Twisted Time

By Jennifer Hitzeman

It’s hard enough to just be a teenager these days, but when Emma’s parents move her and her younger brother, P, out of the city and into an old run down house in the country, her world is turned upside down. Not only does she have to leave her friends behind and start at a new school, but her parents are making her help them restore the old house. Things start to look up, however, when she finds a journal belonging to a girl that once lived in the house. Emma learns of a magic book, hidden somewhere in the house, that has the power to transport her and her friends back in time. With the help of her brother, P, and Zack, the cute boy who lives next door, they find the book and the adventure begins. They travel together from one time period to another, meeting famous people, seeing history up close and trying to get themselves out of some sticky situations. At first, the journey is exciting as they face new challenges and even make new friends, but as the kids begin to get homesick, they realize that they are stuck in a perpetual time warp. Will they ever get home?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Hitzeman
• Release date: Jun 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301600496

Book preview

Twisted Time

By Jennifer Hitzeman

Copyright 2013 by Jennifer Hitzeman

Smashwords Edition

Cover Art By Melissa Kepler

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

Chapter 1

We drove up to the new house and my heart sank. It was so old. The shutters were falling off. The wrap around front porch was in disrepair, with peeling white paint and vines winding between the floor boards. There were front steps, but many bricks had fallen out and lay crushed on what was left of the grass. Tall weeds grew high around the front side walk. There were a few older looking houses along the street, but they all looked desolate. Ugh. It looked like we were moving into a haunted house! I stopped at the curb and imagined all the hard work my brother and I were going to be forced to do. Just then, a shutter on an upstairs window slipped down, partially covering the glass panes, and it looked like the sinister old house was winking at me. My summer was going to be miserable.

Kids, exclaimed my mom, Isn’t it beautiful. It’s exactly what we were looking for. I fell in love the moment I saw it. Your father and I have always wanted an old house to fix up. We can finally move out of that cramped apartment in the city. What a wonderful yard. Now, it will take some work, but we have all summer.

My father looked longingly at my mother. We can finally live in the suburbs. My commute into the city won’t be so bad, and you won’t have to go back to school to start teaching again until September. I’ll help as much as I can in the evenings and on weekends. You’ll have the kids to help all day!

Oh boy. I am not looking forward to all that work, but it’s great to see my parents happy. They have been pinching and saving since my brother was born so we would have a better life. I guess eventually this house could be a better life.

My dad is a technology specialist and was lucky enough to find a great new job with an expanding computer company downtown. My mom is a second grade teacher. She is going to substitute teach until she finds a full-time job in the new town. They are so excited, but I am not so happy about the move. I am about to turn 16 in two weeks and will be a junior in high school. Our new town is two hours away from our old home. I already miss my friends terribly. It’s so hard to make new friends at any age, but especially when you’re a teenager and shy like me. No one will be able to come for my birthday. But on a good note, mom promised I could get my driver’s license this summer! I have been practicing a little, but it’s hard to learn in the city with the traffic jams, buses and taxi stops. Maybe I can get more driving time now that there is no traffic! Maybe things are looking up!

Okay kids, shouted my mom, Grab some things and let’s go inside.

She opened the trunk of the car and started doling out suitcases and boxes. I grabbed one of each and headed for the front door. Next came the moment of truth. As my father pushed the door open, we all stood there gazing into the hallway. The inside of the house was much more attractive than the outside. The cherry hard wood floor extended through the entire downstairs, and was adorned with a lighter colored design inlaid in the center of the hallway. A winding staircase emerged on the left, with Victorian finials symmetrically placed on the dark wood bannister. To the right was a parlor with large windows covered by dingy curtains. At the far end of the room was a fireplace with an intricately carved mantel piece. The room was beautiful, but as a typical teenager, I found myself searching the walls worried that there were no cable outlets in this old house. Hopefully we would at least have electricity. I crossed my fingers.

My mom flipped the switch on the wall. Thank goodness there was light coming from an antique crystal chandelier hanging at the center of the hall ceiling. The old light was angled to the side as it hung by only one wire. Many crystals were missing and only half of the lights worked, but compared to the lights in the rest on the house, this one was a peach. Most of the other lights didn’t work at all and the ones that did work were about to fall to the floor.

This did not worry my unflappable mother and she calmly responded with, Looks like we need to set up some lamps in here. It’s a good thing the furniture is on its way.

The moving van was on its way, but because we did not have much furniture they had to stop and pick up a small load from another family that was moving to a neighboring town. Our apartment did not allow room for much but the bare necessities. This house is huge in comparison. I wondered if I would be able to buy the full sized four poster bed I had seen in a catalog. My previous room was so small there was only room for a twin bed and a dresser. I hoped the upstairs was as enormous as the first floor.

We glanced toward our mother. Okay kids, go look upstairs. You can each chose a room, but don’t fight over them! The big one at the end of the hall is ours, though.

