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Into the Gauntlet: The Ultimate Challenge ~ A Story by Ashley

SteelBone2

Branch: Janus

Chapter One: How to have a Heart Attack during the second week of Summer Vacation

Ashley Hanson should have known that second she woke up that morning that her life was about to be changed forever.

Mainly because it was the second week of summer, and her mom woke me up at seven in the morning.

The fifteen-year-old groaned as her mother turned her room's light on, shouting 'Rise and Shine!' as older pulled my blanket off of the younger.  Ashley looked up, glaring at her mother with a look that could kill someone if she really wanted to.

"Ashey! You have that job today, remember?" her mother said, shaking her child back and forth.

The teenager's eyes bolted open as she shot up. "THAT'S TODAY?" Ashley screamed, instantly running over to throw on a shirt.

The local theater had offered her a job as a teacher's assistant during the first two weeks of summer, and it paid $10 an hour; cash Ashley needed if she was saving up to get a car at the end of the summer.

Her mother shrugged. "I keep telling you that you need to get a calander." she ruffled her daughter's hair as Ashley struggled to pull a pair of shorts on.

"Yes, but I always lose them!" The girl yelled, running over to get some shoes from her large closet.

Ashley's mother sighed a grabbed a pair of shoes from under the Teenager's bed, thrusting them at her chest. "Here's a solution; clean your room."

"I'm waiting until one day when I'm rich and famous and I can pay someone to clean it for me." Ashley said with a wink.  Her mom let out a giggle before turning around to exit the girl's room.

Ashley walked over to her coin-bank as her mother left. She sighed, staring at the small jar, before reaching into her pocket, pulling the contents out, and plopped a couple of coins in it. "Only a few hundred more," Ashley said with a smile, writing her new total on the white board above her desk.

The next thirty minutes was a whirlwind.  Ashley finished getting on her work uniform and ate some cereal, then her mother drove her to the job.

After Ashley 'worked' for five hours (Even though she felt like I wasn't doing anything except staring at children,) her mom came back and picked her up, asking her child all sorts of questions about 'how her day was' and stuff.

When Ashley got home, she collapsed onto her bed and took a nice, hour-long nap.  She was sure exactly why she was tired, since she hadn't really done anything all day, but nonetheess, the nap felt good to the teen.

As she awoke, she yawned and picked up her laptop, realizing that she hadn't checked e-mail all day.  Her inbox was crazy.

Kate: HEY!!!
Kate: Where are you?
Kate: Oh yeah...you're at work :P
Krissy: LOL this is so funny!!!!!
Rick Riordan: Into the Gauntlet: The Ultimate Challenge.

Ashley raised an eyebrow.

Do the 39 Clues e-mails normally say they were from Rick Riordan? She wondered. And what the heck is 'The Ultimate Challenge'? A new book?

She clicked the e-mail and allowed it to load for a long moment. Slowly, the black text emerged on the white screen.

To: Ashley
From: Rick Riordan
Subject: Into the Gauntlet: The Ultimate Challenge

Message:

Dear Ashley (SteelBone2),
Hello. You have been chosen among 24 others from the vast fanbase of The 39 Clues series to compete in a Challenge. The Ultimate Challenge.
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rick Riordan. I am one of the Authors of The 39 Clues series. I know this may all be confusing, so let me break it up for you.
First off, no, this is not a group e-mail. This is personal to you from me. If you want proof, I can tell you that you're Message Board Janus Leader right now.
Secondly, last week on the Message Board, we sent out a poll to every user asking the 25 most popular people. You were one of the voted ones. Congratulations.
Next up, the reason you 25 have been chosen is because many people believe The 39 Clues series is real. Sadly, at the current moment, it's not. You will change that.
You and the other 24 will be taken to one of the Scholastic Headquarters to meet me and some of the other authors in person. There, you all will be given $10,000, each. You will then be sent on an all-summer Challenge to find the 39 Clues scattered all around the world.
The best part? It will all be on television.
No one will be in an alliance. It will be one-on-one. You can make alliances throughout the challenge, but ultimately, there will be one winner.
The winner will earn a nice $25,000 to keep and be mentioned in a 39 Clues book.
Please respond saying if you are able to compete. Thank you, and remember to Trust no one.

Rick Riordan

Ashley Hanson stared at the e-mail for a long time before she screamed: "MOM!!!"

~Ashley

P.S. Old authors, please look through my post for 'Update about ITG:TUC' before you post here.
[[Hanson Isn't my last name, Mods :D]]

~Ashley

Janus Co-Leader, CVP Commander, Vice Vesper 7,MIX, District 5 Victor, Honorary Vesper Head, Ultimate Challenge Author...

Admit it; I’m awesomesauce.

Posted at: 4:09 am on August 19, 2012

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Into the Gauntlet: The Ultimate Challenge ~ A Story by Ashley

CheerfulSeeker1

Branch: Ekaterina