Draft of Chapter 1: NOAH & LUKE – TALE TRAVELLERS by Alan Mark De Luzuriaga

Draft of Chapter 1: NOAH & LUKE – TALE TRAVELLERS by Alan Mark De Luzuriaga

 “ All stories are real. In other realities, our lives are their tales. Our words and actions  are the stories they read in their books and dream about in their sleep. “
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The door chimes rang as the door swung open. The sign hanging by the door swaying with the wind as a customer left with a bag full of used books. The N&L trademark distinctly shown in the paper bag holding it. The same logo swaying with the doorway sign. A Dove and a Horse, wonderfully drawn to spell out the names Noah & Luke. Mark & Sylvia named the shop after their two boys. The used-book store - NOAH & LUKE'S NOT SO USED BOOKS - opened two years ago and served as a home and sanctuary for the Barrett family ever since they transferred from River County.

Mark & Sylvia were busy attending to the steady flow of customers. The difficult economic times forced many folks in the community to opt for used-books. Text books and paper back fiction have become more expensive through the years and the rising unemployment made the used-book business thrive.

Luke, an eight year old precocious kid was playing on the floor in between the back shelves, his two action figures fighting each other. His older brother, Noah,  was seated in one of the stools, reading his digital e-book reader with serious focus.

Both are home schooled children and spend much  of their day inside the bookshop, either doing their school work or just hanging around while their parents work.

The door chime rang once again. After a few moments, the Desk Bell rang, and rang again.

Noah raised his head and saw a customer waiting impatiently for someone to attend to him.

"I'm sorry, my parents must have taken a break", Noah said to the customer politely, although he never saw the cashier desk left unattended before. Noah knew how to transact a sale and proceeded to ring up the customers orders and collect the payment.

"Mom, Dad, where are you? Noah called out the moment he heard the door chime ring as the custom left.

There was no answer. He called gain with a louder voice.

"Luke, can you check if Mom or Dad are out the back. I can't leave the counter".

"Okay", Luke said grudgingly as his playtime was interrupted.

A few minutes later, Luke came back saying they weren't there. Noah asked him to check upstairs. The Barret family lived on the second floor of the bookshop. A few minutes passed and Luke came running down saying they were not there either.

Noah was starting to get worried.