We raced up the stairs. My brother was pretty fast for his size. He was eight. His real name was James, but we all called him P, short for Peanut. He was born seven weeks early and had always been small for his age. He was so tiny when he was born that I told Mom and Dad he looked like a little peanut, and the name stuck. What he lacked in size, he made up for in energy. He could out run any other eight year old, always came in first place at races at school field day, and never seemed to get tired. Mom and Dad tried for eight years to give me a brother. At first I was used to being an only child and I didn’t like him, but he’s grown on me over the years. We get along surprisingly well, and I’m thankful that I have him with me in this new place.

There were three rooms at the top of the stairs. P ran to the one on the right. Oh, wow, this one has a big window with a seat in front. Oh, and the seat opens up into a box. I can put my cars inside! And I can set up my race track on the top. Please, Emma, can I have this one?

We’ll see. Let me look at the others. I am the oldest and should get to choose first.

The middle bedroom had a small window overlooking the yard to the side of the house, and a large one overlooking the porch on the front of the house. There was no window seat and it had a very small closet. Definitely too small for a teenagers wardrobe! I left that room and walked down the hall to the last available bedroom. The big drawback to this one was that it was across the hall from my parents’ room. That would mean a loss of privacy for me.

I walked over to a medium sized stained glass window that was set into the wall overlooking the side of the house. I could see a small flower garden outside, through the clear glass in the window. Sunflowers, petunias and hydrangeas peeked out through the overgrowth of weeds. A tall ancient oak tree outside the window appeared distorted through the swirled colored glass of the window. As I stepped back I could see a shaft of light shining through the window creating a colorful pattern on the carpeted floor. Beautiful! If I placed my bed just so, I could wake up to the multitude of colors each morning.

I then began to search for the closet. That could be the defining factor for my room choice. I eyed a door at the back of the room. I crossed my fingers as I walked toward it and made a wish for a walk in closet as I opened the door. Awesome! The room extended about six feet to the left and was deep enough to fit two rows of clothes. I needed my dad to put up some racks, then it would be perfect.

I ran to the hall to meet P. You can have that bedroom. I will take this one. No problem.

Okay sis, but you will have to come visit me way down the hall!

It’s a deal kiddo. And we raced back downstairs.

Mom and dad were eyeing the kitchen at the back of the house. There was a thick layer of dust on the cherry stained cabinets. The sink was stained porcelain and an old rusted gas stove stood in the corner of the room. We’ll need to replace that old stove, and I think the fridge will fit well in that corner over there, thought my mom. What do you think hon?

Yes, it will fit perfectly. We will have to use the microwave for a while. I’d be afraid to use that old stove. Maybe one day we will get a dishwasher. We can use the kids in the meantime.

What! I gave P a serious look and my excitement over my new closet faded away. No dishwasher? Ugh. You mean we have to wash and dry dishes. I hate this house. The kitchen looks like it’s falling apart. Is it the same as when the house was built a hundred years ago? Can there be more work for us?!

Now sweetie, you know it’s going to take a lot of work to make this place feel like home. Please bear with us. We have a lot of cleaning and fixing and painting to do. And, you’re right, this house was built in the later 1800’s. It is about a hundred years old. Some of the families that lived here did some fixing up since then, but not a lot.

There goes the summer. I had to leave my friends and my school. Now I have to work all summer. So much for sleeping in, going to the pool, learning to drive.

Don’t be so dramatic, voiced my mom as she rolled her eyes.

Mom and Dad then proceeded to the backyard through the loose squeaky screen door leading out from the kitchen. We followed with our curiosity to see what strange things we could find outside. The house had a huge yard overgrown with weeds and what was left of a wooden picket fence. Enormous oak trees with dark green leaves stood just beyond the fence. The yard seemed to go on forever, but finally stopped at a dense wooded area.

See kids, this is so much better than the city. You guys can play ball and run around and play, play, play.

I glared at my mom, Maybe if I was eight. For your information, 16 year old girls do not play outside. They drive and go to the mall! No offense P, I know you like to play.

Wow. This yard is great. Maybe I can find some new friends and we can play baseball, Peanut exclaimed. Can we go to the store and buy a bat, ball and glove?

Sure thing kiddo. My dad smiled gently. I can start practicing with you as soon as we get some equipment. It’s been a long time since I got to play ball. Any time you want, okay?

Sure thing Dad. I can’t wait!

While they were discussing the wonders of backyard baseball I began to look at the back of the house. There were two normal sized windows off the kitchen. I could see that awful stove through one window. I saw a large double window at what I thought was my parents’ bedroom. To the far left of that window was another regular sized window frame. But that should have been off of my new room. I didn’t remember seeing a window at that back of the room. It would have been in the closet and there was definitely not a window in there. It would have interfered with my clothes space.

