He wanted Jonas back, but he didn’t know how to do it, he didn’t consider himself enough to be able to do that, he needed more time, much more time.

“Isn’t that too fast? Well, I don’t have enough memories.” Well, yes he did, the necessary ones at least. The Giver had been making copies of his books to give to Asher when he went to Elsewhere, so he would know what he couldn’t show him.

Yes, Asher wanted to be with Jonas, with the only person who would understand him in those moments of despair. But he was afraid, he was afraid of Elsewhere. Besides, he had no idea if Jonas was alive.

Everything that was there was different, but there, in the community, nobody felt love, nobody looked at the colors, nobody knew anything and that scared him, no, it terrified him, that was something completely different.

But he would do anything to help his friend, even if that meant going to Elsewhere, The Giver told him his whole plan, he had to get out of there fast.

“Then it will be the same plan you used with Jonas,” the Giver was putting away some copies of his books. “Yes, and since you saw the trail of where Jonas has gone, you’ll be able to find him easier… I hope”

That day The Giver relayed more memories to Asher. He had to be ready to go, Asher was ready, or at least mentally. The Giver was worried that the boy didn’t have the strength he needed.

But he trusted him, the time they had been together he had grown fond of him, and again he had to watch him leave and lose a loved one again.

The Giver hoped Asher would make it. After all, even if the community considered him older, he was still in a way a child, one who was forced to mature quickly, to leave his childhood behind from one day to the next.

He had everything ready; the memories, food, and some books, well, a lot of books, but they were just copies of the ones the Giver had so he would keep the fake books and The Giver would keep the real ones.

Asher was with the Giver, thinking. He had so many doubts in his head, he was breaking so many rules, he had stopped taking the pills, and no one had figured it out, but soon they would.

He tried to put that out of his head and a different doubt entered his mind, the release. “What do you think Asher?” asked The Giver as he prepared to give Asher memories by the time he saw Asher worry.

“I don’t think it’s right to ask that,” Asher tried to take off his shirt so the Giver could give him the memories, but the Giver stopped him. “No problem at all, Asher. What’s your question?” Asher felt a little embarrassed, it wasn’t right to ask that.

“What happens when the community releases you?” the Giver expected that question, and was prepared to answer it. “Do you want to see what happens? I’ll tell you once and for all it’s not pretty, you’d risk seeing something you’d never expect about the community.”

Asher stopped to think about it for a while, he didn’t expect anything good, that community was crazy, with no feelings, nothing positive, just rules and more rules, and if you didn’t follow the rules… What? That was what he wondered, he wanted to know what they would do to him if they found out.