Look Up

By A.S. Morrison

Thaddeus Minnow accidentally gets transported to a strange world, and he's not the first. This sort of thing happens, but nobody knows how to send him back. Thaddeus will attempt to be the first person to find his way back home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.S. Morrison
• Release date: Feb 8, 2015

Book preview

Look Up

By A.S. Morrison

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2015 A.S. Morrison

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 1

Thaddeus Minnow was a very curious child. He was of strong mind and was the smartest kid in his class, at least that’s what his parents told him. He lacked the physical strength of some of the boys, but he could grow into that later.

His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Minnow, were both teachers at the local college. They made sure young Thaddeus stayed up to date on his assignments—the ones from school and the ones they assigned themselves.

Thaddeus used to hate all the assignments, but when several kids around the neighborhood started picking on him he grew to like staying in all day and learning. He was often told that he would be their boss one day and they would have to work for him. That day couldn’t come soon enough.

The Minnow family lived in a slender house deep in a neighborhood filled with slender houses. They all looked almost the same. Some had brown shutters and some had yellow, but that was the extent of their differences.

It was a very pleasant summer morning when the Minnow’s left their slender house to drive to the meadow. Thaddeus sat in the back seat reading the book his parents had assigned him for the first part of the summer.

How’s the reading coming? Mr. Minnow asked as the car came to a stop at a traffic light.

It’s good. Thaddeus replied. He wasn’t really reading. He was staring at the pages and taking quick glances out the window.

I remember when I read that book. Mr. Minnow said. Changed my life.

Really? Thaddeus said, not really paying attention.

Sure did.

A few minutes later the car turned onto a road that ran through the woods. They came to a stop in a parking lot and got out. Thaddeus followed his parents onto a little path between the trees.

The Minnow’s went on family walks once a week. It broke the monotony of lessons and grading. Thaddeus enjoyed these excursions and secretly wished they happened more often. As much as he liked learning he liked going on mini adventures outside even more. Every time he walked amongst the trees he imagined that he was in a world completely separate from his own. Housing developments crushed in on all sides, but for those brief minutes in the center of the woods civilization was all but forgotten about.

The sun wasn’t as bright and the air a little cooler on the dirt path through the trees. Mr. Minnow quizzed Thaddeus on all the bird calls they heard. Mrs. Minnow asked Thaddeus to name all the types of trees they would encounter.

The boy ran ahead when he got the chance and snuck around the edge of the brush looking for animals. He found a large toad sitting on the edge of the path, a few squirrels running up and down trees, and even the end of a snake (or perhaps the tail of a lizard) slithering under a bush. He also saw many birds fluttering in the canopy above. They were singing their songs and gave the whole woods a very pleasant feel.

The dirt path ended and a wooden walkway began, curving off into the tall grass that replaced the trees. Thaddeus waited for his parents to catch up. They talked about this and that and didn’t seem at all to have the wonder that he always felt after his mind was swallowed by nature.

Ah, we’ve come to the good part already. Mrs. Minnow said.

Yeah, come on. Thaddeus pulled his mother’s arm in hopes she would go faster.

They started onto the wooden walkway and followed the curve around through the tall grass. The grass went off to the sides and they were now walking through a very pretty meadow. The walkway was several inches above the water. Little green plants poked up through the water every now and then. Cattails stood in clumps and swayed in the light breeze.

Thaddeus walked quickly, looking into the water at all times so he wouldn’t miss any animals. There were little fish and snails and maybe even a few tadpoles, though they might have just been fish. He saw a turtle and watched as it poked its head above the water and dove down again. Some of the turtles were small and some were very big. They clumped together on branches that lay half in the water.

Did you see that one? Thaddeus called out whenever he saw a turtle. Oh look, there’s another one.

Thaddeus come here. His mother said. Be very quiet, do you see that?

She pointed over to the edge of the meadow where the tall grass began again. A young deer was standing there, poking its head into the grass.

Wow, it’s so close. Thaddeus whispered.

Let’s leave it alone, we don’t want to scare it off. Mrs. Minnow advised.

They came to a part of the walkway that was raised higher than the rest. Signs showed the types of animals that might be found. There was a viewing tower out that way. They climbed up and could see all the way to the other end of the meadow, some three hundred yards away. The Minnow’s sat on a bench on top of the tower and relaxed while the world turned below them. It got late very suddenly and it was time to leave.

Thaddeus wished they could stay for the rest of the day, even longer if it was possible. His parents led the way back down. They walked along the walkway until the forest began again. The dirt trail returned.

The boy kept behind his parents this time. He looked all around hoping to find more animals hidden away out of sight. The meadow always had more animals than the woods.

Can we come back tomorrow? Thaddeus asked his parents when he noticed that they were quickly coming to the end of their walk. Houses could be seen through the trees in the distance. The thought of civilization made Thaddeus want to run back and hide amongst the trees.

Not tomorrow, but maybe next week. His father said.

Are you sure we can’t come back? Thaddeus asked hopefully.

No, no, we can’t have too much of a good thing now can we? Our walks are once a week. That way we don’t get tired of them and yet still look forward to them.

Thaddeus bowed his head and walked on. He looked up a minute later and saw that there was a much smaller path going off to the right. A sign stood a little ways in that direction. He glanced up at his parents to see that they were walking on ahead and talking, and then he ran over to the sign to see what it