A Couple Chapters in Book 2!

A Story by Kody Reavis

This is an unedited version of my selected chapter. Enjoy!

Lost and Afraid

“What the hell?” Jake shouted. He looked around frightened as he stood in the middle of what looked like an alley way in between two large apartment complexes. He heard many people talking and walking around, but no vehicles. He looked up at the sky and saw a few birds fly over him. He looked to his left and right and only saw sidewalks with people passing by in old looking clothing that were ripped and uncared for. He ran out of the alley way and stood on the sidewalk and observed his surroundings. People passed by him occasionally bumping into him and yelling at him to get out of the way. There were many tall buildings, but most were similar in height. They seemed to be in a sort of pattern of each building smaller by a few inches or taller by a few inches. Every time there was a turn with the sidewalk, there would be a gap separating the buildings. Jake noticed that everything looked dull and there wasn’t much happiness and bright colors. Pipes and electrical cords and cables connected many buildings as well. Smoke rose from many pipes on the roof tops indicating life inside. Everybody there looked sad or frightened. Jake thought it looked like a more crammed and dull version of New York City. “Oh my god Alan! Where the hell am I? Where the hell are you?” He yelled.

Jake began to get nervous and simply began to walk. He wondered if he should have stayed in the same alley way and waited for Alan, but he didn’t know how long it would take for him to realize he was gone. The air was cool and the breeze blew Jake’s hair. He began to shiver and put up his hood. Jake eventually saw men in full black body armor that wasn’t made of metal but of something he hasn’t seen before. It covered them so tightly that the armor outlined their muscles and abs. Jake thought that they looked like they were futuristic looking soldiers from some shooter games he has played. Their faces couldn’t be seen as they also wore black motorbike looking helmets that fit just right to their head size as well. The next thing he noticed was their massive deadly looking rifles they were holding. Jake compared the guns to similar looks of an M4A1 and an M16 rifle. They could be the police or security. He thought. Jake then ran up to the three that stood close to each other and he asked for help. “I was wondering if you guys could help me.” Jake asked innocently. The three suited figures turned their heads and looked at Jake without any answer. “I need help getting home. I don’t belong in this book.” Jake said. The closest figure to Jake stepped closer and used his rifle to shove Jake onto his back. “What the hell was that for you moron?” Jake shouted as he stood up. The figure then spoke with an alien and robotic sounding voice which terrified Jake. “Stay back Lowgard! This is your final warning!” What the hell is a lowgard? Jake thought. Jake was about to step in and challenge the figure once more when a hand grabbed his shoulder and stopped him in place. “Alan thank god!” Jake turned and faced an older man with a grey beard and bald head with his hood up. The old man wore a dull brown colored robe and held a large stick that reminded Jake of a cool looking staff. “Sorry I thought you were somebody else.” Jake said. “You were about to attack that Regulator boy! How foolish can you be?” The man asked. “Courage like that doesn’t exist in this world in many people nowadays.” “So that’s what those dudes are called?” Jake asked looking back at them. “How do you not know of them boy?” The man asked. “I don’t know about anything! I am not from here, I don’t even know how I got here. I need to talk to my friend Alan.” The old man’s eyes widened as if he recognized the name. “Alan you say?” Jake nodded. “I just spoke with a boy named Alan... He was with a young girl, uh Sophie was it? They looked confused and worried like you, but they told me to look for a confused and stupid boy around their same age. I assume this is you?” He asked. “Yes! Yes! My name is Jake, where are my friends?” Jake asked excitingly. “Well they are out looking for you at this moment my boy. I just spoke with them a few minutes ago back there behind one of the merchant shops.” He pointed.

A New World

Alan and Sophie stopped reading and looked at each other. Alan was smiling and told her to be ready. “Be ready for what? Why was my name in this book Alan?” She asked. “I am assuming it is in there because you were reading as well. We only get put into the book if we read it and when we see our names in the text.” Alan tried to explain more, but Sophie frowned. “I don’t feel to good Alan.” She said looking down. Alan began to feel the same way. “Don’t worry, you aren’t sick, this just happens when we are about to be put into the story. Remember where the old man said we spoke to him. We need to talk to him in order to find Jake.” Sophie tried her best to understand but she was terrified instead. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was going to take you in to-“ Alan was cut off as they both blacked out and fell onto the book.

