This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters and events in this book are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Published by Gatekeeper Press
3971 Hoover Rd. Suite 77
Columbus, OH 43123-2839
Copyright © 2016 by M. Banaji
All rights reserved. Neither this book, nor any parts within it may be sold or reproduced in any form without permission.
ISBN: 9781619844933
eISBN: 9781619844940
Printed in the United States of America
DEDICATION
To my dear grandparents
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
TAKEN
DISCOVERY
INITIATION
PERCEPTION
STRIKE
ESCAPE
JOURNEY
SECRET
COURAGE
MISSION
BATTLE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This first book of mine would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of my parents and brothers. My deepest appreciation for my mother, Mridula Banaji, M.D for her unwavering support in all my endeavors. A heartfelt thanks to my fifth grade teacher Mrs. Amanda Arman who believed in my writing abilities. Special thanks to David Aretha of Yellowbird Editors for his guidance and help in this project.
TAKEN
All was quiet, and the streets of the Windsor Elite Community were deserted, except for two small figures. They were the figures of children, special children, very special indeed. They were the Smith children, eleven year old twins, Sam and Alana. The children were standing in the middle of the road, as if they were waiting, waiting for something miraculous to happen. Alana’s head slumped on Sam’s shoulder, her face streaked with tears.
Sam wore a downcast expression, his eyes glinting with fear. Both children resembled their wealthy parents, with dark brown hair, pale white skin, and gleaming eyes. The Smith family was completely distinguishable from other families because of their unusual, sparkling, amber eyes. Anyone who was standing on the street at that moment would have immediately recognized Sam and Alana, the children of two highly successful business entrepreneurs, who also happened to be the most popular and affluent children in the upscale Windsor Community. But, no one was outside on this bright and sunny day, for it was summer holidays, and families were off on vacation. Only the Smith family remained at home. Sam and Alana were not concerned about the fact that they were the only children outside, or that they were not enjoying an exotic vacation.
In fact, Sam and Alana were most concerned about the well-being of their parents. Just a few minutes earlier, Joanne and Lionel Smith were with Sam and Alana, and with the snap of a finger, they were gone. Now, Sam and Alana stood in front of their fourteen-room colonial house, without their parents, lost, not knowing what to do or where to go. So, they pondered over the dreadful events that had occurred shortly before.
Moments earlier, they had been sitting comfortably on their luxury recliners in the living room, Sam enjoying an article about the history of Richmond, the city in which he and his family lived, and Alana enjoying a chocolate éclair while watching her favorite TV show, The Adventures of Crackpot Crick. Their parents were playing a board game while ordering the cooks to prepare lunch. On this particular day, their parents were dressed quite formally. Their mom was wearing a ruffled white blouse and khaki skirt, and their dad, a black suit and checkered red tie. Their mom was smiling, dimples forming in her rosy cheeks. She absently tucked back strands of her stringy brown hair, lost in the game. Their dad wrinkled his thick brows, contemplating what move to make next. He scratched his gray-streaked hair, his eyes sparkling with passion for the game.
Meanwhile, two cooks were busy in the kitchen, running back and forth from the stove to the pantry and scrambling to find the correct ingredients in the shortest amount of time. Mary and Alfred, the maid and butler, were also helping out in the kitchen, Mary cleaning all the equipment, and Alfred raiding the spice rack for a variety of seasonings. Sam and Alana could smell the many different aromas wafting out from the kitchen. They both scurried inside to see what would be for lunch, and were not disappointed with what met their eyes. Chicken, seasoned with a variety of spices, was roasting on the grill nearby, its skin turning golden brown. Pizza was thrown into the clay oven, and its crust began rising slowly. A large pie was cooking in the bakery oven, and both Sam and Alana’s mouths watered. The two children ran out of the kitchen happily, their hearts soaring.
It was a typical Saturday afternoon, with each family member enjoying their favorite activities. Suddenly, there was a deafening bang and the sound of a car reversing. Loud voices were heard and thunderous footsteps approached the front door. Sam and Alana’s mom and dad immediately stopped playing their board game. Sam looked up from his article. Alana switched off the TV and laid down her éclair. Mom and Dad stood up, grabbed Sam and Alana’s hands, and pulled them aside. They began to speak, urgently.
