Matt Monroe and the Secret Society of Odontology: Matt Monroe, #1

By Edward Torba

An ancient prophecy.

A hidden world of magic and monsters.

A Secret Society that holds the key.

Fourteen-year-old Matt Monroe is enjoying an ordinary summer with friends in his rural Pennsylvania neighborhood, until one night, mysterious red lights appear in the sky over the Monroe family farm and strange creatures begin stalking the woods. When he discovers a set of wooden tablets and a mysterious ring in his great-grandfather's dental chest, an ancient prophecy begins to unfold. Matt, his older brother, and five friends are transported to a magical dimension called Paragon to face deadly monsters and fight an epic battle against an evil enemy.Journey with Matt and his friends on an epic adventure of deception and betrayal, mixed with courage and the bonds of friendship. Will they find the magic stone in time to save the world?

• Language: English
• Publisher: All Points Press
• Release date: Nov 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9780985082710

Book preview

ONE

THE OMEN

The golden glow of twilight spread over the lush countryside, magically painting trees and other plants various shades of orange and yellow, signaling the end of another workday. All seemed well in the tiny farming community. However, something was out of place; three large, eerie red lights hovered only a few feet off the ground in the middle of the cornfield.

Because of the high humidity, an inversion formed over the valley. This caused a thick fog to hang low in the fields of the Monroe Farm, as fourteen-year-old Matt Monroe pulled the tractor into the barn. The smell of fresh hay filled the air.

Matt parked the John Deere in its place and was greeted by loud mooing from two of his favorite milking cows. He gathered some of the newly reaped hay and fed it to the noisy, oversized animals. His mother had always said he had a special way with them. Matt thought about it and laughed to himself, watching the Guernsey cows fight for the sprigs of hay he had tossed their way, then he turned to leave the barn.

Something moved to his right. What was that? Matt could have sworn he saw a shadow.

Who’s there? he asked. No one answered.

The livestock weren’t spooked, so he chalked it up to heat exhaustion. However, when he closed the barn door Matt saw a ghostly figure standing in the fog only a few yards away. It looked like a teenage boy who waved to him, beckoning him to follow. Matt rubbed his eyes and just like that, the mysterious figure was gone.

Maybe Mom’s right. I should slow down. I hope I’m not getting a fever. She’ll flip out, he mumbled to himself. Matt looked across the field toward the farmhouse and saw the red lights. They pulsated,but gave off no sound.

Now what? he muttered.

Matt leaned against a fence post and watched the lights rise above the house in a triangular formation. They traveled high in the night sky toward the Chestnut Ridge. He stared wide-eyed at the display. His right hand shook slightly as he grabbed the top of the wooden post. Abruptly, the mysterious red lights shot off in opposite directions. In a split second, they were gone.

Matt wiped large beads of sweat from his forehead and looked back to the farmhouse, where he noticed his father sitting on the back patio. He waved to him and ran toward the backyard, pointing up to the sky. But before he reached the patio, Matt was engulfed by a brilliant light. Then there was darkness.

Matt gasped and sat up in bed. He sweated profusely. It had only been a dream! Yet it seemed so real. He looked at the dim light on his alarm clock. The digital reading showed three o’clock.

The dream had startled him, that’s for sure. He lay in bed, his heart and mind racing. Nevertheless, after a great deal of tossing and turning, he finally fell back asleep.

In what seemed like mere seconds, Matt squeezed his eyes shut to block the early morning sunlight filtering through a tiny gap between the curtains of his second-floor bedroom window. He groaned and rolled over onto his left side in an attempt to escape the unwelcome dawn. A moment later, his eyes popped open and he stared at the small alarm clock on the nightstand.

Oh crap! I slept in—again.

