Story Thieves

Story Thieves CHAPTER 1
Owen wanted to scream at the horror before him. But the sound wouldn't come and the nightmare only continued, forcing Owen to ask himself, deep down, one question:

"Can anyone tell me what three-fourths times two-thirds is?"

Mr. Barberry stood at the board at the front of Owen's classroom, his arms folded, waiting for a hand to raise.

No, not that question. The real question was this: Was there anything in the world that could possibly be more boring than fractions? Owen frowned as Mr. Barberry gave up on volunteers and just picked someone. "Mari? Three-fourths times two-thirds?"

Being locked in a room with no windows or doors, without anything to do, while wearing a blindfold and being forced to name various types of trees? That'd be pretty boring, but not fractions boring.

"One-half," Mari answered, and Mr. Barberry nodded.

Maybe if someone gave you enough soda to keep you awake for hours, then read furniture building instructions to you? In another language?

Except what if you accidentally started to learn that foreign language without realizing it? That'd almost be considered worth it to some people. So that was instantly out.

"Owen?" Mr. Barberry said. "How about you? One-third times two-thirds."

"Two-ninths?" Owen said, faking enthusiasm.

"That's right," Mr. Barberry said, and turned back to the board while Owen let his mind wander again.

Maybe being stuck home sick and too feverish to think or do anything except watch TV, and the only channel that came in was an infomercial for other infomercials. That would be pretty boring.

"One-third times one-third?" Mr. Barberry asked. "Gabriel?"

"One-ninth?" Gabriel answered, his eyes glazed over.

Nope, fractions still won. And by a lot.

If only the bell would ring early from some freak electrical surge. Sure, it had never happened before, but Owen was nothing if not optimistic. And that was something he was pretty proud of, since it

James Riley lives in Virginia. He is the New York Times bestselling author of the Half Upon a Time, Story Thieves, Revenge of Magic, and Once Upon Another Time series.