back to that nightmare?” said a small man
in the back.
“I want to go back to rescue those who, like
me, want out but don’t know how.”
“Like a rescue mission?” said a young man
with a high voice.
“Yes, but an ongoing one. And I am calling
for volunteers. It will be hard, but it will be a worthy mission.
You see, I have decided that my purpose is to help others get free
from what entangles them. But I will need help. Who is with me?
No one raised a hand. No one spoke up, but
there was a good deal of murmuring as they talked with one
another.
“I will leave in the early morning before the
sun comes up,” said Samuel. “If anyone wants to join me I will
leave from this house.” Having ended with that, the people
dispersed.
Later that night Sydney talked with him after
the others had gone to bed. Wallace told him that he was tired and
would turn in early.
“Come with me,” said Sydney, and they both
stepped outside. They had a perfect view of the city. The lights
were bright and the buildings tall. “Whatever happens, I want you
to know that what you are doing is a good thing. If I did not have
a wife and my own mission, I would go with you.”
“I believe you,” said Samuel. “Do you think I
will have to do it alone?”
“I don’t know. It’s a hard thing you ask
people to do. To leave comfort and safety is always difficult.”
“I realize that, but I had no choice.”
“Oh, but you did have a choice, and you chose
wisely.”
The two men stood silently for a few moments
and then Sydney said, “It is a far, far better thing that I do,
than I have ever done.”
“What?” asked Samuel.
“A quote from a very old book,” said Sydney.
“You should get a good night’s sleep. You will need it.”
They both turned in for the night, but Samuel
hardly closed his eyes. He wondered what tomorrow would bring.
Chapter 25
Early the next morning, Samuel stepped out of
his house, as ready for what might await him as he ever would be.
It was still dark, but he knew daylight would be coming soon. He
heard a shuffle of feet and a red haired man came into view from
around the corner of his house.
“I heard about your plan,” he said. “I’m
Chavez. If it’s not too late, may we come?”
“We?” said Samuel. Slowly, four more men
stepped around the corner. On the other side of a red haired man,
Wallace grinned at him.
“We want to be a part of it. We’re already
packed and we’ve said our goodbyes. We want to go with you.”
“You know there will be hard days ahead?”
asked Samuel.
“Yes.”
“Sleepless nights?”
“Yes.”
“And it will be dangerous,” said Samuel.
“We know all that,” said a big, light-skinned
man. “We want to come anyway.”
“Let’s be off then,” said Samuel.
“Where do we go?” asked one man, who was
shorter than the rest.
Samuel stared at the city on the horizon,
twinkling in the early morning darkness. “Toward the lights.”
A note from the
author
This is just the beginning of the story about
Samuel and his companions. Their adventure has a long way to go, so
go ahead and get the next book in the series, The Last Place to
Stand and keep the adventure going.
Happy reading!
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to my wife, Christine, who gave
me some very helpful suggestions and to my beta readers: Damien
Rosario, Chanel Harper, Yvonne Tran, Kyle Carney, Jeremy Ishimaru,
Stephanie Fernandez, Andy Cho, Tyanna Le, Chris Esquivel, Elaine
Nguyen, Bruk Mehari, Jeffrey Cabalar, Judy Le, and Mark Sagum.
About the
Author
Aaron K. Redshaw grew up in Scottsburg,
Oregon but decided one day to take a hint from the geese. He now
lives in Scotts Valley, California where he can work on his tan and
admire other people’s surfboards. He enjoys the company of his
beautiful wife, his two gifted children, and one dusty beast of a
car.
in the back.
“I want to go back to rescue those who, like
me, want out but don’t know how.”
“Like a rescue mission?” said a young man
with a high voice.
“Yes, but an ongoing one. And I am calling
for volunteers. It will be hard, but it will be a worthy mission.
You see, I have decided that my purpose is to help others get free
from what entangles them. But I will need help. Who is with me?
No one raised a hand. No one spoke up, but
there was a good deal of murmuring as they talked with one
another.
“I will leave in the early morning before the
sun comes up,” said Samuel. “If anyone wants to join me I will
leave from this house.” Having ended with that, the people
dispersed.
Later that night Sydney talked with him after
the others had gone to bed. Wallace told him that he was tired and
would turn in early.
“Come with me,” said Sydney, and they both
stepped outside. They had a perfect view of the city. The lights
were bright and the buildings tall. “Whatever happens, I want you
to know that what you are doing is a good thing. If I did not have
a wife and my own mission, I would go with you.”
“I believe you,” said Samuel. “Do you think I
will have to do it alone?”
“I don’t know. It’s a hard thing you ask
people to do. To leave comfort and safety is always difficult.”
“I realize that, but I had no choice.”
“Oh, but you did have a choice, and you chose
wisely.”
The two men stood silently for a few moments
and then Sydney said, “It is a far, far better thing that I do,
than I have ever done.”
“What?” asked Samuel.
“A quote from a very old book,” said Sydney.
“You should get a good night’s sleep. You will need it.”
They both turned in for the night, but Samuel
hardly closed his eyes. He wondered what tomorrow would bring.
Chapter 25
Early the next morning, Samuel stepped out of
his house, as ready for what might await him as he ever would be.
It was still dark, but he knew daylight would be coming soon. He
heard a shuffle of feet and a red haired man came into view from
around the corner of his house.
“I heard about your plan,” he said. “I’m
Chavez. If it’s not too late, may we come?”
“We?” said Samuel. Slowly, four more men
stepped around the corner. On the other side of a red haired man,
Wallace grinned at him.
“We want to be a part of it. We’re already
packed and we’ve said our goodbyes. We want to go with you.”
“You know there will be hard days ahead?”
asked Samuel.
“Yes.”
“Sleepless nights?”
“Yes.”
“And it will be dangerous,” said Samuel.
“We know all that,” said a big, light-skinned
man. “We want to come anyway.”
“Let’s be off then,” said Samuel.
“Where do we go?” asked one man, who was
shorter than the rest.
Samuel stared at the city on the horizon,
twinkling in the early morning darkness. “Toward the lights.”
A note from the
author
This is just the beginning of the story about
Samuel and his companions. Their adventure has a long way to go, so
go ahead and get the next book in the series, The Last Place to
Stand and keep the adventure going.
Happy reading!
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to my wife, Christine, who gave
me some very helpful suggestions and to my beta readers: Damien
Rosario, Chanel Harper, Yvonne Tran, Kyle Carney, Jeremy Ishimaru,
Stephanie Fernandez, Andy Cho, Tyanna Le, Chris Esquivel, Elaine
Nguyen, Bruk Mehari, Jeffrey Cabalar, Judy Le, and Mark Sagum.
About the
Author
Aaron K. Redshaw grew up in Scottsburg,
Oregon but decided one day to take a hint from the geese. He now
lives in Scotts Valley, California where he can work on his tan and
admire other people’s surfboards. He enjoys the company of his
beautiful wife, his two gifted children, and one dusty beast of a
car.
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