“Wake up! Get on up and out of my shop you kids!” I woke to a cold breeze followed by the loud voice of an old woman shouting at me. I opened my eyes and watched as people walked past me. I moved my head to look around as I noticed Sophie waking up next to me. Her head was leaned up against my shoulder so I smiled. She slowly opened her eyes and quickly sat up. “Where am I? What the hell?” She asked. She stood up and looked around. I looked up at her from the ground. “Calm down, I’m here too. We will be fine.” I said as I stood up next to her. I noticed that she began to shiver. That is when I saw that she didn’t have a hoodie. The breeze was terrible and made it far colder than it should have been. I took off my hoodie and wrapped it around Sophie. She put it on and smiled. Ok now she is warm, but I am going to freeze my a*s off here soon. I thought. “Ok, we are going to need to find that old man Jake described when we read about it.” I said. Sophie nodded. “This is still too insane. How are we actually in a book?” She asked. I explained to her the knowledge I had about my grandfather, but it still wasn’t enough even for me to answer the possibility either. My grandfather never really explained anything about these stories, he just told them. Now that I think this over I am starting to remember some of the parts in a couple of them he told me. My thoughts were interrupted by a small nudge from Sophie. I then began to look around for the old man that Jake described, but the amount of people was annoying. They were everywhere, walking past each other in terrible looking clothing. “Leave my shop I say!” The old woman’s loud a*s voice came from behind a counter stacked with goods. “Ok we are leaving!” I replied loudly. I grabbed Sophie’s hand and led her out of the shop while still searching for the old man. “I will just ask for help.” Sophie said. I was about to stop her but she was already asking someone. “Excuse me, I was wondering if you knew where a boy of the age around mine and looks similar to him would be?” She asked pointing to me. I walked over and helped explain, that is when I noticed that it was the old man Jake described. “I would be glad to let you know if I do spot a boy with your descriptions.” He said joyfully. “He is the one that will probably look confused and will act stupid.” I said laughing. “Also if you see him, tell him to look for us over here. My name is Alan and this is Sophie.” The old man agreed and smiled as he walked away. I turned to Sophie. “Ok if I am thinking correctly, then if we follow that old man, he should end up bumping into Jake so we will find him.” That said we both followed behind the old man until he did in fact grab Jake away from what they call the Regulators. We tried to get through the crowd as quickly as we could. I saw the old man point back in our direction. We got closer and closer and eventually pulled through and approached Jake and the old man. “Alan! Holy crap I didn’t think I would find you guys.” Jake shouted. “Thanks for finding our friend sir.” I said. “Sir? That’s pretty formal of a title to use for a lowgard.” He said. “But you are quite welcome.” The man then walked off into the crowd. “I keep hearing the name Lowgard. What is a Lowgard?” Jake asked. I didn’t know myself, it must be a title given to these poor people. I looked off into the distance and pointed at the taller and better looking buildings. “We must be in the area with the Lowgards which I will assume is the poor region. So poor people here are called Lowgards so I guess the rich people that live over that way might be called Highgards, but I am not sure.” “Shouldn’t you know this stuff Alan?” Jake asked. Sophie agreed with him and had the same question. “I’ve been in the world of Tyruince for over a month which was the middle ages. I have used swords, knives, shields, and armor… I have even had to kill to survive and that is what has changed me, but I know nothing of this world at all. We are in a different story altogether. Get ready, because if it is anything like the last one I was in, then you may have to kill as well. This is a new world and I don’t know what to expect.” “Damn dude, I didn’t know you were such a badass!” Jake said. “I don’t want to kill anybody.” Sophie said with a concerned look. “You may not have too; I am just saying if such a situation occurs, then it may be life or death.” I replied. “Just think of them as words on a page and not real people. Back home is the real world ok?” I said trying to calm her down. “Now I want to get all the information we can about this world. I want to find out the name, the rules and laws they have here. Trouble is the last thing we want.” I said. “I say we get you both some new clothes. Or crappy clothes that everyone else is wearing, but I’m fine with what I got.” Jake said. Jake had his hoodie and jeans. He had a backpack with supplies as well. “Why didn’t you bring your backpack man?” Jake asked. “It was so sudden, we came up to find you and you were gone, so I thought that I should act quickly which we did.” I said. “Well let’s find a place to stay for the night, and it needs to be warm because I hate the cold. Tomorrow we can try to find out the currency here and maybe get more food and such.” I implied. They both agreed and we headed off in a random direction hoping to find a good area to sleep.