Red Leaves and the Living Token: Book 1 - Part 2

By Benjamin David Burrell

"...a delightfully honest and refreshing tale..." -Amazon Reviewer

"...superbly written...full of life and personality..." -Amazon Reviewer

"...a gripping fantasy tale that always seems to twist just when you think you know where it's headed." -Amazon Reviewer

"A really cool read from an author that I'll be following in the future." -Amazon Reviewer

Doctors tell Raj that his son Emret won't survive his illness. As Raj struggles to prepare himself and Emret for the inevitable, he's confronted by Moslin, his son's nurse, who’s been filling Emret’s head with fairytales about heroic quests and powerful disease curing miracles. Emret now thinks that all he has to do is find the mythical Red Tree from the nurse's stories, and he'll live.

In an attempt to protect his son from further emotional damage, Raj asks Moslin to stay away from Emret. He returns hours later to find them both missing.

He searches the fairytales for clues to where they may have gone and stumbles upon stories that, strangely, he already knows. He saw them in a vision just before his son disappeared.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Benjamin David Burrell
• Release date: May 11, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476421360

Benjamin David Burrell

Biography Benjamin Burrell graduated from film school a little over a decade ago and has been writing screenplays and shorts ever since. He produced and directed of few of his stories as short films and won a handful of awards in film festivals across the country. Due to the limited nature of screenplays, both in terms of length and feasibility of production, he decided to develop one his most intricate and expansive stories into the Novel, "Red Leaves and the Living Token." With its successful completion, he plans to bring many more of his stories to the Novel form, starting with two more, at least, in the "Red Leaves" series. He currently lives in South Jordan, Utah, with his beautiful wife and three perfectly behaved children. Visit http://benburrell.com for information about upcoming books. Subscribe to the newsletter for the first word on release dates.

Book preview

PART TWO

Red Leaves and the Living Token

by Benjamin David Burrell

Published by Red Earth Press at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Benjamin David Burrell.

Cover Illustration Copyright 2012 Benjamin David Burrell.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this free ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to Smashwords.com to discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

Red Earth Press

www.benburrell.com

To my wife and my children,

You make everything worthwhile.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter4

Chapter5

Glossary

Back

Raj sat before the meticulously organized desk of a young Civic Duties Officer. He’d hope to meet with someone higher up in Civic Affairs but couldn’t get anything scheduled soon enough.

The room was small but comfortable. The colors were warm and soothing. Probably to help upset people calm down long enough to talk, Raj thought. No one came here unless they had a problem.

The officer leaned forward in his chair. Of course, we’ll do everything we can to find him. When were you last with him?

Last night. Raj answered.

And where was this?

He’s been in the hospital for the last few weeks.

Do you know the last person who could account for him?

Emret’s nurse, I believe. Her father and I both suspect she may have taken him.

You know the nurse’s father?

Well, I met him this morning after I found Emret missing.

Why do you and her father suspect this?

Because of a conversation she had with him last night.

The officer waited, tapping his pen.

Raj took a deep breath. This was proving more difficult to explain than he anticipated.

We got into an argument yesterday and I told her she would no longer be Emret’s nurse. She went to her father upset last night and asked him about somethings she’s been reading to Emret. Asked him if they were true. I think she believes there’s something in Shishkameen that could heal him.

That’s right. You mentioned he’s been in the hospital. What do you think she’s looking for exactly?

Raj cleared his throat and looked at the floor. One of the Reds.

The officer sat back in his chair. I see.

I know it sounds a bit crazy.

No, actually, it sounds like finding her is a good place to start. I’m concerned though. If she does cross the border we’ll have to appeal to the Botan Government to continue the search. We can’t send our own people there.

I understand. I intend to go to Shishkameen to look for them myself.

As would I. There’s a good chance we’ll find them before they get that far. I wouldn’t pack your bags yet.

I don’t think she would’ve taken him if she didn’t have a way of getting him out of the city.

Well, we would encourage you to do what you feel is best, but we cannot promise the cooperation of the Botan government, nor can we promise you’d be granted travel permits. The Botans do as they please in that regard. What we can do is appeal to have the paperwork expedited both on the Zo side as well as the Botan.

How long will the paper work take? Raj asked, shifting in his seat.

If we’re lucky, we’ll get you across the border in two to three weeks.

Two to three weeks? Raj leaned forward and slammed his hands on the desk a little harder than he intended. Emret could be dead by then!

I apologize we can’t do more. We have a, generally, cooperative relationship with the civics guild in Shishkameen. They should begin to look for him once we give them word.

Should?

Depends on various factors. But in the past they have helped, the Officer said.

In the past? How often does this happen?

Not too often. But don’t let that give you cause to lose your optimism.

What percentage of missing children have you succeeded in bringing back? Raj asked.

You can’t look at the statistics. Every case is different.

How many?

As soon as we can get the paperwork through, we’ll get you over there. That is, if we don’t find them here first. The Officer stood.

-

Raj and Rinacht left a dim entryway and stepped out under the bright domed glass ceiling of a long and narrow corridor. A large sign for ‘Tickets’ hung in the center of the far wall above a row of more than a dozen busy ticketing windows.

Frantic criss-crossing foot traffic obscured the center of the corridor. Raj had never seen so many people crammed into one place, however large it was. The last time he’d come to the port station there were only a few windows and half a dozen people. This was ridiculous.

He held his breath and pushed into the bustling crowd. Rinacht followed closely behind. They quickly ran into a line of stationary people that zig-zagged back and forth almost the entire length of the corridor.

Raj approached an older zo woman with big curly hair. Excuse me, sorry. Is this the line for tickets?

No. She pointed towards far end of the corridor. That line starts over there.

Thanks.

They followed the woman’s directions and found another much smaller line coiling back and forth up against the far wall. A stand holding a red velvet rope identified the line as Ticketing.

Well that’s a relief. Rinacht said.

After what felt like half the day, the two finally reached the front of the line and moved to the next open ticket window.

Yes? The ticketing agent greeted them.

We’d like two tickets on the next barge to Shishkameen. Raj explained.

The agent sunk back into his window and consulted a stack of papers attached to the wall. After a moment, he poked his head out again. "The next available tickets are for the 9:30 am boat, two weeks from today.

Two weeks? Raj stammered. No, no. We need something much sooner. We’ll pay extra.

I’m sorry sir. We are fully booked until then. Boats to Shishkameen are usually booked two to three weeks in advance. Do you have your foreign travel papers with you?

Travel papers? He looked at Rinacht.

The ticketing agent stared back without emotion. He pointed to the large line in the center of the hall. You can apply for papers there if you don’t have them.

The agent leaned to the side and motioned to the next person in line. Next!

Look, we don’t have papers. We would’ve applied for them if we’d had time. But we had no warning. My son was kidnapped and I believe he’s already on his way to Shishkameen.

Have you gone to the authorities?

Of course.

And?

They said it’ll take two weeks to get papers, at best, but who knows what will have happened to my son by then.

The agent pointed to a window at the other end of the platform. If you apply at that window like everybody else, the waiting period is six months to a year.

Raj rubbed his head in frustration. Can’t you just let us on the ship without papers?

"If I were to do that, the Botan officials who check papers on their side would take you both into custody. They would