“Listen children,” Lionel said, “There is something we need to tell you.” Sam and Alana waited in anticipation. Silence hung in the air, as words were waiting to be found. An ear-splitting crash broke the silence. All eyes turned to the stained-glass front door, which was shattered. Sam and Alana stepped back in alarm, and grabbed their parents’ trembling hands. The children knew there was not much time left. “What should we do?” asked Sam. Their dad cleared his throat and whispered, “Just be brave. No matter what happens, remember that we will always be there.” Their dad directed his words at their mom now. “Joanne, run upstairs, go, and find it.” Their mom rushed up the winding marble stairs to the bedrooms.
Sam, Alana, and their father ducked and crouched behind a table in the living room. Then they heard someone speak. “Get Joanne and Lionel. That’s all we need to do,” said a man in a gruff voice. Heavy footsteps neared their hiding place. Suddenly, a hand reached down and cupped over Alana’s mouth. Alana struggled, fighting fiercely. Their father, enraged, sprung up from under the table and leaped on the man who was standing above them. The man fell to the ground, unconscious. “Go upstairs, get to safety,” their father panted.
Sam and Alana did as they were told and ran upstairs. They dashed into their mom’s room and saw her frantically searching for something. They immediately joined her. They searched through the dresser and closets, under the bed, and through old suitcases, and finally Joanne seemed to find what they were looking for. She grabbed a small oval-shaped object that was silver and green. She tucked it away in her pocket and shortly after ordered both Sam and Alana to hide under the bed. Leaving the room a mess, she hurriedly ran downstairs. Sam and Alana could not obey their mother’s orders. They had to know, they had to see, and they had to understand what was happening.
Sam and Alana crept down the stairs and peered over the edge of the nearest bannister. They could barely make out the figures of their parents, who were surrounded by soldiers. These soldiers were all dressed in beige uniforms and navy blue hats. Red patches were sewn onto the sides of the hats, with “WAR” stitched in the middle. Many of the soldiers carried blue swords and guns, while others carried black staffs. A tall, muscular man stepped forward and struck Sam and Alana’s parents with his staff. Lionel and Joanne crumpled to the floor, quivering. Sparks of red light surged from the staff and into the ground. The house began to tremble, and the ceiling started caving in. The soldiers were no longer in sight through all the smoke and dust.
Sam and Alana hid behind the bannister and held onto it tightly, shielding themselves from falling debris. The bannister began to shake, and broke off from the stairs
. Sam and Alana went tumbling down the stairs and onto the floor. They quickly picked themselves up and ran toward their parents. Sam and Alana hugged their mother and father tightly, fearing the worst. Their parents slowly got up and pulled them aside.
Sam and Alana looked at their parents, searching for any signs from them. Their mom’s sharp nose twitched, and her thin lips quivered. She began to cry, but their father cut her off. “We wish we could tell you everything,” he said, “but there is not enough time. We must go, and so must you.” Then, as quick as a flash of light, their mom handed Alana something, something green and silver. It was done discreetly, with the slip of a hand, and nobody noticed. Without glancing at the object that her mom had given her, Alana pocketed the small, oval-shaped item.
The soldiers were getting closer. Sam and Alana stood in front of their parents in an attempt to protect them. The muscular man sneered and said, “The chief is waiting for you. Tell your children to step aside, or they will get hurt.” “We do not have what you are looking for. This must be some kind of mistake,” said Joanne. The muscular man pointed his staff at Sam and Alana, and said curtly, “Nothing is a mistake.” He smashed the staff toward the ground, breaking it in half. Sizzling red sparks shot through the broken staff, entering the ground. An eerie laugh echoed through the house, and everything began to rumble.
