Swept Up

By Diane Owens

When an old janitor locks the sixth grade inside a simulated town, pretty and popular Regan Jones plans an easy escape. But kids who normally hang on her every word refuse to listen. Instead, they seem strangely committed to the janitor. Worse, they don’t want to leave – ever. As the fake town turns dangerously real, Regan fights to save herself. But she’ll have to face some hard truths and become a true leader to save them all.

Filled with action and adventure, this sometimes scary, frequently humorous fantasy will delight middle grade readers looking for a magical mystery involving relatable characters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diane Owens
• Release date: Oct 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466137417

Diane Owens

DIANE OWENS manages the Orion Middle School Library where she gets to hang out with two of her favorite things: middle grade books and the people who read them. She also helps young writers at the school through her participation in the Writers’ Workshop class. You can visit Diane online at allwritewithme.com. The author created this online writing community to assist and encourage young writers. The site includes tips, techniques, activities and group projects. Drop in to share your own writing and see what other kids are working on. Teachers and parents can find educational companion materials for No Ordinary Lizard and Swept Up at allwritewithme.com. These reading and writing guides reinforce Common Core ELA Standards for grade levels 3-6. Teachers and parents can also connect with Diane and other users of the All Write with Me website at facebook.com/allwritewithme. Diane lives in Orion, IL with her wonderful husband and son and misses living with her wonderful daughter who’s grown up and moved on. Coming Soon How I Broke My School For Anna, who's overly anxious, and Levi, who's overly cautious, sixth grade is a welcome relief. It's their last year at a school everyone believes is haunted. But it's also the year the school bully calls them both cowards. Wanting to prove him wrong, Anna and Levi sneak into the school to confront the ghost. Instead, they discover two irresistible mice. Taking them home transforms everyone. Anna no longer worries about anything. Levi becomes dangerously daring. The teachers don't feel like teaching and the school becomes a playground. It also makes the Chinese storm gods, who were supposed to be guarding the mice, really, really angry. Now it's up to Anna to outsmart these bumbling deities before the gods destroy the world. Frequently funny and sometimes scary, this suspenseful fantasy calls upon the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang to explore the true meaning of courage. Don’t miss the release If you would like to be notified when this book becomes available, subscribe to the author’s email alerts.

Book preview

Swept Up

Diane Owens

Text copyright 2011 Diane Owens

Cover copyright 2011 Alyce McConaghy

Smashwords Edition

License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. If you would like to share this book, please purchase another copy at smashwords.com. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Discover other Smashwords titles by Diane Owens

Dedication

To everyone who visits allwritewithme.com and especially those brave enough to share their work. I hope this book inspires you as much as you inspire me.

And to my family, for putting up with the blue hue, day after day and night after night.

A special thanks to those who read and critiqued the many drafts of this story. You’re all awesome.

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 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Author's Note

About the Author

Coming Soon

Don't Miss the Release

Also by Diane Owens

Sample No Ordinary Lizard

Chapter 1

Regan Jones stood in front of all the other sixth-graders, listening to them clap, and whistle and pound their feet. Nothing sounded sweeter. They were doing it for her.

She smiled into the crowd, waved at the seven Reganites then swept a quick look around the gym-like room.

Oval streetlamps lit the green carpet all around them. Colorful stores lined both sides of the room, reminding Regan of her favorite mall. In the back right corner, treadmills and stationary bikes waited for her behind the glass walls of the Exercise Center.

Profit Town. Soon, she’d be in charge of it. She twisted the bracelet tucked under her sleeve.

Ray-gun, Ray-gun, Ray-gun. It began in the center of the group and spread like wildfire. Ray-gun, Ray-gun, RAY-GUN.

Regan grinned. The sound of her name, as it bounced off the walls and echoed in her ears, was even sweeter than the clapping that came before.

Still, it was time to move on. She held up her hand to quiet them down. Mrs. Kramer had insisted on one more speech, but she didn’t say it had to be long.

Regan gave them two sentences. Thanks for voting for me. I’m honored to be your mayor and I promise to serve you all well.

As soon as the words left her mouth, a strong gust of wind plowed through the group. Sleeves flapped against arms. Shirts billowed across backs. Hair flew out in all directions.

Strange. The only windows were tucked high against the ceiling and they were solidly shut.

