A Series Of Sorrowful Stories by Duane Harvey (summer reading list .TXT) 📕

I have a son, well I had a son. He jumped out of the upstairs window, twelve years ago."

I said, "I have been dead for twelve years? What happened to my body?"

I ran outside and looked around for my body. Suddenly, I saw Autumn. I walked in front of her. She said, "I am so glad that you stuck beside your brother. Mat, must have really like you."

A familiar voice said, "Yea, uhm, can I ask you something?"


Autumn said, "Sure."


The voice said, "I know you and Mat had a good relationship. I know you miss him. Would you be my girl friend? You know...just to remember the old days when Mat was with you."


I covered my mouth with my hands. I couldn't believe what was gonig on. I looked to see who asked her that question. It was my brother, Thomas. I ran into the woods. I sat under a tree and closed my eyes. I remembered the day when I met Thomas. I was 5 years old. I poked his little belly. He giggled. Then he farted and laughed louder. I covered my nose and laughed. He was the best brother I had ever had. Should I really let Autumn go? Should I really let her date Thomas?

I opened my eyes and started to sing a song I heard on the radio. "The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting, could it be that we have been this way before?"

I walked farther into the woods. I saw a club house. I closed my eyes. I remembered the day I built this club house with Haley. I was working on it until this girl came over. She said, "What are you doing on my property?"

I looked up at her and said, "I am making a club house, would you like to help?"

She smiled and said, "I made twenty club houses, last year, all for my cousins. I would love to help!"

I opened my eyes. I climbed up the latter until I was surrounded by boards. I got off of the latter and walked around the club house. I picked up a picture off of a book shelf. In the picture were twelve kids. Autumn, me, Haley, Moe, Morgan, Duane, Don, Jonra, Tasha, Wesley, Justina, and Mark.
The Lucky Twelve, that was the group's name. Autumn was the journlist, I was the cook, Haley was the builder, Moe was the reader, Morgan was the researcher, Duane was the watcher, Don was the shopper, Jonra was the Native American dude, Tasha was the leader, Wesley was the charmer, Justina was the goth person, and Mark was the bully.
We had so many adventures."

Chapter 23 * Mat's Story

"I sat in a wooden chair and stared out of the window. It started to rain softly. I reached into my pocket. I pulled out a shiny black stone. A few days ago that stone turned me into a yellow dragon. That was when Zaroff gave me and my mother a quest to kill Rainsford. Could this stone make me come back to life? I slowly put the black rock in my mouth. Suddelny the wind started too blow, then I realized that....that nothing happened. I was still a human. I was still dead.
Suddenly I heard, "Help! Help! Help me!"
I ran to the window and saw my mom with another man. The man was bald and looked angry. He slapped her. He pushed her on the ground. He yelled, "I am sick of your nonsense about this Trantrex crap! I don't want you to say anything else stupid. Understand?"

My mom softly said, "Yes, I...I understand. I just miss my little boy!" She started to cry. I felt sorry for her. She doesn't deserve this evil man. I stopped and looked closer at the bald man. He looked so familiar. Suddenly I backed up and fell over a wooden chair. The bald man was...was my dad.
I haven't seen my dad for seven years. I thought he was dead. Suddenly the man in the black mask appeared out of the shadows.
He said, "Hello, Mat. I see that you have found out the real truth about your father."

I looked at him and said, "I thought he died."

The man in the black mask said, "Dragons, can't die."

I said, "Wait, my father is still Trantrex?"

The man in the black mask said, "Yes. Oh, my name is Tiray"

I said, "Tiray? I never met a Tiray. How do you know me? How do you always know where I am?"


Tiray smiled and said, "I live on the Clodie Cloud. It allows me to see and hear everyone, anytime and anywhere. I know you because...because you are my great great great great great great great great great grandson."

I said, "Okay, Tiray, then why are you trying to kill Autumn?"

He said, "I was not trying to kill her. I was trying to keep her away from you."
I frowned and said, "Why do you want her to stay away from me?"

He smiled and said, "I was trying to keep her away from you because you can't date...date your aunt."

I said, "Autumn? My aunt? What are you talking about?"

He said, "It's a long story. Besides, you wouldn't understand."

I bowed my head and said, "You're right. I can't understand anything. I can't understand love. I can't understand legends. I can't even understand myself."

