Sledding Submission

A giant snowstorm happened overnight and there was so much snow outside that you couldn't open the door without sinking into a giant snowdrift. This was a major deal since we haven't had that much snow well, in forever! Nobody would be going anywhere today, Kara decided. Shawn and Adam would have to do some major work on the driveway before they could even venture out on the roads to go to work. She was excited! Not that she loved snow, on the contrary. She hated the cold and the snow and would much rather be at the beach any day and have 90 degree weather but at times, it was rather fun to be snowed in when you didn't have anywhere you had to go and everyone was home with you. Never in her wildest dreams did she think her day would end up the way it did.

It all started when Adam ended up being sick and Kara grudgingly helped Shawn with the driveway because she hated seeing him out there all by himself all cold and miserable. Then, when they were done, he got some crazy idea in his head that they should sled ride over the hill since they were already cold, wet and miserable. "Why not make some fun out of it", he said. "When was the last time we did anything in the snow?" She smiled and said "That would never" "Exactly he said, trust me, it'll be fun and we can get in the hot tub and warm up afterwards" "Ok, Ok, just for a few mins" Kara agreed.

They dug the sled out of their shed and set off over the hill. Before they knew it, they were going at a crazy, almost warp like speed and Kara thought to herself that something didn't seem right. Then, they were spiraling through what looked like a portal and Shawn turned and looked at her for a split second with a look that said he was as confused as she was and the next thing they knew, they landed on a sand dune on the beach by their favorite vacation spot. And there were the kids, playing in the water and building a sandcastle. They sat there for a minute looking dazed and confused and stared at each other. Because the kids were little. Like really little. And that morning when they left to go on their little sled ride, Adam was 20 years old. Now he was 6. And Abby was 4. Somehow, they had traveled back through time and were on their first beach vacation together with the kids back in the year 2007, when the two of them first met!

They both started talking to each other at once "What did this mean? Kara asked" "How did we get here and how do we get back? she said" and the big question "does this mean my dad is still alive?" and Shawn said " What happens if something doesn't go right and it changes the path of the rest of our lives if we don't get it right on the way back?" "OK, let's think" said Kara "The kids don't seem affected at all, they were just here, like nothing was wrong. Is this an alternate reality?" One where time stands still?" Shawn thought for a bit and said "I don't know, but let's try to find out what's going on and see how we get back."

They went over to the kids and it was as if nothing was wrong or out of place or that they didn't just come from a portal where another world existed, which made it even more baffling to them. It was so strange to see the kids so little and so refreshing at the same time. Almost like starting over again! But they knew the outcome of how they would be 14 years later! It was so surreal. They were so proud of them and even more so knowing how good they were going to to turn out as adults. Kara asked Shawn if she thought that they had to remember everything they did on this vacation in order to get back home again to the year 2020 and he said that he thought about that and he didn't think so. He thought it was strange though that there weren't alternates of themselves in this reality, just of the kids. And they wondered why that was and the reason for that. Kara looked alarmed and said "do you think something happened to us?" and he said "no, or we wouldn't still be in our alternate reality of 2020." Then he asked Adam and Abby if we had been here all along and they looked at him strangely and said "yes, Daddy, why would you ask that?" He looked at Kara and said "well, that answers that, we now exist in two worlds." Somehow, when we took that sled ride this morning, we tumbled into this reality and got the chance to see ourselves in 2007 when we first met and on our first vacation with the kids when they were so little. Now we know that we will always exist in both worlds and life has new meaning. While we are here, you should call your Dad and see if he is still alive. Then we will really know"

Kara looked at him pensively. She said "Do you really think he is?" and he handed her the phone and said "call" she took it and called her mom and then her Dad's voice answered and she started crying and laughing at the same time. She looked at Shawn and said "This is the best day ever". After they talked and it started to get dark, they decided that they better try to get back home. They took the sled and went back in the direction they came and gave it and giant push into the sand dune they arrived in and sure enough, they started hurtling through the portal once again and they looked at each other in amazement. Before they knew it, they were back in their snowy backyard and back home. It was dark and almost midnight! So much time had passed. Adam had been frantically looking for them and was about to send out a search party. He looked at them and said "Where have you been? I've been so worried about you!" and Shawn said "you'll never believe us if we tell you but we are so glad to see you, son. We love you"