He promptly jumped out of bed, stretched, and looked around. Where did he put those shorts? Yes, they were on the desk chair. With his first step he stubbed his big toe on the leg of the bed. He opened his mouth, ready to curse. It hurt so badly, he hopped on one foot and bumped into the dresser. The tiny room was soon filled with a multitude of sounds, from picture frames falling over, to a large baseball trophy clanking against the wall, to the jingle of loose change bouncing and rolling on the hardwood floor. He looked across the room. His older brother was still asleep, snoring away. Matt smiled. Josh could sleep through just about anything.

Matt slipped into his shorts and sneakers. Yawning widely and running his fingers through his thick blond hair, he opened the bedroom door and walked out into the upstairs hall. In the dim light of the early dawn, Matt glanced toward the hall window.

Were the bright red lights back? The evening before, red lights filled the night sky. Matt was sure this event is what had caused his eerie dream.

He walked to the window and looked out into the dawn. To the east, the barn was silhouetted against the red sun, still hidden behind the Appalachian Mountains that cut through southwestern Pennsylvania. The glow of Latrobe was barely distinguishable to the west. In minutes it would be gone. Lights from Kingston, the little village his family considered home, weren’t even visible.

Matt stared up, above the mountains. The weird red lights were nowhere to be seen. They’d just shown up while he was finishing the evening chores, and…

He shook his head as if to lose the thought, and descended the back stairs. Kay Monroe stood at the stove, stirring a skillet of scrambled eggs. It’s about time you got up, sleepyhead.

Matt ignored her remark and opened the fridge door. He rubbed his belly and yawned loudly, then he grabbed the orange juice carton, popped the lid, and swigged from it.

Matthew!

He gulped the juice down. I’m in a hurry, Mom.

You need a decent meal.

You worry too much. I’m okay. Matt belched loudly. His mother shook her head and made a guttural sound.

You’re still recovering from a serious illness. Now, sit down and eat.

Matt knew she was right. He still had short spells of dizziness and sometimes his energy would be sapped by even the slightest chore. He had to take care of himself, for sure. Matt had no desire to visit the hospital again. So to be on the safe side he placed the carton back in the fridge and plopped himself down at the breakfast table.

His mother set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him. Matt quickly gulped down a bite and wiped the corner of his mouth on his sleeve. He looked up. Mom, why didn’t you wake me? My alarm clock must be broken.

She sat down in the chair across from him and sipped her hot coffee. Are you sure you set the alarm?

Matt gritted his teeth, fought an urge to argue with her, and won. He went back to eating his breakfast and looked up again. I can’t quit thinking about those weird lights. You know I had a dream about them. I think I was abducted.

His mother shivered, as if a cold wind had blown through the kitchen, and looked away. Oh, you and your imagination. Those lights are nothing to worry about.

He noticed her hand shaking as she placed the cup back onto the saucer.

Matt cleared his throat. That’s not what you said last night.

She stood and returned to the stove. With her back to him, she said, Your father thinks they were weather balloons.

No way. They were flying around too fast—

His mother stiffened. What are your plans for the day?

She clearly had no interest in talking about UFOs, so he dropped the subject. I’m going to cut Dr. Steel’s grass, then go fishing with Zach till my papers get here.

His mom turned back to him. It’s supposed to be very hot today. Don’t overdo it.

I know. I’ll make sure I drink lots of water. He practically gagged on the words.

Her eyebrows inched up. Matthew…

I’m sorry. He gobbled down his remaining food, kissed his mother on the cheek, and walked toward the kitchen door.

Where do you think you’re going?

He turned. Now what?

His mother frowned. She held an index finger to her teeth and moved it back and forth as if it were a toothbrush.

Matt groaned. It’s bad enough Dad’s a dentist. Why do you have to be a drill instructor? Missing one time won’t rot my teeth.

She tapped her foot, like she always did when he talked back.

Matt didn’t want an argument, so he headed back upstairs and gave his teeth a quick once over. He spit the excess toothpaste into the bathroom sink. Then he popped downstairs into the kitchen and gave his mom a wise-guy grin to show off his newly clean, sparkling white teeth.

