George and A.J. 2009

In this extended short story inspired by the movie Up, the adventure begins with a scene featuring Carl Fredricksen who, as seen in the original film, is visited by two nurses from the Shady Oaks Retirement Village. They come to escort Carl to the nursing home, but instead of following their instructions, Carl takes off in his house, lifting it into the sky. Meanwhile, underneath the flying house, Russell makes himself comfortable, bracing himself somehow to avoid falling. The chaos doesn’t stop there, as George and A.J., who are nearby, look up in amazement at the floating house, their eyes widened in disbelief as it drifts through the sky.

The story continues with the scene shifting to George and A.J., who are staring at the sky in shock while their van’s alarm blares because Carl’s house bumped into it. The next day, a news reporter covers stories about sightings of the floating house, and she interviews George and A.J., who remain too stunned to respond. Their silence is shared by other elderly residents across the city, including those at Shady Oaks, who watch the news with excitement and start celebrating Carl’s daring escape.

A week passes, and George and A.J. are back to their job of escorting elderly residents to Shady Oaks in their van. However, inspired by Carl’s antics, the seniors attempt their own adventurous escapes. Each time George and A.J. try to take someone away, the seniors somehow manage to escape in their own way—often by lifting their houses into the air. Finally, they return to Shady Oaks, only to be greeted by a comical yet chaotic scene: an old man outside the building yells, “So long, suckers!” before hitting his cane against a series of canisters attached to the building’s exterior. These canisters release a powerful gas, causing the entire building to lift off and soar into the sky. George and A.J., standing in shock, look up at the floating structure.

Unexpectedly, a large dirigible, Charles Muntz’s Spirit of Adventure, appears in the sky, descending toward them. It turns out that Carl has taken control of the airship, with Russell by his side. The airship lands atop George and A.J.’s van, crushing it and silencing the alarm. Carl and Russell emerge from the dirigible, with the incredulous George exclaiming, “Mr. Fredricksen?” They walk past the nurses, who seem amazed by the scene. Russell humorously mentions that next time, he would like to be the one to steer. As they continue, Dug makes an appearance in front of the trio. Through his translation collar, Dug eagerly says, “Hi there!” leaving George and A.J. even more shocked than before.

This story showcases a wild, fantastical sequence filled with unexpected twists, laughter, and the heartfelt adventures that have made Up a beloved film. The incredible scenes of flying houses, daring escapes, and a lively airship fleet reflect the film’s core themes of adventure, friendship, and the joy of embracing one’s dreams at any age.