Jake Lookingglass

By Larry Wade Livingston

Jake Lookingglass is a teenage boy that is involved in highly adult situation. He learns at an early age that he has a special ability. Not one that would cause you to think he’s a D C or Marvel super character. Only one that gives him the ability to see things outside the box. As you will see, he affects others in life and death decisions. Some may say he saves America or even the world itself. Follow Jake as he investigates and assembles his additional facts and theories, to bring the case to a conclusion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669807803

Larry Wade Livingston

Larry Wade Livingston was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in the month of November. He grew up traveling state to state only living in cities sometimes for only a few short weeks. His step-dad was an over the road truck driver which allowed him to attend countless schools throughout his entire childhood. Always being the new kid in school he really had no friends. He found that by writing stories it occupied his mind and he could create his own little world. It was a world that he could control and was accepted. I hope you enjoy the stories that Mister Livingston still amuses himself with as an adult. He writes humorous tales to deep complicated ones and covers many subject matters. If you enjoy his tales and downhome style, you can also find other books by Larry Wade Livingston at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Other books by Larry Wade Livingston The Poetic Storyteller. A book of poems representing the many poetic forms. Three Agendas. A book of three Sci-Fi stories filled with suspense and intrigue. Short Stories from My Heart. A book of Mr. Livingston’s favorite short stories. Sterling Sands. A book of a lawyer’s morality between good and evil. The Protectors. A book of people that are unseen and control part of earth’s survival. The Alignment. A book with many clues throughout to explain the Alignment and its prophecy. A life living fate. A lawyer’s story of making decisions, but were they his alone, or were they predestined? Panadonia. A book about a secret world hidden in the center of earth, until a young boy from earth discovers it’s existence.

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Copyright © 2022 by Larry Wade Livingston.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

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without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 01/18/2022

Xlibris

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DEDICATION

I would like to thank so many people. I have to give thanks first and foremost to Connie Hughes. She was my muse and I’m still sad from her passing. She believed in me when I didn’t. She helped me to develop my writing and my own confidence in writing.

I have to give a special thanks to my mother Goldie Lee Miller and my aunt, Ann Parsons. They both were writers in their own ways. It’s sad that their talents were never able to make it to the public to read. I have to give a tremendous thanks to my friends. They always stand by my side and I love them for their support.

I hope my books can bring some emotions to the readers. If through my writings I can have a reader laugh, cry, get angry, feel sad or jump for joy, or even hate it, I’ve accomplished what I intended to do. To connect to the reader is the goal of anyone that writes. I hope I have caused you, the reader, to be moved by any of your many emotions.

Larry Wade Livingston

CHARACTERS

Jake Lookingglass was interested in everything he saw as a baby. When he picked up any item off the floor as he crawled around. He never eats it, he inspected it thoroughly. He always wanted to know, what it was and why it was there in front of him.

His parents tried everything they could to childproof the house to no avail. Baby Jake had a special sixth sense of what to put in his mouth and what wasn’t acceptable to do that with. His mother could come into the kitchen late at night and catch Jake sitting by the sink. He would have everything from the under the sink compartment spread out around him.

He never tasted or sniffed the items that he had taken out, which included bleach, soap and furniture polish to name a few. At one year old his father caught him trying to plug in the electrical cord from a nearby lamp. Jake never stuck anything into the wall socket, except for the proper cord that was meant to be inserted.

Mr. and Mrs. Lookingglass could never explain Jake’s actions. Their neighbors noticed Jake when he played outside was strange, when compared to other children his age. At two years old his mother, (Alice) would tie a ten-foot quarter inch rope around his waist. She would sit on the porch and let Jake play in the yard. He would pick a dandelion and examine it closely. He would stare at the petals and cock his head in one direction before going to his mother and handing it to her.

Jake’s father (Harley) would drive up into the driveway and Jake would waddle his way over to greet him. As Harley was picking his son up one day, a big German Shepard ran into the yard. He sat Jake down and the dog began to lick Jake’s face. Jake in return squealed with joy and laughed loudly.

Each animal that came into contact with Jake, just loved him. He had never been injured or hurt in any way from any animal. He would ride on the backs of large dogs as his dad held on to him for safety reason. By the time Jake turned four he would still ride on the backs of Great Danes, St. Bernard’s and Mastiffs. Jake rode on them unattended by that time. He would either grab their hair or wrap his arms around their necks.