The last thing Sam and Alana remembered was a blast of red light, and then. . .darkness. Voices swirled around in Alana’s head. Images flashed in her mind. Screaming, shouting, struggling, pain, suffering echoed in her ears. She woke up with a jolt, but darkness still surrounded her. Breathing heavily, Alana groped around in the air. She felt groggy and lightheaded. Her hand brushed against a body, Sam’s body. “Sam!” she yelled. Sam stirred, and then coughed. “Alana” he whispered. “I can’t breathe. The smoke...” Alana took a deep breath. The air reminded her of a furnace, the fiery ashes burning, scattering everywhere. She struggled to keep her eyes open. She grabbed Sam’s hand and pulled him toward her. “We have to get out of here,” said Alana. Sam got up and opened his eyes. “I can’t see anything,” he said. “Neither can I,” Alana said in frustration.
They both got up, stumbling around and banging into each other. They finally made their way out of the smoke-filled room. Sam and Alana sat down for a moment, breathing in the fresh air and catching their breath. Alana’s nostrils flared as she took a quick whiff of the cool air. Her delicate nose quivered, and her thin, pink lips began to part. She opened her mouth, attempting to say something, but no words escaped her lips. Sam watched Alana intently, his almond-shaped eyes filled with worry for both himself and his sister. The childrens’ thin, long faces seemed even more sallow than usual, but for good reason.
Their parents were gone, and so were the mysterious soldiers. Their house was almost destroyed. They didn’t know where to go; all they knew was that they had to run. Their parents had left them with nothing. No clues, no explanations, no hope.
Then, Sam remembered something. “Alana!” he exclaimed. “What did Mom hand you back there?.” “Oh, that,” said Alana, morosely. “I haven’t looked at it yet.” Alana then pulled out a small object from her pocket. Sam looked at it closely and realized that it was a locket. It was emerald green, with a silver chain, the figure of a unicorn etched upon its surface.
Sam was curious to know what might be inside. “Open it,” he demanded. “I was about to do that,” said Alana softly. She gently opened the clasp on the locket. A piece of old, brown paper fluttered out of it. Alana caught it in midair and held it in her hands. She squinted and stared at the piece of paper determinedly. Then she began to read. “To whom the possession of this locket is bestowed on, I present a warning. This locket is an object that has been fought over for many years. It has many powers, one of them including retrieving items of a greater presence, items that cannot be bought, but can be earned. The key to this locket lies within one, a soul who is innocent and pure. You must take it to the Adventure Island, and then you shall retrieve what you have lost.” Alana finished reading, and by then, Sam had made his decision. “Let’s get upstairs, Alana. We’ve got some packing to do.”
Each child scurried through the rubble, avoiding the half-broken bannister. They raced up to their rooms and slammed the doors shut. They tore through their rooms hurriedly, leaving clothes strewn all over the floor, papers scattered across the hall, and toys smashed on the carpets. Sam and Alana swerved and weaved down the stairs, and took a shortcut through the kitchen. To their surprise, Mary and Alfred were still inside the kitchen, instead of fleeing during the attack as the cooks had. Mary spoke fearfully. “Your parents warned us of this day. You must not leave the house.” Alana began to speak carefully, crafting her words wisely as she wanted to handle the situation. “We have to see if we can find our parents. We must go.”
Mary’s eyes began to grow as she whispered her warning once again. “You must not go,” she said hoarsely. “You must not go.” Her voice began to falter, and suddenly she began to grow horns. Her body began changing, and she developed four legs. White hair grew all over her body, and within seconds she turned into a goat-like creature. Sam and Alana stepped back, utterly shocked. What was going on here? Alfred began to speak hoarsely. “Please, children, please heed our advice.” Sam and Alana began to run but were held back by Alfred. Alfred began to grow a large mane, and his teeth began expanding. Alfred’s face became hairier, and a large tail emerged from his backside. He had turned into a beast similar to a lion. Sam and Alana began to shake, worried, afraid, and confused. Their parents had hidden so many secrets from them, and they did not understand what was going on. They had no choice but to escape from the house as quickly as possible.
