Harris Huxley Knows What's Behind the Door

By Susan Schroeder

Little doors and windows have been popping up on trees all over town. They look so sweet and draw a lot of attention, but what Harris Huxley finds is not what he expects. Little men lurking in his back yard, his house and his neighborhood, watching every move he makes. Wee people who have nothing better to do than torment Harris and his friends. They wreck his club house, steal his mom’s garden gnomes and write strange messages on his face and body while he sleeps. Harris and his friends search for a way to rid the strange creatures from their lives. Learn what really lurks behind those cute little doors, and find out how Harris and his friends take care of this strange situation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Schroeder
• Release date: Dec 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370153299

Susan Schroeder

Aspiring Author and Science Enthusiast.

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Harris Huxley Knows What’s Behind the Door

by Susan Schroeder

Harris Huxley Knows What’s Behind the Door

Book One in the Harris Huxley Series

By Susan Schroeder

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously.

©2016 by Susan Schroeder. All rights reserved.

Ebook printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address Magnanomite Publishing, 2542 Willow Knoll,

St. Louis, MO, 63129.

Cover design by Peggy Nehmen, www.nkcreative.com

Editing by Karen Dowell

Illustrations by Madeline Schroeder and Mary Schroeder

ISBN #9781370153299

Acknowledgements

Thank you God for everything.

A Special Thank You to Karen Dowell, my friend and editor. Without you, this project would not have come to fruition. Thank you to Priscilla and Bosco Westrich, Kristine Rosa, and Jane Wright, my fresh eyes who caught the small stuff left behind. Thank you to Mary and Madeline Schroeder who listened intently and drew me the fabulous pictures. You are all wonderful. And, to Peggy Nehmen, book designer, who turned the cover idea into a visual reality.

The Information on elves found in this book, also known a Huldufolk, courtesy of Wikipeida.

Magnanamite Publishing Introduces

The Harris Huxley Series

Book One: Harris Huxley Knows What’s Behind the Door

Book Two: Harris Huxley Falls Into Something Strange

Book Three: Harris Huxley Finds a Fissure to the Past

Coming Soon

Book Four: Harris Huxley Plays a Dangerous Game

Book Five: Harris Huxley Takes a Dare

Preface

We were like a small army of four, crawling on our bellies across the yard to the big burr oak tree near the center of my neighbor’s backyard. I think Miss Lillie might have yelled at us if she knew what we were going to do in her backyard, so we were being as quiet as possible. She was always looking out her back window at the animals in her yard. She fed the birds, the squirrels, even the butterflies. She had a fat beagle dog named Penny that liked to bark when it saw anyone near the house, and so we were in danger of being found out.

It’s right near the bottom on the other side of the tree, Willie whispered. Willie was the biggest of us four. It wasn’t like he was fat or anything, he was just stocky, and he had big muscular arms. He had a mop of brown curls on his head, and coffee brown eyes the shape of almonds. He was the first one to stand up for any of us if we were threatened. He was a good guy to have next to you when there was a bully around, but he could be a bully at times, too. We were sitting in the up-high treehouse just this morning when Willie told us about the little doors and windows he had seen on Miss Lillie’s burr oak tree. Oh, it’s just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen, he said in his sweetest old lady voice, You just have to see it.

The yard was remarkably quiet, no birds or squirrels moving around. That was strange considering all the bird feeders she had hanging in the trees, plus a bird bath, and several butterfly bushes. We crawled, dragging our bellies and keeping our heads down, as we moved around the bushes to the side of the tree. We crept around to the front and sure enough, there it was, just as cute as Willie had said.

I wonder if the door comes open, I said, putting my fingers on the little door knob. I was shocked when the knob twisted under my touch. I pulled on the door and, to my surprise as the door opened just a bit, I saw a bright yellow light behind the door. Then the door slammed shut so quickly all I could do was blink my eyes. ‘Did anyone else see that?’ So I tried it again. This time the knob would not budge, the door would not open.

Did you see something? Johnny asked. Johnny was the brains of the group. He even looked like a nerd with his crew cut hair. He had his mom cut his hair almost to his scalp because it was red, and he was always being called carrot top, gingersnap, or just red. His skin was fair, covered almost completely with red freckles. To look at him you would instinctively know that he was the smartest kid in all of sixth grade. He also had a sharp wit, he could make you look really stupid. He was a good kid to have on your side when older kids wanted to tease you.

What did you see? Willie pushed his way up closer to the door. He too put his fingers to the knob, but it would not open.

I’m not sure I saw anything, I said, although I could have sworn there was a light that came through the open door

Let me try, said Justin, the smallest of all my friends. Justin was a good looking kid with blond hair and blue eyes. He was small, but he was wiry. Any acrobatic maneuver that would hurt most guys Justin could perform with ease.

