Prologue: (leaving where book left off)...

Jonas clutched Gabe tightly to his chest and bit his lip to remain conscious as the sled glided down the hill. It was snowing heavily and Jonas could barely see the specks of light that twinkled out between the flakes. Jonas cried out in a thin weathered voice.

"Help," Jonas could taste the blood on his lips as it dribbled down his chin and stained the snow.

Laughter and music swelled all around Jonas, but it abruptly ceased as a whispering crowd gathered around to see him. The only noise left now was the cold blistering wind pelting snow across his frozen face.

"Help me!" cried Jonas, and before he could say anything more, he dropped in the snow. His world went black into nothingness.

Jonas's mind was awhirl when he finally awoke. His eyes wouldn't focus and his head throbbed in pain. Jonas was mildly surprised that he was alive. He was also astonished to see that he was warm. How many weeks had it been since Jonas had felt warmth?

"Where am I?" Jonas attempted to ask as a tall woman approached wordssounded like a garbled strand of noise.

She looked at him awkwardly and turned away. Jonas soaked in his surroundings and saw that he was neatly tucked into a snug blanket. Beside him were shelves of books and rich uncolored tapestries. Jonas remembered his loss of color and a deep sadness filled him. Heaving a sigh, Jonas wondered if Gabe would see color as he grew older.

"Gabe!" Jonas shouted, causing the lady to jump. She turned quickly to him.

Jonas was suddenly in hysterics. "Gabe! Where is he!" Jonas made hand motions of cradling a baby in his arms.

The lady looked at him as if he had gone mad. She ran out. Jonas was confused and momentarily stopped his wild shouting. Pounding feet sounded outside the door. Another woman came in with the one that had previously left. She was in her early twenties with brown hair tied back into a loose bun.

"Is that how you treat someone who's just saved your life?" the new lady asked loudly "By shouting like a lunatic!"

"Where is Gabe!" Jonas asked quickly. "Is he safe! What happened after I passed out?"

Her rosy cheeks lost their flustered (what would have been red) tone as his words reached her ears. "Your Gabe is fine. He is- or was- sleeping until you started shouting your head off."

Jonas let out a sigh of relief and slumped back on the pillows. The lady with the bun sat down in a plush chair and crossed her legs elegantly.

"After we found you bleeding on Marcy's sled, unconscious,Shara herebrought you into my house. What a surprise we got when we found a baby, this Gabe you speak of, clinging on to you for dear life. We immediately administered a medicine to him, and he recovered a week or so afterwards… However, you my friend have been hanging on to life by a hairfor the past two and a half weeks! It was unexpected that you survived under such harsh conditions. You must have had great motivation."

She stood and paced over to his bedside. "Greetings….." she frowned. "What did you say your name was?"

"Jonas," replied Jonas solemnly as he looked into her fiery eyes.

"Yes Greetings Jonas," she turned to go out the door. As an afterthought she added, "You may call me Rosemary."

Jonas sat up bolt straight. Rosemary! Could this be the same Rosemary that the Giver had so lovingly talked about? The laughter that had been stifled by true lonliness?No, Jonas thought. The Giver saw Rosemary's release. It must be coincidence.

Then again… Jonas pulled forth his memory of when he had first learned of Release.

Jonas's head was still unclear. "How old are you?" Jonas asked remembering that the real Rosemary wassupposedly ten years older than he.

Rosemary stared inquisitively into Jonas's eyes. "I do not remember."

A lie, Jonas thought. Jonas knew she was holding back the truth by the way her stance had shifted uncomfortably.

"Get some rest Jonas," she said sternly and exited the room. The other lady, Shara,had picked up a broomand, wearing ascowl on her face, she swept the wooden floorboards.

Jonas had no room for sleep. When Rosemary had left the room, he beckoned the tall lady towards him.

"Where does Rosemary come from?" Jonas asked in a hushed voice.

A dark secretive look crept across the woman's face. "From Elsewhere."

Hi reviewers! It's up to you to tell me how well I write! Include what you liked (so far) and what you disliked, so that I may improve upon my epilogue to The Giver.