She shook her head, but smiled. Matt heard her say, You’ll be the death of me, as he rushed out the door.

Occasionally, Matt glanced over toward the swing as he walked back and forth, mowing the lawn. The old man stared back, smiling.

He’d always liked the retired dentist. Dr. Steel had helped Matt’s father set up his dental practice in nearby Latrobe twenty years earlier. Now in his eighties, he was living the good life and other than having put on a few extra pounds, appeared to be physically fit.

Matt finished mowing the lawn, in that crazy diagonal pattern the man liked, and walked over to the porch to get paid.

The retired dentist stood up and got out his wallet. He fingered through his cash and pulled out some bills. He patted Matt on the back. You did a great job…every bit as good as your brother.

Matt scrunched his forehead and sneered, for he hated always being compared to his older brother.

By the way, does Josh like his new job at the amusement park? Dr. Steel asked.

Matt laughed. Yeah…lots of girls to cruise.

Dr. Steel slapped his hands on the metal railing surrounding the porch and nodded. Well, if I was his age and half as good looking, I’d do the same.

Matt groaned. Everyone liked Josh. Matt suspected the only reason the older teens in the neighborhood tolerated him was due in large part to his seventeen-year-old brother…Mr. Popularity. Josh was captain of the varsity swim club and the best right-handed pitcher on the high school baseball team…and on top of that he was an honors student.

Is tonight sleep-out night?

Matt’s eyebrows rose. Yes, Sir, it is. He took the bills and stuffed them into his pocket.

It’s good to see you kids are keeping up the tradition. You know, the sleep-outs have been going on for years. I always enjoyed them—kind of missed them when I got older.

Wow—that long ago! When he realized how that must have sounded, Matt blushed. I didn’t mean to say—

Dr. Steel laughed heartily. After regaining his composure, he waved his hand in front of his face, apparently trying to suppress another chuckle. Do they still do the initiation into the Brotherhood?

You know about that too?

He nodded. Who do you think started it? It was my creation.

Matt grinned and shook his head. That’s wild! He stepped off the porch and grabbed onto the lawnmower’s handle. Yeah, my initiation’s coming up later this summer.

Dr. Steel sat back onto his swing. Great! Keep up the good work, Matty—best of luck to you.

As Matt put the mower in the storage shed behind the house, Zach Roundtree shuffled in through the backyard gate, his little fat roll quivering under his white T-shirt.

Matt frowned. His best friend carried his rod and reel, but no bait. He grabbed his own fishing pole and closed the shed door. Didn’t you get the grubs?

Well…

Come on, Zach. A customer on my route said bass really like grubs, and he fishes all the time.

Zach stopped and pushed up his black-rimmed eyeglasses on his sweaty face. Yeah, but I didn’t believe you, so I got on the Internet. I was surprised… There were lots of sites that said grubs made great bait. But they’re gross. I’m glad I’m not a fish. I think I’d starve before I ate grubs.

Matt laughed. I thought you’d eat just about anything.

Zach sneered. Then he grinned widely, causing his glasses to lift off his chubby cheeks as he reached into his jeans back pocket and slowly pulled out a small tin. He opened it and wiggly grubs appeared.

Ta-da! Had you going, didn’t I?

Yeah, yeah…you fooled me, all right.

They walked through the woods to the small stream behind the farm, and crossed the narrow brook by stepping on a row of strategically placed rocks, which were partially covered by moss—making them very slippery. Both had fallen into the creek a number of times by misjudging the slickness of the limestone. But today they crossed with ease. They turned left and hustled over the well-worn path toward the Kingston Pond. Matt looked up into the sky, over the mountains. There were only a few puffy clouds.

Yep…it would be a good day.

Zach followed his gaze.

