Alternate Ending for | Teen Ink

Alternate Ending for

June 3, 2009
By idkill4thekillers PLATINUM, Orchard Park, New York
idkill4thekillers PLATINUM, Orchard Park, New York
23 articles 1 photo 3 comments

Jonas is a rebel of his time and area. He found flaws and mistakes in his life and community. As Jonas learned more about the past and grew more as an individual, he realized it was time for major reform. Since Jonas knew he could not change the community he decided to leave with the one thing he considered most precious, Gabe.

One early morning Jonas and Gabe set out on a long and tiresome journey. On this excursion the two passed various communities and wildlife. Eventually, after months of traveling the duo reached a tremendous place named, Elsewhere. This was a place that was gigantic in size because it was divided up into small districts. Elsewhere was very different from any place Jonas had ever seen, it had many schools, shops, parks, different size houses, and many other thins that were foreign to Jonas’s enclosed mind. This large area was ruled by a single President with a mayor for every district. Jonas later found out that this was called a democratic government because all the people had a say in who governed them and how they were governed. Jonas thought that this was the perfect, quaint place where he and Gabe could escape from the wretched place they once called home.

Jonas quietly and slowly walked into the outermost district, people who were on their way to work and school stopped and gawked at the two aliens in their city. Jonas had no idea what to do or where to go; right now his biggest concern was taking care of Gabe. After walking for a few hours Jonas and Gabe walked into the central-most district of Elsewhere called Methopolis. Methopolis was considered the capital of Elsewhere since it was where the President lived, it was the oldest district, and many major events occurred there. After walking a long a busy sidewalk Jonas stumbled upon a large, gray, marble building. On top of the building was a phrase in a language that Jonas had never seen or heard of before. It read, “Carpe Diem” which when translated to English means “seize the day”. The building had a plaque by its doors which said that it was the Presidential building; here the President of Elsewhere worked and governed everyone and everything. Jonas decided that it sounded important and opened the heavy oak doors. Inside was a blond woman sitting at a desk, much like the room you walk into at the Annex in the old community. The woman looked awkwardly at this scrawny, young lad standing before her holding a toddler close to his bare chest. She spoke softly saying, “Welcome to the Presidential Building, may I help you?” A startled Jonas responded, “Where am I?” The woman said, “You are in the area of Elsewhere in the district of Methopolis, home of democracy and history.” Jonas looked very puzzled and said, “I need help, my brother and I came a long way from here and now we do not have anywhere to go.” The woman stared blankly at Jonas; she never realized there were such horrible communities.

The secretary took Jonas to see the President immediately. Jonas sat down and saw the President’s name was Sylvester Bird. President Bird sat down and let Jonas explain himself, when he was done Sylvester sat there and stared. He stared deeply into Jonas’s thin pale face then glanced at scrawny little Gabe. Realizing they needed help, the President took immediate action. Sylvester gave Gabe and Jonas a hose for free; everything necessary would be paid for by the government until Jonas was eighteen. Gabe went to daycare while Jonas was in school.

When Jonas was eighteen, he had to start paying the bills, mortgage, for food and everything else. He realized that since Gabe was still in school he would have to get a job. Jonas got a temporary job as a post officer. The hours sucked, the pay sucked, but it still was enough for the two of them. Throughout the years, both Jonas and Gabe created lifelong relationships with people in all over Elsewhere. One girl in particular caught Jonas’s eye, her name was Tatiana. The two hung out together and had fun. One day Jonas decided she was the one, the girl that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

When the two were twenty-one they got married in a quaint little church in an outer district call Anthopilis. The only witness they had was 11 year old Gabe, Jonas’s best man.

Together Jonas and Tatiana had four children. Their names were Naomi, Jude, Alison, and Lucy. Jonas needed to earn higher wages and wanted to make more of him so he decided to look for a better job. Not much was available at the time, but he found a steady job as steelworker. Jonas still was not satisfied, so he made an effort to learn more about politics in his spare time.

When he was 30, Jonas ran for mayor of Methopolis. After holding this position for 8 years, Jonas decided to run for President of Elsewhere. At age 38, Jonas became known as President Jonas Muffington. The Elsewherites called him Just Jonas because of his fair views and rulings. Jonas was President for 20 years.

