaving them on a mat. The adult lady covered me in a blanket and the younger girl offered me a cup that was almost overfilled with a brown liquid with white cylinders in them.

What's this?" I asked. "It's hot chocolate, you drink it" said a young, masculine voice.

"What's hot chocolate?" I asked. "You don't know anything, do you?" asked the same male voice from a minute ago. "Wyatt, be nice. Now, I'm sure there's a reason why this young man doesn't know much" said the same adult lady from before. This is gonna take a lot of explaining.

"It's kind of a long story" I said. "Go ahead, we've got all night" said the adult lady.

"I grew up in a community free of war, fear, and pain. There was no hate. Every child is given to a family unit consisting of one boy and one girl, no more and no less. Every adult is given a job to do until old age, when that happens, you're sent to the House of the Old. Once a child becomes a Twelve, they start their training. But if you make a certain amount of mistakes, you're Released" I explained. "Woah, I'm glad I don't live where you live" commented Wyatt.

"'Lived', I left the community because thanks to the Giver, I learned of wonderful things. What it really means to be a part of a family, color, snow, parties, weddings, love. But I also learned of terrible things. Sunburns, cold, solitude, war. After many weeks of training, I soon realized that the way the community was living was not a good way to live" I explained. "You said something earlier about a release, what's that?" asked the little girl.

"At first, I thought Release was a ceremony in which one is free from the community and sent to Elsewhere. But I now know that Release...is death" I said. This scared the little girl into running to the adult lady. "Mommy, I don't wanna be released! Don't let them release me, mommy!" she cried.

"I'm sorry I upset her" I apologized. "It's ok, Abby's just sensitive" said the adult lady. This place is nothing like the community.