Matt ducked quickly to evade a low lying branch, and suddenly saw a boy standing on the path only a few yards ahead…or was it a ghostly figure of a boy? Could it be the same lad he had seen in his dream? He shuddered just thinking about it.

Before the kid ran out of sight, Matt could have sworn he heard him say, Hurry, you don’t have much time. Earth to Matt. Zach snapped his fingers in front of Matt’s face. Where were you?

Matt shook his head. What do you mean?

You seemed to be in a daze.

Did you see the boy?

What boy?

Forget it, Matt said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. What did you want?

I was asking you about the strange lights last night.

Oh, the lights. They were awesome, weren’t they? Mom and Dad said not to worry, but I’m not so sure. Zach grabbed Matt’s arm. In ancient Greece, they’d say it was a bad omen.

Matt started to move forward. Yeah, they were superstitious back then. Today we have science. Just about everything has an explanation.

Zach swatted at a horsefly. I guess so, but those lights gave me the heebie-jeebies. Especially the way they moved back and forth.

Matt stopped walking and turned toward his best friend. Want to know what I think they were?

Zach’s forehead scrunched up. UFOs?

Yep!

They got to the pond and Matt looked about. Good—they had the entire place to themselves. They walked through the open gate, faster now, and stopped at their favorite place, where a log jutted out under a weeping willow tree.

Matt baited his hook. He gritted his teeth as the grub wrapped its wiggly body around his thumb. Hey, maybe Zach had a point.

They fished for over an hour, without even a nibble; so much for grubs.

Zach pulled his line in and checked the bait. He put a new grub on the hook and threw his line back into the water. What if they were UFOs?

Matt started to reel in his line. It would be awesome, that’s for sure.

Dad says UFOs don’t exist. How does he say it? Oh, yeah…UFOs are just phantoms of illusion brought on by hysteria.

Matt laughed. That’s a mouthful.

Zach broke off a piece of dry, tall fescue grass and chewed on it. For sure. But I think UFOs do exist.

Matt cast the line in a different direction, closer to the bank. I agree. The universe is too big. Common sense says there have to be other life forms out there.

Zach jiggled his line and slid closer to Matt. You think they’re friendly?

I hope so. If they can travel across the galaxy, they have to be way more advanced than us—which means they could kick our butts if they wanted to.

Yeah, I see what you mean. I vote for friendly.

Matt looked at his watch. We better head for home. My papers should be there by now.

They took the useless, overrated grubs off their hooks and tossed them into the pond. No sooner had the bait hit the water than a fish broke the surface and gobbled up Matt’s grub. His shoulders slumped. Yeah, right. It figures.

Zach snickered.

They started their walk home. The clouds had disappeared alto get her, and the hot August sun had crept higher in the hazy, blue sky. The temperature and humidity climbed.

Zach kicked at a clod of dirt and turned toward Matt. What time are you guys leaving for the pavilion?

Matt had to think. Well, Josh gets off work at seven. If you want to go with us, be at my house no later than seven-fifteen—okay?

Sure. I can’t wait…I love these sleep-outs.

Matt hit himself in the forehead. Hey, I almost forgot to tell you. Can you believe it—old Doc Steel went to the sleep-outs when he was a kid. He told me they’ve been going on for years—and he actually started the Brotherhood. That blew me away.

Wow. Zach stopped for a moment and stared at Matt. I guess we’re not as cool as we thought.

The boys started along the path leading away from the pond. An unexpected rustling sounded in the high weeds.

Both boys froze.

Listen, Matt said.

Something ran speedily through the dry undergrowth. The racket was very loud.

Zach looked at Matt with raised eyebrows. What the heck is that?

I’m not sure—might be a flock of wild turkeys. You know how noisy they can be. Remember the time a bunch of them jumped out at us and we both freaked?

Zach started to laugh. Sure do. I just about lost it.

The noise got closer. Yeah, it was probably just turkeys. But what was that awful smell? Matt took a deep whiff. What did it remind him of?