When Jake turned five, his mother enrolled him in the kindergarten class at Briscoe Child Development Center. It had an excellent reputation and that was good, because it was the only kindergarten classes that was offered in the Talent, Oregon area.

Unlike most children that attended their first day of school. Jake took off at a dead run and entered the center the second his mother opened the car’s door. She shut the car’s door and entered the center to see that her son was where he was supposed to be. He was already in the classroom and was seated in the middle of the front row, right in front of the teacher’s desk.

Good morning, you must be Jake’s teacher? Alice said.

Yes, I’m Joan McBride and you must be Mrs. Lookingglass?

Yes, I am. I wanted to give you a heads up. Jake is a very interesting young boy. He studies everything and will ask you hundreds of questions. He’s serious and comprehends every word or so it seems to his father and I.

I’m sure I can deal with him. It’s amazing how children change once they start intermingling with others their own age. I predict you will see a change in his behavior in a few weeks.

I hope not, he’s perfectly well-mannered and respectful to others. Why would I want him to change?

I didn’t mean or suggest that he needed to change. I’ve seen children over the years mature in kindergarten during their year in my class. That’s all I meant Mrs. Lookingglass.

Very well, I see your class is filling up and that other parents are waiting to speak to you as well.

Joan left the classroom after giving Jake a kiss and told him to have fun on his first day in class. She drove to the local Safeway supermarket and proceeded with her family’s shopping. After completing that chore, she returned home and put the food away in their appropriate places. She started to fix parts for the night’s dinner and stored them in the refrigerator.

Kindergarten class got out right after lunch time. Alice noticed the time and was shocked to find out how fast the time had gone bye. She rushed to the center and saw Mrs. McBride holding Jake’s hand standing in front of the building.

I’m so sorry Mrs. McBride. The time just flew by and I was busy fixing ingredients for dinner and lost track of the time. It won’t happen again Joan. How was Jake today in class?

He was good and you were right. He had several questions and showed interest in just about everything in the classroom. He got along with the other children and didn’t have any negative issues with anyone.

I was hoping he wouldn’t be an imposition or disrupting in the class.

Oh, no. He’s the perfect little gentleman. I wish all the children were as well-mannered as Jake.

Thank you, Mrs. McBride. I apologize again for being late to pick up my son.

Jake got into the car and Joan drove them home while telling him she was sorry for forgetting about him. Jake didn’t care one way or the other. It was his first day and as far as he knew, that was the way things were done.

The Lookingglass family lived on Anderson Creek Road and were some distance away from the Talent City Center. They had many neighbors within a quarter to a mile from their home. Everyone would honk as they passed by their home. That was one way country folks said hello to one another in rural America.

As Joan started to pull into their driveway, two does and a buck jumped across the road in front of her. She stepped on the brake pedal and waited for them to pass safely. Deer were common as was coyotes, beavers, porcupines and racoons. Bears and foxes were rare, but one would show themselves once every ten years or more.

Maybe living where Jake did, added to his inquisitive nature. Seeing the different animals as a baby might have made him ask questions about what they were and where they came from. At the age of five he knew the animal names and understood their habits. Mrs. McBride was impressed with how much Jake knew about wildlife at such an early age.

The older Jake became, the more he read books and investigated wise tales and legends. He had a thirst for the understanding of everything. He couldn’t explain it himself. He just knew he had to answer the who, what, when, where and why for everything.

Jake loved folk lore and lost treasure stories. When he turned ten, he got hooked on the History channel’s show the Legend of Oak Island. By the time Jake started junior high he had his classes selected all the way through his senior year and graduation.

It turned out to be much harder than he thought. He had the desire and drive to investigate anything that captured his imagination. The problem was, Jake was an ordinary boy with C’s and B’s and not your super Wizkid or had a higher I Q than the normal range.

That didn’t stop him from working hard to develop a theory on how to find a sunken ship or a lost gold mine. He was blessed with the ability to see things in a different way than most of us. He had a knack of seeing out of the box and translating information differently than you and I. This ability was to be his launch pad as an adult.

He wanted to go to college, but his family wasn’t rich and he wasn’t eligible for a scholarship. He didn’t have good enough grades and he never played sports of any kind. He couldn’t even afford to attend the Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, only seven miles from his home.

After graduating from Phoenix High, Jake wanted to find a job that would keep him in touch with his investigative skills. He found out that there was an archeology class from Southern Oregon University leaving for Egypt. They had been granted a special permit to join Professor Admire Jabal’s dig. The Jabal dig was underway near the Valley of the Kings, four-hundred miles from Cairo, Egypt.