The whole time Jonas’s wife was by his side. Whether it was helping him study politics, or campaigning for his elections, she never backed down. Just like Jonas, Tatiana started out small. She was a teacher for 20 years. After awhile she grew into a famous singer. People from other communities even knew who she was.

Gabe was always there. He grew up and partially raised Jonas and Tatiana’s children. When Gabe was nineteen he entered Methopolis University. At MU he majored in biochemistry. After four years at college Gabe graduated with honors, in the top of his class and even had managed a spot on the Dean’s List. Because of all these achievements, Gabe was offered a spot at the Methopolis laboratory where the top scientists in Elsewhere work and study, initially he accepted. Gabe’s major accomplishments include discovering 2 new elements, a new species of bird, and the cure for the common cold and influenza.

Jonas and Gabe stayed together for many years. They were each other’s best friends until Jonas’s death at the age of 52. After Jonas’s death, Gabe lived in seclusion. Gabe always held onto the memory of Jonas and the times they shared.

One day Gabe, Naomi, Jude, Alison, and Lucy all agreed to go and clean out their parents’ old house. While Gabe was in Jonas and Tatiana’s bedroom he noticed an envelope on Jonas’s dresser addressed to Gabe. Gabe opened it up and started reading it, it read:


Dear Gabe,



I haven’t always been honest,



no man has ever been completely.





I write this knowing that I am in



another place that you are quite not ready
for yet. The truth is you and I are not


brothers nor are we from Elsewhere.
We are from a community that may no
longer exist because it was corrupt and
wrong in its views. We escaped when I was
12 and you were 2. I did not have a choice,
they were going to kill you for
reasons that are silly even to
a child. We aren’t really brothers
either. Whatever may happen,
please don’t be mad at me. Keep
loving your friends and family no
matter what. I am very sorry for
everything especially for not
telling you this sooner. Remember,
I will always love you no matter how
far apart we are. I only did these things
to save our live, pleas try to understand.



Love always, Jonas
P.S. Be careful and keep this a secret!
No one can find out where you live.
Gabe collapsed to the floor, why hasn’t he ever told me this before!, he wondered. Gabe knew what to do. He packed what could fit into a satchel and left in the cover of night. As Gabe was traveling on the bicycle thoughts were racing through his head. What will happen?, where will I stay?, what will they do when they realize I am gone?!
Gabe passed various foliage and wild life like he had done during his infancy. He reached one community then soon realized it wasn’t his. He went from community to community until he finally reached the one. His real home, where he had originally came from.
Everything was the same, same houses, clothes, landscape, even the weather never changed. All of the sudden for some reason he could no longer see color. Gabe could not believe his eyes nor that he had once lived in this wretched place.
As Gabe was blindly wandering through this vaguely familiar community an onlooker alerted the Council of Elders. The Council ordered that this unfamiliar figure be captured and brought to them. Gabe had no idea what was going on he was terrified because of what Jonas’s letter had explained. Upon closer inspection the oldest council member realized this grown man was the toddler that had escaped from the community’s grasp years before.
The men were ordered to take Gabe to a place that everyone eventually ends up in. It was a white, sterile room. There Gabe was placed on a chair, a man in a white coat came in. He opened a drawer, took out a syringe, and injected Gabe with it. Immediately Gabe’s entire body went limp, his chest stopped moving and he collapsed to the floor. The men picked up Gabe’s cold, lifeless corpse and threw it down a shoot. When it hit the bottom the corpse burst into flames body and clothes in all.
Although there were no witnesses present, everyone that knew Gabe knew how he died because they eventually found the note Jonas had left Gabe.
And so ends the saga of the life of Jonas and Gabe. Two incredible men who set out to achieve something and change what they knew. They escaped corruption and deception and made it all the way to their own Promise Land. Although a story of tragedy like so many before them the lives of these men live on in the memories of many people in Elsewhere.

The author's comments:
In eight grade we had to read the book, "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. When we finished the ending was a real cliffhanger. My teacher challenged us to write what we think happened, so here is my take on "The Giver".

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