Suddenly, a giant, furry creature ran swiftly across the trail only a few feet ahead of them.

The boys yelped. They raced into the woods and took cover behind a log. When the sounds of heavy footfall and snapping branches faded away, the boys summoned the courage to peer over the log. The furry creature was gone.

Whoa. W-w-what was that? Zach said, his teeth chattering.

Matt’s heart was racing. I think it was a bear.

Zach wriggled his nose. What kind of bear runs on its hind legs? I’d say it looked more like an ape. Did you see how fast it buzzed across the path? That thing was moving.

We must have startled it—whatever it was.

Zach nodded his head real hard, like he was trying to convince himself. I guess it had to be a bear. What else could it be?

Matt and Zach cleared the woods and were soon back at the farm. Matt released a breath, feeling safe, now that they were far away from that bear, or whatever the thing was. He couldn’t get the image out of his head of the creature running on its hind legs and swinging those long hairy arms. It was just a bear, nothing more. You’re home now, where it can’t get you, so stop thinking about it.

The newspaper delivery truck pulled away as they walked through the breezeway, and the strange incident was history. Matt waved to the driver and picked up the bundle of newspapers lying in the driveway. Zach helped fold the papers while Matt filled the bright orange paper sack.

When they finished, Matt straddled his mountain bike. Using his T-shirt, he wiped the sweat from his face. Remember, it’s your turn to bring the cards for poker tonight—don’t forget. And you better watch yourself. I feel like it’s going to be my lucky night.

It always is! Zach shook a finger at Matt. But tonight, we’re taking you down.

Matt laughed. Yeah, in your dreams. He knew he was an excellent poker player. He had been told he got the talent from his great-grandfather. Matt waved to Zach and pedaled his bicycle down the driveway.

This was his first full week as a paperboy and Matt decided he liked delivering papers even though it was another hand-me-down job from his brother.

His first customer, Mrs. Jane O’Hara, lived across the road from the farm. Mrs. O’Hara was his dad’s dental hygienist and mother of fourteen-year-old Katie, one of Matt’s closest friends.

As he biked up their driveway, Katie ran out to greet him. She wore her typical outfit of jeans, T-shirt, and a baseball cap. Matt knew there was no mistaking her for a girlie girl; sugar and spice she was not.

Mom and I are going to the mall tonight. Want to join us?

He gave Katie the look as he handed her the paper. It’s Friday night. You know I’ll be busy.

She huffed and pulled the baseball cap down more snugly on her uncombed mop of light brown hair, then grabbed the newspaper and stomped back toward her redbrick house.

Oh, right. She didn’t like the boys-only thing.

Wait, I’m sorry. He pedaled his bike up to her. Want to go swimming tomorrow…around noon?

She stopped. Why would I want to go with you?

Matt put on his most apologetic expression. I know the sleep-out bugs you. I shouldn’t have said anything about it.

You think?!

Look, I told you I was sorry. Do you want to go swimming or not? Matt asked, while he turned his bike around.

Well—I guess so. But don’t be late! I want to get a good spot.

He knew she enjoyed watching him squirm, so he smiled and reacted in a cool manner.

Okay, see you then.

Matt continued his paper route and soon came to Dr. Steel’s house. The old man sat on his front porch where he’d been earlier that morning, patiently waiting for his newspaper. Matt walked up the sidewalk and handed the paper to Dr. Steel. That’s when Matt noticed the headline, splashed across the front page: STRANGELIGHTS IN NIGHT SKY OVER VALLEY. But by now, what the lights were—or where they came from—was no longer the first thing on his mind; it was sleep-out night, and that mattered most to him.

After a few more deliveries, Matt turned right onto Kingston Club Road. Most of his customers were clumped together in a relatively flat area located along the first quarter mile of the narrow country road; from that point on, the roadway rose sharply.