Tiray walked over to me and patted me on my shoulder. He said, "Mat, do you still want to come back to life?"

I looked up and stared out of the window. I saw my dad kicking my mom. It reminded me how cruel Rainsford was. He wanted me, my mom, and Mr. Coke to kill Zaroff's dogs. I slowly said, "Yes."


One hour later, my mom walked into the hospital. Her nose was bleeding. She stopped in front of my body, laying on the hospital bed. She started to cry. She said, "You are in a better place now. I will miss you."
She walked down the bright hallway. Doctors were rushing pass her. She got to the exit doors. She put her hands on the door. She slowly closed her eyes. She was in a lake splashing me and laughing. I was splashing her, as well. I was six years old.
She opened her eyes. She ran out of the hospital. She tripped over a rock and fell in a pile of mud. She couldn't let go of me. She looked up at the sky. It was thundering.
A doctor came rushing out of the hospital. He ran to my mom and said, "There was a miracle! Your son has came back to us!"

My mom turned to the doctor and said, "Really? That is impossible!"

The doctor said, "Come and look for yourself!"
The doctor ran back into the hospital, with my mom following behind. When they got in front of the window, my mom stopped and looked at me talking to the doctors. I turned my head to her and smiled at her. My mom covered her mouth and started to cry. She rushed into the room and stopped in front of my hospital bed. She put her arms around me. The doctors left the room.

My mom said, "Mat, how did you do it? How did you come back?"

I smiled and said, "Lets just say I had help from a old family member."

My mom smiled and kissed me on my cheek. She said, "I really thought I lost you forever."

I said, "I know, I thought I lost you forever too."
My mom said, "Come with me, you have to meet someone."

I frowned and said, "I don't want to meet my dad."

My mom said, "Mat, how...how did you know?"

I said, "I saw him smack you, push you, and kick you. Mom, I want that horrible man out of our lives."

Suddenly something, or someone, made a shadow on the floor. I looked at the figure. It was the horrible man; it was, my dad. He walked slowly over to me. He looked in my eyes. He said, "You must be, Mathew Jones."

I said, "Yes. I am Mathew Jones, your son."

He smiled and said, "Yes."

My mom frowned and looked at him. She said, "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be outside waiting?"

Chapter 24 * Mat's Story

"He nodded his head and smiled at me. I looked at him and frowned. I wasn't going to let this terrible man torture me nor my mom! I took off the covers and got off of the bed. I yelled, "Get out of our lives! I have been through enough torture! I am going to kill you, so my mom could live in peace!" Suddenly my eyes turned red. My skin started to turn yellow. I was turning into the yellow dragon.


My dad said, "Don't worry, boy. I can also do that trick." His eyes turned purple. His skin turned green. He was turning into Trantrex.
Suddenly a woman walked into the room holding a pop can.
The woman said, "Oah, great. First I goat loast at a train statioan, then I foaund this talking poap can, and noaw I am staring at two dragoans."

My mom walked over to the woman and said, "Did you say a talking pop can?"

The woman said, "Yeas. Please belieave me."

My mom said, "I do. That pop can's name is Mr. Coke. Oh, I am Rose."

The woman said, "I am Mrs. Chen. Hoaw doa yoau knoaw aboaut this poap can?"

My mom said, "We met many times. May I have him?"

Mrs. Chen said, "Yes, oaf coaurse." Mrs. Chen handed my mom the pop can.
Mr. Coke opened his eyes and said, "Rose? OMG, I have missed you so much. After that amazing party, I woke up and noticed that you two were in your beds, so I rolled out of the window and I stopped at a train station. That's where I met Mrs. Chen. She told me that it was her second time at that train station. The first time she got lost."

Mrs. Chen said, "Yes, that true."

Mr. Coke whispered, "It's really hard to understand her. She is still learning English." My mom smiled.

I flew and pushed Trantrex out of the window. He smacked against a tree. I flew out of the window. Zaroff and his dogs appeared around the corner of the hospital. Zaroff yelled, "Dragons!"

Back at Ship-Trap Island, the echo of the word 'dragons' filled the air. Rainsford opened his eyes with a smile on his face. He stood up slowly. He looked on the floor boards and saw his left hand just lieing there, so very still. He