The Giver Novels & Stories

I feel tears prick my eyes at such a priceless gift. “Thank you.” I whisper, but since you can hear a pin drop in the room, I know my suitor can hear me. I clutch the book to my chest. I need to get this home to my father. It’s too precious to even have with me at school the rest of the day. As the bell rings, I finally look around to see others with a questioning look on their face. Everyone wants to know what the gift is so they can understand my response. My eyes meet glaciers and I am locked into his gaze. He doesn’t look surprised or like he’s wondering what I received. He looks….. happy. With my response? I have no idea.

Her eyes were shining, and it was clear she had been waiting for this moment. “I have something to show you,” Gilly said. “I could not wait anymore.” Elara looked at the box. “What is it?” Neri moved closer too. “Show us,” she said quietly. Gilly sat on the edge of the bed and placed the box on her lap. “Remember I told you Jack gave me something the other time?” she asked. Elara nodded. “Yes. You said he gave you a chest, right?” “Yes,” Gilly said. “And now I want to show you the gift inside.”

Just: *Gavin: The book arrived. Physical copies. Ten of them. I'm holding one right now.* I smiled. *Ava: How does it feel?* *Gavin: Like something that used to be inside me is now outside me.* *Ava: You said that at dinner.* *Gavin: It's still true.* *Ava: Can I have one?* A pause. *Gavin: I was going to give you the first one. I've been waiting to.*

"Buying a sky penthouse for one dollar? Keep dreaming." Speechless, I pointed at the company seal on the contract. "Look carefully. This is real." But he pulled out a lighter and burned the corner of the contract. The flame shot up with a hiss. "Connor, stop acting. "Don't think a few sales achievements mean you can use the back door to buy property. "Even if the company really had a benefit like this, Lydia should be the first person to enjoy it!" I lunged forward, trying to snatch the burning contract back.

"You have given them a gift." Ember shook her head. "The watcher gave them a gift. I just tend." Mira smiled. "That is everything." The gold and silver flowers pulsed, and the watcher's attention was soft and warm. That is everything, the watcher said. The story was not over. The story was just beginning. End of Chapter 152

Aaron loved it and wore it immediately, he thanked me with a knees wobbling kiss. For Peyton I gave her new glasses and a brand new signed copy of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I've heard her grumbling about how she had not gotten an original copy of the book. This once belonged to my father and it was sighed by another best selling author. Since I'm not one for books, I gave to her and she loved it. For My mom, I gave her a new cook book with different cuisines from different cultures. And for Jesse I gave him new shoes, good shoes take people to good places. I wish the best for my Chimpanzee. Surprisingly he loved it too.

I pulled the computer stand closer to me, shifted back to the beginning of the story, and began reading. It was titled Down in Flames by Martha Baimbridge. It opened with a shy teenage girl named Chelsea who, when invited by a popular boy in school to go on a trail ride with him and his friends, had been thrown from the horse and left paralyzed from the waist down. I read on.

Forced to go to high school for the first time, Grey had to wake up exceptionally early. He leaned against the brick wall in front of the school, waiting for the girl. The other students laughed and talked as they pushed their ways inside. Wishing he could just go home and give up, he pulled his jacket closer around himself. It was almost winter, and the freshly-cut grass was covered in a sheet of frost. As more time passed, the more the number of people outside began to dwindle. When they had all entered the building, Grey wondered if she was even going to show up. She didn't seem like the type to skip school, he thought, though he knew judging people on their appearances often backfired.

No one here remembered the girl who had been trafficked into town all those years ago. I used my savings to buy a modest house and settled in. I became a teacher at a nearby elementary school. The people here were warm and kind. The children here were naive and genuine. The pain I carried began to fade as I spent days with them. A week later, I turned on my phone and found it flooded with countless messages from Shane. [Indy, where are you?] [Indy, please come back!] [Indy, I’m sorry. Please give me another chance.]

"What's truly a shame is that such a wonderful man ended up with such a terrible wife. If you ask me, Edwin belongs with Esme. They're the perfect match." Esme blushed, nudging Mom shyly before sneaking a glance at Edwin. He lowered his head and sipped his wine. He neither refuted nor agreed. But his answer came during the gift exchange. He presented Esme with a ruby necklace. It wasn't just any necklace. It was his late mother's heirloom. He had told me about it, promising that he would personally place it around my neck on our fifth wedding anniversary. Now, he was placing it around Esme's neck. I watched without a trace of emotion, my heart completely hollow.