Matt groaned when he saw the steep incline ahead, simply called the hill, and shook his head. It wasn’t right, having to climb this dumb hill for three lousy papers. He pedaled hard up the sharp rise. Matt had to stop twice to deliver papers before reaching the top. Sweat poured down his face as he neared the first stop. By the time he reached the crest of the hill, his T-shirt was drenched in perspiration.

Matt eyed the last customer’s fancy mailbox. Reading the name—Dr. Agregeous Payne—caused him to shudder. He’d seen the retired dentist only from a distance, but his brother had said he was nothing but a mean old geezer who enjoyed intimidating people. But then again, Josh was known to exaggerate.

Matt turned left onto the Payne estate, isolated from the neighbors by thick woods, wondering if something in the local water supply had attracted so many dentists to Kingston.

He pedaled up the winding lane.

The large three-story Victorian mansion was set perhaps eight hundred feet off the main road. Tall crimson king maple trees stood on each side of the lane leading to the house. Their branches stretched high across the roadway.

Matt shuddered; it was like passing through a tunnel, making the house in the distance look scary.

The mansion was perched on the side of a hill, tucked neatly beneath a ridge of large oak and maple trees. The grounds were not well-groomed, and the house was run-down. Many of the shutters were missing, while some of the rain gutters were not attached to the eave, swinging back and forth in the slight breeze. The wooden siding had obviously not been painted in years.

The imposing structure looked more like a haunted house in a horror film.

He stepped off his bike and climbed the dilapidated concrete steps to the wooden porch. A gust of wind blew dead leaves across the floorboards as he walked toward the front entry. Matt placed the paper at the base of the large oak door. The old house creaked and moaned, as if to warn its master that someone was at the door.

Matt ran down the steps. That old house definitely gave him the cold shivers. As he jumped onto his bike, he heard a deafening howl, like a lion’s roar. A large, furry creature bolted across the front lawn of the estate. It ran through the shadows of the trees. As it came into a patch of sunlight, the beast’s hideous face turned toward Matt, bared its teeth, and growled.

TWO

PULSATING GLOBE

The creature’s long, low-hanging arms swung back and forth as it burst from the woods and sprinted across the lawn.

Screaming, Matt pedaled his

Reviews for Matt Monroe and the Secret Society of Odontology

[mckait · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First of all, I wouldn't classify this as YA by any means, I would consider it junior fiction. It's important to know your target group. YA is usually much more sophisticated these days. I have to admit that I was skeptical for the first chapter or two. Even taking into consideration that this was for young readers, it felt somewhat choppy, some words not carefully chosen. I was determined to give it a chance though and before long the story began to flow more smoothly. This is a well told story of a small group of young people chosen to go into another dimension, a place called Paragon and travel to Odent city.Strange events and mysterious objects and the prospect of a meeting of a secret society are found very early on in this book. At the meeting of The Brotherhood, Matt was told that he was the chosen one. Matt had a purer heart and more compassion he was told, and this is why he, and not the firstborn of his family was chosen to take this journey and do what had to be done. Josh and Katie were not just skeptical at first, but scoffed at the story they had been told. This did not last long after they entered Paragon.This book is filed with secrets, other worlds and strange creatures. It is well suited for 9-13 year olds, or those who function at that approximate level. The children are the heroes and there are many adventures along the way. One thing that I found distracting and in fact annoying was the inclusion of all things related to dentistry. I thought it was unnecessary and at times off putting. I am not reviewing this as a book for adults, however, but a book for children. So assuming that at least some of the references will go unnoticed, I think this is for the most part, a good story. 3.5 stars if you are nine years old.

[amandakerr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great YA Novel That Mixes Fantasy With MysteryMatt Monroe and The Secret Society is a great new YA novel that mixes fantasy with mystery.Friendships, betrayal, and courage combine in this extraordinary story.This is a great YA Novel that will excite readers who enjoy fantasy, mystery, and adventure.Highly Recommended Read!!