Alana grabbed her suitcase and, with great difficulty, wielded it above her head. She smashed it down towards Mary, striking her to the ground with great force. Sam decided that he would take care of Alfred and charged toward the beast with his suitcase. He rammed it into the creature’s stomach. Alfred roared in pain and reared backwards. Sam and Alana watched as Alfred and Mary began to morph into humans again, then hastily rushed out of the kitchen and through the front door.
Running down the steps, Sam and Alana wondered about Mary and Alfred, questioning who they were, or, more importantly, what they were. The two siblings walked close to the edge of the cobblestone road that led away from their house, approaching the main road. Dazed and tired, they lugged their suitcases wearily behind them, not bothering to stop for a break. They began searching for traces of anything, for clues. Seeing tire tracks leading down the road, they followed them, thinking that the tracks would lead to their parents. As they kept walking, they noticed that the road became dustier, and it was harder to follow the tracks. Sam and Alana were all alone. Not a single soul was on the road. They were orphans now, or so they thought.
Seconds later, something quite peculiar happened. A sleek black bus pulled up right in front of them. Soon, the bus doors opened and two men stepped out. They were both dressed in black suits, aviator sunglasses, and leather shoes. One of the men whispered, “Viktor...what are we supposed to do?” Without saying a word, Viktor grabbed Sam and Alana by the wrists and dragged them toward the black bus. Sam and Alana writhed in pain, kicking and struggling to free themselves. Unfortunately, they did not succeed, and they were shoved into the bus. Their wrists were swollen and red due to Viktor’s tight grasp, and their bodies ached severely. They had no time to register what was happening as two sharp objects hit their heads fast and hard. The last thing they could remember was everything going black.
DISCOVERY
They woke up, dazed and frightened. Once they had found that their suitcases had been thrown in behind them, Sam and Alana found the seats nearest to the front of the bus and hurriedly sat down as the vehicle began moving slowly. The bus was dimly lit, and everything seemed quiet and eerie, yet something told Sam and Alana that they were not alone. They began to whisper amongst themselves to discuss the events that had o
ccurred.
“What should we do with the locket?” whispered Alana. “More importantly,” said Sam “what does the locket do, and what does the writing on the paper mean? And where is the Adventure Island?” “I don’t know,” said Alana. Sam needed more information, and needed it fast.” Why do you think the men were so mean to us? They threw our suitcases at us!” Alana didn’t answer his question, and instead said, “Maybe we should be quiet now. Let’s try and see what the men are saying. It might give us a clue as to where we are going.” There was complete silence for about fifteen minutes. Then, a voice broke the silence. The voice came from the front of the bus, echoing throughout it.
One of the men in the black coats spoke. “Viktor,” he said, in a low, hoarse voice, “have we gotten all the children?” “Yes, Derek!” exclaimed Viktor. “I shall call the headmistress,” said Derek. “She will be pleased with our work.” “Yes,” agreed Viktor, with a tone of mockery and pleasure. “She will be pleased.” Listening to the men’s conversation confirmed the children’s suspicions.
They were not alone. Sam and Alana slowly turned around in their seats and stared at the back of the vehicle. They could only see some dark figures and sense some movement in the very back of the bus. The figures appeared to be those of children, dirty and disheveled. Voices were faintly heard, and a feeling of desperation spread through the bus. Murmuring began to echo from the back of the bus to the front, tones of fear in each stifled voice. Sam and Alana noticed that the children appeared to be around the same age as them, eleven or twelve. They couldn’t note much else, but decided that they needed to find out what was going on.
Then, Alana whispered, “Where do you think we are going?” “I don’t know,” Sam whispered back. “But I think we’re wanted. We’re two of those kids that man Viktor was talking about. Maybe they want us because Mom and Dad are so well known.” “Or, maybe it has to do with why Mom and Dad were taken.” The silence in the bus continued to create the mysterious atmosphere, and both Sam and Alana knew that it was a matter of time before they figured out what the mystery was about. What if they were being kidnapped? Or were they being taken to another country? They would have to wait to find out. Alana’s silence was not helping Sam’s mind answer its endless questions. “Alana,” said Sam furiously, “answer me!”
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