Jake begged Professor Kenneth Wellington, (professor of the class) to let him be part of their expedition.

You know nothing about archeology or artifacts. How could you possibly be of any help to me or the people on this expedition? Professor Wellington asked.

You need labors to dig and carry supplies and be at you service at all times. I am willing to dig and I don’t require being paid. I’ll work for nothing, I’m perfectly happy just being part of the experience. Jake pleated.

How old are you and what does your parents think about you going to Egypt?

I’m eighteen and my parents are fine with me doing the things I love.

Do you have a passport or have the proper shots to travel abroad?

I don’t have a passport, but I can obtain one. I’ve had many shots, so I don’t know if I have everyone that’s required to go to Egypt.

My class leaves in four weeks. If you have a passport and have gotten the correct shots and I have your parents’ permission, you can come.

Thank you, thank you, Professor Wellington. I will get everything you mentioned.

Getting a passport isn’t something you can acquire overnight. It can take four to six weeks by mail and Jake didn’t have that much time to chance receiving one in time. Jakes father drove eight hours to Seattle so Jake could apply in person at the Reginal Seattle Passport Center.

Jake explained his situation and the clerk was understandable and said he would put a rush on his passport. After driving back home and getting a good night’s sleep, Jake went to his regular doctor. It turned out that he did have a few of the required shots he needed. However, there were a couple that he needed.

Jake’s doctor didn’t have the shots he needed on hand. He sent him to the Rough Valley Memorial Hospital in Medford, Oregon. Jake got the shots and their certificate of proof. He had his doctors’ certificate as well. Harley went to a notary republic and wrote out his permission for his son to go to Egypt. The notary seal was pressed into the document. The only thing left was the arrival of his passport.

Believing he would receive his passport in time. Jake studied about the Valley of the Kings and Egyptian artifacts. He didn’t want to be considered dead weight or totally unknowledgeable by everyone at the dig site. He wanted to be able to converse with the students on their level. He knew he couldn’t learn all there was in a month. He just wanted to learn enough to have a conversation and not sound stupid.

Three days before Professor Wellington’s class was to depart. Jake received his passport in the mail. He literally jumped with joy when he saw it in the mailbox after the mailman had drove away. He admired the beautiful pictures on every page, especially the one with the bald eagle. He showed the passport to his parents and they celebrated with Jake. They knew what it meant for their son to go to Egypt and experience a one in a million opportunity.

Next morning Jake called the college looking for Professor Wellington. He had called the professor’s home number, but there wasn’t an answer. He found out that the professor was packing articles for his trip and was in his classroom, RM 347, at the college.

Jake’s father drove him to the college and he walked into the main building alongside Jake. They found their way to RM 347 with the help from a janitor that was mopping the main hallway. Jake and his father entered the room and Professor Wellington looked up at that moment.

Hello. Jake. Is this your father?

Yes, Professor Wellington. I wanted to show you my Certificates of Appliance. Here are my shot papers showing I have all the proper shots for me to travel and enter Egypt. Here is my father’s permission form you wanted. Most importantly, here is my valid passport.

"Excellent Jake. Follow me to the main office and I’ll make copies of these and I will return them to you. However, you should still bring them with you to Egypt, just in case there’s any questions the Egyptian government may ask you.

It’s nice to meet you Mr. Lookingglass. You and your wife must be excited seeing your son going to Egypt?"

Yes, we’re happy for him. He loves investigating thing, especially old legends, artifacts and the histories of any civilization. I’d like to thank you for allowing him to tag along with you and your class. I understand you’re joining an Archeologist named Admire Jabal and it’s his actual dig site you’re visiting.

Yes, I’ve known Admire for several years. He has applied for a permit to dig in the Valley of Kings for a dozen years or more. He also has ongoing digs elsewhere in Egypt. The Egyptian government finally issued him three permits. He invited me and my class to join him and his team on their expedition.

If there is a problem with Jake being there from Admire or the Egyptian government, send him home. Do not let him being present, jeopardize the dig in anyway. Harley said.

I don’t see anything like that becoming an issue. However, if it should, I will see to it that Jake is safely on a return flight, personally.

Thank you, Professor Wellington.