Your assignments! Mrs. Kramer shouted. She jumped at the sheets swirling above her head then landed with an oomph. After pushing her glasses back up her nose, she tried again. And again. Leaping, missing, falling, like a clumsy ballerina.

Regan sighed.

The gust died as suddenly as it came. Papers floated down from the rafters. Six kids scrambled forward to pick up the pages.

Oh. Regan should have thought of that; she was the closest.

As she bent toward the nearest sheet, something slammed against her shoulder and knocked her sideways. She spun around.

Rubbing her arm, she blinked at the old man standing behind her. Deep wrinkles covered every inch of his face. Wisps of faded orange hair dotted his head. Knobby knuckles and twisted fingers made his hands look like driftwood. Beyond old. Ancient.

He’d probably lost his balance. Or maybe his eyes were too worn out to see her. She bet he couldn’t afford glasses. He couldn’t even afford a decent shirt. Poor thing.

"Lügner!" The word launched from his throat in a stream of sharp and bitter anger.

Regan gasped.

Eww. The air tasted like rotten eggs and smelled even worse.

She buried her nose in the coconut scent of her lotioned hand and squinted at the man through parted fingers. But nothing could protect her from the odors seeping out of him. Her stomach churned. She took one step back and then another.

His wiry eyebrows bunched together, a tangled mess of needles. His unnaturally blue eyes flickered bright then dark, bright then dark, as deep and hypnotizing as a gas flame.

She couldn’t look away so she tried not to breathe. Ten seconds. Twenty.

Finally, he turned toward Mrs. Kramer.

"Sich entschuldigen," he said, his voice swelling with sudden cheerfulness. I apologize. I shouldn’t have opened the door. I didn’t realize there was such a draft. He tiptoed through the kids as if they were poison ivy. Such a mess. What are these papers all over the floor?

The students’ job assignments, Mrs. Kramer said, covering her nose.

The man nodded. They’re important, then. Providing students with real-life work experience is what Profit Town is all about.

Leah Maxwell, a girl Regan had known her whole life, grabbed a sheet near the old man’s foot.

"Nein. No, no, no, he said. This mess is my fault. I will clean it up. Tell them to stop."

A smile slid across Mrs. Kramer’s face. That’s okay, they’ve almost fin-

"I said I’d do it!" He slammed his boot against the floor, an inch from Leah’s hand. STEHEN BLEIBEN!

Leah froze. Completely. She didn’t teeter; she didn’t twitch.

What was wrong with her? Had anyone else noticed? Probably not. Everyone around her continued to crouch, kneel or bend over the floor, their arms stretched toward the papers, fingers all set to grab. It was as if Regan were the only living thing in the middle of a wax museum.

Goose bumps skittered up her arms. She inched away from the other kids.

The old man snatched the paper under Leah’s hand then scooped up the stack she’d already gathered. He worked his way around the floor, taking piles and removing papers from rigid fingers. When he finished, he laid everything at Mrs. Kramer’s feet. She didn’t seem to notice.

Regan rubbed her eyes, hard enough to hurt. She had to be dreaming. And she really needed to wake up. Right now.

The man ran his vein-covered hand across the top sheet. When he looked up, his anger fell on Regan like a heavy, clinging net.

Swallowing felt more like choking, as if nothing inside her worked anymore. He’d frozen her with the unnatural light of his eyes, just like he’d frozen the others.

Oh, stop it. She didn’t seriously believe that. She needed to get a grip.

And soon. He was coming right for her.

The air turned sour. She tried to keep from breathing it in.

Less than three inches away, his too-blue eyes made hers water. Zum Besseren oder Schlechteren, he said. Es ist vollbracht.

She twisted her bracelet. I don’t, I don’t know what you’re saying. I don’t understand.

A horrible smile split his face, unleashing another burst of sharply stale breath. Well then, he said, I suggest you figure it out.

~~~~//~~~~

Someone coughed.

Regan turned. Mrs. Kramer was straightening her skirt. Kids were getting up from the floor.

They weren’t frozen. They never had been. There was nothing to be scared of except her overactive imagination. She thought she’d outgrown that. She’d meant to.

Well, thank you, Mrs. Kramer called to the back of the room. The old man didn’t even turn his head. Instead, he twisted the doorknob and slipped through the opening. The door banged shut.

Regan’s hands balled into fists. She’d never met anyone so rude.

Whatever. She wasn’t about to let some old man with anger issues upset her. She’d been looking forward to this field trip for weeks. After all, she was Profit Town’s first-ever mayor. Every other school would have to live up to what she did today. And she was going to make the most of it. Starting now.