Oh sure, like you could get the door to move, said Willie. Justin reached under his shirt to grab the small hammer he had tucked into his pants. I took this out of my little brother’s building set, thought we could use it. It was a real miniature hammer. He put the claw side to the door jam, using it like a wedge, he tried to pry the little door open. The door held tight. It was like it had been glued to the tree.

When Justin was red in the face, Willie, the strong man, took the hammer from him saying, Here, let me try you weakling. Willie put the claw end of the hammer behind the side of the door on the opposite side that Justin just tried. He pushed hard, grunting as he pushed on the hammer, but still it would not budge. Who’s the weakling now? Justin shot back. Willie’s brown curls were sweaty, plastered against his forehead.

Let me see that, I said, taking the hammer. This time I put the claw edge to one of the yellow windows, pushing it as hard as I could. The little window pane snapped off the tree landing at Justin’s feet. It came off so quickly that it scared him, causing him to yell and jump backward. The pane of the window was no longer yellow, but just plain white. ‘Did anyone else see that?’ The sound of Justin’s yell alerted the dog inside, it started to bark, and so we ran. Every man for himself! I shouted. We scattered quickly out of Miss Lillie’s yard, leaving the window pane on the ground near the tree.

And so it began.

Chapter 1

I lay as still as a statue; I could barely see my stomach rise and fall. The acorns were in the folds of my shirt, my hands were just to the sides of my body next to the acorns as I lay on my back in the center of my yard. I had been like this for almost an hour. The squirrel was on the bird bath in Miss Lillie’s yard and it finally spotted me. At first it just stood there staring, but I kept very still. I had my eyes almost closed but I could peek out through my eyelashes. After what seemed like forever, probably only two minutes, he moved. He raced over to the tree, a big sycamore in the center of the yard, then stood still again deciding what to do. Shimmying up into the tree, he ran down the branch that was nearly over my head. He jumped from limb to limb until he was right above me. He hesitated, I knew he saw the acorns waiting to be had. I could almost see the wheels turning in his little pea-brain. He jerked his head, his body followed, and down the tree he scrambled. He hesitated once near my feet, then slowly, as if caution were now part of the plan, he moved onto my shoe. Excitement coursed through me as I felt the pressure of his little body on mine. He moved up my body, slowly taking every step with caution. I had to force myself to stay still. He carefully maneuvered his body right in front of the acorns and looked me right in the eye. I could feel his heart racing in his chest. I could even smell his sweaty fur. He picked up the acorn, his tail brushed against my hand. It’s now or never I thought and I grabbed at the squirrel with both hands, feeling the swoosh of fur as it slid away from my fingers. My hands were jetting back and forth as I was grabbing at the air, but in an instant the squirrel was gone.

I sat up shouting, Shoot, (at least that was what I thought I yelled, but it sounded more like something else). I can cuss like a sailor, I am told. I wanted to catch that squirrel. I had already caught two birds and a rabbit. I needed to catch the squirrel for bragging rights. My friend Johnny Slider claimed he had already caught one. I wasn’t going to let the likes of a freckly-faced red-haired ninny-boy best me!

I am Harris Huxley, I am the best bare-hand hunter in all the 6th grade. I can swipe flies right off the counter. I am fast, and I’m athletic too. I’m told that I’m pretty good looking with my black hair and gray eyes, and I am probably the most popular kid in class. The other kids look up to me. That’s right, I’m cool, at least that’s what I’m told. I have the biggest tree, a sycamore, in my yard. Dad says it’s nearly 200 years old. It’s awesome! My dad, who is the coolest dad in all of Yorkie, that’s short for Yorktown, built me a treehouse in that old sycamore. It’s way up there in the leaves. It has a big platform and three walls with a window in each wall. One side is open so you can swing your feet over and look out. There’s a flat roof over the top, so you can sit up high even when it’s raining, but not if there’s lightning. The only way up to the platform is to climb the rope, which is also the only way down to the ground. Not just anyone can get to it, you have to be tough, strong, and able to climb up high. No sissies can come into my treehouse.

Only a small group of boys can climb up there with me. We are the ‘High-up Boys’ in the ‘High-up Club’. There’s Johnny Slider, Justin Mason, and Willie Stone. They are the coolest guys I know because they aren’t afraid to climb up high. We meet all the time, at least once a day in the High-up Clubhouse.

When we started the club, we all had to bring something to put in the High-up Clubhouse. I brought an old rug for us to sit on. Johnny brought a candle, just in case we needed light, although we don’t have any matches. Justin brought a pair of old binoculars. They have some rust, one of the eye pieces is cloudy, but you can still see out of them if you squint your eyes. Willie brought a dancing Hawaiian Girl. We thought it was kind of strange, but when he sat it down in front of us and flicked it with his finger, it started to sway back-and-forth. He looked at our faces saying, It’s cool to watch. Johnny burst into laughter, I followed, and so did the others. You may have seen one, it looks like she’s doing the Hula. His mom had it sitting on the dashboard of her car and Willie just took it. I think his mom was mad when it suddenly disappeared. I don’t know why he brought it, but we all secretly like it. It sits in the window, swaying in the wind.