"You can call me Ken. I know my last name and professor is redundant. You can’t imagine how twenty students calling me Professor eight hours a day, week after week, drives me crazy. I told everyone to just call me Ken.

Jake, you need to be at the college in front of the administration building at seven am, day after tomorrow. Here is a list of what you will need to bring with you. Remember, the airlines restrictions on 6 ounces of fluids and pocket knives, etc. Pack as light as possible. It’s going to be you alone hauling around what you packed. The desert heat can hit highs of 120 degrees this time of year, a good hat and strong sun block is highly recommended. Nights can be very cold, so a jacket is another good item to pack."

Ken made copies of everything and handed the originals back to Jake. Jake and his father exited the building and Ken went back to his classroom and continued to pack items he wanted to take to Egypt. Harley decided to go a couple of blocks south of the college and get an ice cream cone at the Rich Made. It was the must stop location, anytime you were in Ashland. If you were in Medford, you had to eat at Dell’s Hamburgers or Kim’s Chinese Restaurant.

As soon as Jake and his father got home, Jake grabbed his suitcase and started filling it with items from the list Ken had given him. Harley told Alice how everything had gone and she was glad it went so smoothly for Jake.

The next day went by slowly for Jake, but too fast for his mother. She knew her boy would be gone for several weeks and she was already missing him. Jake had a hard time trying to sleep the night before leaving. The truth is, he didn’t get any sleep at all, but he was still filled with enthusiasm that morning.

His mother called him for breakfast. She had fixed him a hearty meal knowing it would be a long time before he would have a good meal again. Airplane food isn’t known for its quality offerings. He ate and gave his mother a hug and a kiss. Harley drove him to the college and as they drove up, they saw several students with their luggage standing in front of the administration building.

This must be the place dad, Jake said.

Harley stopped the car. Jake exited and grabbed his suitcase. He introduced himself to the students and shook their hands. As Harley drove away, he saw Professor Wellington driving up in a school bus in his rearview mirror.

Harley felt assured that his son was in good hands after seeing the students he would be traveling with. They were all clean-cut and had no tattoos or piercings that he could see. They weren’t horsing around or acting stupid. It might be wrong to judge people so quickly, but it made Harley more at ease to make that assumption about them.

Okay everyone, when I call out your name, come forward with your luggage and board the bus. Ken said loudly.

He started calling out names and one by one the students boarded the bus, including Jake. There was one person that didn’t respond to their name being called, so Ken decided to wait for ten minutes before leaving. After a few minutes a car sped up and stopped by the bus. A girl jumped out pulling her suitcase and scrambled onto the bus.

Sorry, Ken and everyone. I forgot my passport and had to go back home and get it, she stated.

She sat down next to Jake and took a deep breath. She turned her head and looked at Jake and smiled.

You must be Jake. Professor Wellington told us about you, welcome aboard. Oh, I’m Tiffany Wells by the way, pleased to meet you, she said as she extended her hand to shake.

It’s a pleasure to meet you too Tiffany. Jake said as he shook her hand.

Suddenly Ken stood up and addressed everyone on board. He explained what they were going to do when they reached the Medford International Airport. He informed everyone about their changing of planes at the Portland International Airport. He made everyone write down their flight numbers, times, dates and even what airlines. He did that because they would be changing planes, have layovers and be flying on four different airlines in three different countries.

They arrived at the Medford airport and things went smoothly. It’s a small airport compared to the others they would be dealing with. They boarded the United shuttle plane and arrived in Portland in little over an hour.

The group boarded their Jet Blue Airlines flight to New York. Once arriving in New York City, they had a three-hour layover. Finally, they boarded their eleven-hour non-stop Delta flight to Cairo, Egypt. The students were already getting on edge as they departed New York. The lucky ones managed to sleep most of the flight, others grew irritable and grouchy from lack of sleep. A cheer sounded out loudly as the plane’s wheels touched down at the Capital International Airport in Cairo. Everyone gathered their luggage and took the hotel shuttle bus to the Cairo Hilton.

Everyone was adjusting to the time difference and suffering from jetlag. They all ate in the hotel’s restaurant before going to their rooms. If they had known what was in store for them, they would have appreciated their accommodations a lot more.

Next morning the class had breakfast and waited for one of Admires men to arrive with transportation to the dig site. Soon a bus pulled up in front of the hotel and a man stepped out and approached Ken.

You are Professor Wellington from America? He asked.

Yes, and this is my archaeology class.