My pondering was interrupted by someone talking to the rest of my family. I turned around to see the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. He was tall with almost black hair that swooshed over his forehead, just barely touching his eyebrows and framing his bright blue eyes. As he talked to my parents and smiled, clean, perfectly straight, teeth appeared and cute dimples formed in both his cheeks. I forgot about the window and stood in awe.

Hi, I’m Zack. I live next door past those old oak trees. My parents sent me over to welcome you to the neighborhood. They are busy preparing a meal for church or they would come themselves. Anything I can do to help?

Thank you son, my dad interjected, Not a lot of work to be done until the moving van gets here. We were going to get some lunch. Would you like to join us? We will probably get some fast food from somewhere. Ah, these are our children. He waved us over.

Umm, Hi, I’m Emma and this is P, uh James, I wavered. Nice to meet you. I didn’t think there were any other kids in the neighborhood.

Oh, we moved into my great-grandmother’s house about two years ago. My parents had this great idea that they would fix it up. We’re slowly getting there, I think. Most of the other houses on the block are owned by elderly couples that never want to move.

That’s funny, my parents are so excited about fixing our new place up. I just think it’s a lot of work. I can see my summer slipping away.

Don’t knock it until you try it. It’s a great feeling to have a hammer in your hand, building and putting that fresh coat of paint on the wall.

Well you should come over and help us. I rolled my eyes. I didn’t know any other teenagers that would rather spend their summer fixing up an old house than doing teenagerish things."

I’d love to help! Just come get me if you need me. Zack turned toward a noise coming from his house. Oh, gotta go. Mom’s calling. We are going to eat lunch today with a needy family. Oh, and thanks for the invitation to lunch Sir. And he was gone.

So, I have a cute neighbor boy, who lives right next door, AND wants to help us work on this old house. Hey Mom and Dad, when can we start fixing up the house? I’m ready to hammer and paint!

I think we need to eat first, answered my dad, and we left for some lunch.

The next week was very busy. We had stacks of supplies everywhere. Paint cans were piled high in the parlor, stacks of wooden boards lay in the front yard, and buckets of nails and screws were strewn on the front porch. P and I had two jobs. One was painting, which I love to do, and the other was yard work. I just don’t think I like to sweat and get dirty. I inevitably get covered with mud and leaves. It is just not very lady like. Our orders were to trim the bushes and pull the weeds which seemed to have taken over the whole yard like a little marching army.

Okay, let’s go P. and we started pulling weeds.

We had been working under the hot sun for about two hours when I heard, Hey Emma and James, do you guys need any help?

I looked up to see Zack standing there in all his cuteness. I glanced down at my dirt covered legs and my now mud caked fingernails. My stick straight dirty blond hair was in a ponytail covered with little pieces of plants. I knew that I was a mess and I accidentally let out a groan. As I wiped the sweat out of my eyes I smudged mud across my cheek. I then summoned the imaginary self-confidence that I didn’t have, turned to Zack, and smiled.

Sure, we could always use an extra hand. Go grab the extra pair of gloves up on the porch. I think there are enough weeds to share.

Zack laughed at my joke, then smiled sweetly at me. I was so flustered that I lost my balance and fell into a bush. He reached down to help me up and then I laughed too. We then went to work pulling out all those pesky weeds for about another hour. By that time all of our stomachs were growling.

Just in time, Mom called out from inside the house, Everyone come get some sandwiches.

We ate heartily and washed it all down with ice cold sodas. We worked about three more hours after that. Zack ended up helping our mom fix some boards on the porch, and P and I finished the weeding. The yard actually looked much better when we were done. It no longer looked like a haunted house, and appeared rather welcoming. The shutters still needed to be fixed and the outside needed to be painted, but that would have to wait.

The next week flew by. Zack came by to help when he wasn’t working at the neighborhood hardware store. Dad helped us paint the outside of the house and fix the shutters. The house was no longer winking at me and laughing. We had taken control. The next set of jobs was to paint the inside walls, while Mom repaired the chandeliers and lights. Zack, P and I painted until our arms ached. We laughed and laughed, and both of us were developing a friendship with our new neighbor.

The next weekend was my sixteenth birthday. I was so excited. I could get my driver’s license. I had a learner’s license but Mom insisted that I needed more time with teaching before getting my real license. She had promised that she would do some driving with me, but we only went out a few times because of all the work that needed to be done on the house. When Friday, my official birthday, rolled around I was all ready to go. But then my mom burst my bubble.

Emma baby, I don’t think you’re ready to get your license. We haven’t been out on the road as much as I would like. I would feel more comfortable waiting a few more weeks before we go. I’m sorry, I’ve been so busy with the house that I haven’t had the time to help you.

I was crushed. But every sixteen year old needs to get their license on their birthday!

I started to cry. My sixteenth birthday was not the exciting party that I wanted it to be. Dad was out of town until next weekend. Zack, my only new friend,