I climbed the rope to the base of the clubhouse floor, popping my head through the hole. Almost had him, said a familiar voice. Johnny had been watching with the binoculars. He jumped the moment you moved your hand. You’re not very steady. When I caught my squirrel, I was steadier. I waited longer, that’s the trick. What I have just can’t be taught, he said smugly as he ran his fingers though his short cropped hair.

Oh, shut up, I retorted. Johnny was such a know-it-all.

That dumb squirrel jumped before I even moved my hand, it was like it knew I was going to grab him.

No, you just moved your hand too slow, that’s all it was.

You think you know everything about catching squirrels, I yelled.

Well, that’s because I already caught one. I could’ve caught that squirrel, too. I’ll show you how it’s done. Putting the binoculars down, he grabbed the rope and swung to the ground. He pulled something out of his pocket, laying down flat on his back in nearly the same spot I had lain. He sprinkled something black all over his stomach, closed his eyes and laid completely still. ‘That stupid kid,’ I thought, ‘that squirrel’s not coming back.’ I threw my legs over the side of the platform and picked up the binoculars. If you squinted your eyes you could see quite well. I scoured the yard to see if I could find the squirrel. Just as I thought, the squirrel was gone.

I swept the glasses over Johnny, he was just lying there like a dead man. Well, serves him right. He can just lay there all day as far as I cared. I picked up the Hawaiian Girl, giving her a flick with my finger. She wiggled back-n-forth, smiling at me with her hands held high in the air. I don’t know why I liked her so much, but I did. I was watching her wiggle, thinking about what I could find in the refrigerator, when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head but I saw nothing. I gave the Hawaiian Girl another flick and she wiggled like a maniac in my hand. I smiled, then something hard hit me square on the head. It bounced off rolling to the edge of the platform. I looked down and saw an acorn. Ouch, I rubbed my head, That really hurt. I reached out to pick it up, I wanted to throw it at Johnny, but it suddenly started to move on its own toward the edge of the platform. I reached for it, but in a swish it was gone over the edge. I watched as it fell the long way to the ground. I instinctively rubbed the sore spot on my head, then I saw it. The squirrel was in the tree looking at me. I thought I saw it smile. Did it throw that acorn at my head?

The squirrel moved to the ground, stopping when it spotted Johnny. I find it fascinating that squirrels can become little statues in the blink of an eye, then move and freeze again. It was doing just that as it was making its way to Johnny. It approached him from the side, sitting up on its hind legs next to him. The sneaky squirrel reached up to take what was on Johnny’s shirt. They were small black ovals but what were they? I put the glasses to my eyes and saw what looked like sunflower seeds. He must have robbed Miss Lillie’s bird feeder! The squirrel cautiously took a seed and cracked it, quickly eating the contents. It looked around nervously. ‘Grab it’ I thought. It took another one, doing the same thing it did before. ‘Grab it, grab it now’, I almost hollered. Johnny just laid there, a small smile lifting the corners of his lips. He’s showing off, he’s going to let that squirrel eat those sunflower seeds right off his shirt. ‘Well, he still hasn’t caught the darn thing,’ I thought. As I watched and waited my mind was screaming, ‘GRAB IT NOW.’

As I impatiently waited, I saw Johnny’s thumb twitch. The squirrel stopped and looked around nervously. ‘Erg, this is killing me, the waiting.’ Then, without even a warning, Johnny was holding that squirrel. I had missed the grab, it happened so quickly. I dropped the Hawaiian Girl on the floor and grabbed the rope. I swung to the ground and stood at Johnny’s side watching him struggling to hold on to that very angry squirrel.

I got him, did you see how I did it! he yelled.

Before the squirrel could clamp his jaws on Johnny’s thumb, Johnny let him go, and the squirrel darted off toward the woods. Johnny stood up and brushed himself off. If you want to catch a squirrel, you have to be smarter than the squirrel, he said as he smirked at me. What I have you just can’t teach. Sorry Harris, you’ll never be as smart as me, Johnny continued, smirking that cocky smirk he sometime wore.

I just stood there looking at him. I couldn’t think of anything to say. He had bested me and that just made me mad. I turned and stomped off toward my house. Hey, don’t be mad because I’m smarter, I heard him call behind me. Are you coming back? The guys will be here soon!

I shook my head as I passed my mother’s gnome. I couldn’t help myself, I gave it a hard kick in the hat, and a red piece went flying off hitting the