Carter Jones is nine years old. This is his first story.
Once there was a boy, a young boy, who lived with his family in a big valley. He loved his family but he forgot how much they loved him. He wanted to run away and live with his grandparents. He was afraid to ask because he thought his parents would not let him go. So, he ran away while his family was sleeping.
He knew he had to go to Mendocino to find his grandparents. But, he didn’t know how to get there. So, he called a taxi. The taxi driver was a nice man with a cap on his head and a blue uniform. He loved kids because they reminded him of the happy times he had when he was a kid.
Off they went to Mendocino singing songs along the way. All of a sudden there was a loud pop and the taxi swerved back and forth. They came to a stop and the taxi driver got out to see what was wrong. They had a flat tire.
“Oh no,” said the taxi driver. “I don’t have a spare tire.”
It was late and they were in the woods alone. They walked back to a small town they had just passed. It was a scary, dark night.
Photo by Krissy Jones
They saw a big black bear. It just walked along and left them alone. Then they saw a mountain lion. It was walking away from them and did not bother them at all. This was scary to the kid but everything turned out okay.
Photo courtesy of Stevie Scudder
They found a tire shop and bought a spare. The taxi driver paid for the tire and added it to the bill.
They had to take the new tire back to the car quickly before it got too dark to see. They made it in time. They took off the old tire and put on the new one. It was now very late and they were sleepy and hungry. They decided to drive back to the small town and look for a place to eat and to sleep.
In town there was only one hotel. It was in a big spooky wooden building. The people were mean and they made their guests miserable. But, it was the only place to stay. So, they took a room for the night. They went out to eat at a café down the block.
After dinner they returned to the hotel. The manager ran after them because he did not like people at all. The only reason he kept the hotel was to make money for his family. He had to do this or his family wouldn’t like him anymore.
Photo by Carter Jones
The next morning the taxi driver and the kid drove off in the taxi before breakfast so they wouldn’t have to see the mean man again. Along the road, they saw wild irises and other flowers blooming. When they arrived in Mendocino later that day they found the kid’s grandparents waiting at their house.
The grandparents paid the taxi driver then went on his way back home.
The phone rang. It was the kid’s parents. They were worried because their son was missing.
In the meantime, the kid’s cousins came over to see the grandparents. The younger cousin just wanted to play baseball all the time while the older cousin played video games without stopping.
Fifteen years later the kid and the small cousin were professional baseball players for the Giants. The older cousin gave up video games and became a computer wizard.
The kid’s parents agreed to let the kid stay with his grandparents. They visited him whenever they felt like it. Everyone lived happily ever after. On the kid’s 24th birthday, the Giants won the World Series.
The taxi driver read about the World Series and remembered the kid. He took everyone to Disneyland to celebrate.
The kid, Carter Jones, was recognized as the best catcher in the world. His cousin, Karson Jones, was the best pitcher.
The End