"I am Omar, Professor Admire Jabal has instructed me to bring you and your class to the dig site. Please, board the bus and we can leave. I have already fueled the bus and obtained many containers of fresh water.

It is a ten-hour drive to the dig site and the bus has no air conditioning. The closer we get to our destination, the hotter it will become. Today is said to reach 122 to 126 degrees, everyone should take precautions and protect themselves from the heat and the humidity."

Thank you, Omar, for that information. Listen up everyone, you just heard what Omar said. It’s going to be a long hot and miserable trip to the dig site. Everyone should find a way to keep comfortable and cool if possible. If it comes down to it, we can pour water over our heads to keep cool. We’re ready Omar, I guess we can leave. Ken said as he sat down behind Omar.

It was indeed a horrible ten hours. Most of the students were sweating profusely and drinking water by the quarts. A few got massive headaches and just about everyone stripped down to their underwear. Omar advised them not to do that, but the students thought they knew better than him.

They finally arrived at the dig site. It was night and the temperature was chilly. The class couldn’t believe the radical temperature change from day to night. No one had brought a coat or sweater as suggested. They never thought they would need to bring those while in the desert. Warm clothing wasn’t on the list they were given for items to bring. I’m sure Ken will include that if he has the opportunity to return in the future.

As they were exiting the bus, Professor Jabal walked over and embraced Professor Wellington.

"It has been a long time my friend. I am glad to see you again. Welcome to my dig site. I think I am on the verge of discovering a new tomb in the next few days. All the signs are there and we’ve uncovered artifacts every day the deeper we dig inside the doorway we exposed a week ago.

I am happy to have more hands to help dig. I only have five weeks left on my permit to dig at this particular site. The government comes every day to see what we have exposed or found. They make sure that everything is cataloged and photographed. They take GPS readings every day to map our progress. The Egyptian government doesn’t mind if we keep a few dishes, cups and the like. However, if we find a tomb, they will shut us down and claim it as a part of Egyptian history and their culture.

I can’t wait to show you what I’ve found already. I want you to enter the discovered doorway that may lead to an undiscovered tomb. I know you’re tired and excited to see everything I have to show and tell you. Get a good night’s sleep and tomorrow I will show you everything."

Thank you Admire. I can’t wait to see what you’ve discovered.

Omar, show my friend and his students to the large tent we put up this morning for them to live in while they’re here.

Omar guided Ken and his students to a large tent and led them inside.

There should be enough cots for everyone to sleep on. Behind the tent are several portable toilets. The other large tent you saw with many people around it, is where you eat and get water. I believe Americans call it a cafeteria. If you need anything, go to that tent and ask for me. Someone will come and tell me you need to speak to me. I will see you in the morning at sunrise.

Thank you, Omar. Student’s, pick a cot, it’s going to be your bed for the next three or four weeks.

You mean there’s no privacy for us girls? Tiffany asked.

"No, there isn’t Tiffany. You and the other girls were fine with stripping down to your underwear on the bus to stay cool. This is no different. I suggest that you and the other girls select cots and make a particular area yours away from the men.

As long as we’re on the subject. There will be no fraternizing between boys and girls. If anything occurs related to hooking up, kissing or showing affections. I will take both individuals to Cairo and send you back home. I will deal with them when we’re back in class as far as some form of punishment. I hope I’ve made that perfectly clear to everyone."

The six girls arranged their cots together in the far-right side of the tent. There was a large chest at each cot for personal items. The girls started unpacking and putting their belongings into their chest.

Where do I take a shower Professor Wellington? Tiffany asked.

I don’t know. We can ask Omar tomorrow morning, but until then, let’s just get some sleep.

Everyone turned in for the night and the cool desert air gently blow through the tent. Everyone had almost every piece of clothing they owned on top of themselves for warmth. They were happy to see the sun begin to rise. That didn’t last long, because that nice weather rapidly transformed into the typical desert baking heat and humidity.

Where’s the pyramids and the sphinx? Jake asked Professor Jabal.

This isn’t the Valley of the Kings, where King Tutankhamun was buried. This isn’t Giza, that’s where the pyramids and Sphinx are located. We are located southwards of Giza and more inland, we’re closer to the Pyramid Gardens, Admire said.

Admire took the class around the dig site and explained what was happening at the different sites where his men were working. Ken assigned two or three of his students to each of the different dig sites. When they reached the newly discovered opening, only Ken, Jake and Tiffany were left from the class.