~~~~//~~~~

Like a wannabe cheerleader with a borrowed pompon, Derek Ferguson waved his copy of the job assignments under Regan’s nose. Mayor Jones, he announced with a grin, say hello to your Chief of Police.

You got it? Huh. Well. Congratulations. That’s great.

The last thing she needed was a police chief who didn’t care about rules. Still, Regan gave him a quick thumbs-up. Wasted effort. Derek had turned to watch the kids behind him complain about their jobs.

All right, that’s enough. Mrs. Kramer’s voice sliced through the grumbling. If you didn’t get your first choice it’s because someone else scored better during the interviews. It happens in real life too. But I assure you that every job is important.

Sure. Just not as important as mayor.

Becca Sanchez pushed one of the lesser Reganites out of the way and examined Regan’s face. What did that man say to you? Are you okay? I hope he didn’t scare you. He’s probably just the janitor, but he looks familiar. Only I don’t know why. Did you see how everyone stopped when he yelled at them? Like they couldn’t even move!

Regan twisted the bracelet under her sweater. So much for thinking she’d imagined it. Keeping her eyes on Becca, she worked the bracelet further up her arm. They were scared, that’s all.

You think? Becca tilted her head. Well, at least he’s gone. I don’t think he’ll come back, do you? I hope not. Anyway, get this. They made me a bank teller. I didn’t even interview for that.

That stinks, Becca. I wanted you to get City Clerk. We could have hung out together all day.

Becca scanned her copy of the assignment list. Wow, she said. They made Connor town reporter. He won’t be any good. He can barely read.

Don’t be mean. Regan smiled as she reached in her front pocket for her berry-berry lip gloss. The day couldn’t get much better. As town reporter, Connor would have to interview the mayor. She’d probably be his first assignment.

Geez, Becca said. They didn’t get your job right, either. Look.

Regan peered around Becca’s finger. Waitress? How’s that even possible?

One of the Reganites squeezed in between them. You better tell Mrs. Kramer.

Or I will, said another Reganite, pressing in on the other side.

Ah, you guys, Regan said. Thanks. Really. But I’ll take care of it.

She marched over to the teacher, held out the list and pointed to her name. This is a mistake, right?

Mrs. Kramer sighed. Okay, that’s it. She clapped her hands. Listen up, everyone. There’s something wrong with the job assignment list. I need to straighten it out with the other teachers. Don’t touch the computers while I’m gone. I’ll get the building manager to give you a quick lesson first. Hopefully, this won’t take long.

~~~~//~~~~

Let’s just do it, Derek said.

Becca tugged on Regan’s sleeve. Don’t let him. We shouldn’t start without the teachers.

Of course we should, Regan said. It’ll be more fun on our own.

Neil Caruthers grinned at her; he was always grinning at her. You’re right, he said then turned to Derek. Except for one thing. I should be Chief of Police, not you. My dad interviewed us. I know he picked me.

Derek shook his head. Not according to the list.

Oh come on, Derek, said one of Neil’s friends. We all know the list is messed up. We should get to do whatever we want.

Yeah, someone else said. I don’t want to work at the animal shelter. I’m the DJ.

No, you’re not, said one of the Reganites. The lady who interviewed me said I –

Other voices toppled over her words. Everyone was arguing.

Regan glanced at her watch. Mrs. Kramer would be back before they even began.

We’re not supposed to start without the teachers, Becca said. I’m going to tell Mrs. Kramer what you’re doing.

She stomped off, right past the janitor. He was leaning against the wall, grinning as he watched them.

Regan’s heart skipped three full beats. He’d been the last to touch the lists before Mrs. Kramer passed them out. Maybe he’d replaced their real jobs with assignments of his own.

No, not even possible. He hadn’t been carrying any papers and he didn’t know their names. Still, even if he hadn’t caused the mix-up, he was enjoying it way too much. It was time to put an end to it.

She smiled at the group. "There’s no need to argue. I’ve already decided you can all do whatever you want. I mean, if you