JOURNEY TO ANOTHER TIME

Maybe in another life I can go to the past or to a different reality and see what life is like for those people. For generations I wondered about the past, about all those people who came before me, the good and the bad. I also wonder about the people who could possible live in a world that is identical to mine own. Are the people the same as the people in my world or are they different? Do we live in the same time period?

The past comes alive in my head, the images of the people sit within me ready to be rediscovered. The events of the past are a distant memory ready to be unleashed. I am that person ready to tell the story of the past and those of another world.

It is the year 2250, the unthinkable has happened. Something I have been waiting for so long has finally been finished. A time device called the time portal which allows us to go back in time, back to a place where we have long dreamed of going, back to a time when the world was different from our own. But the time portal can also do something else, it not only send us back to the past but to a different reality. One that is similar to our own but yet different.

Going back in time and going to a different reality does have its consequences and it will cost us a lot. One of the consequence of time traveling is that you cannot change any events including the bad ones nor the ones that affect you and your family. If an attempt to change any events happen the world as we know it and the lives the change affect will cease to exist.

The consequence of going to alternate time is not as big as changing the past. There is a strong chance you can see another version of yourself or someone who looks exactly like you but changing those events are not as big as changing the events of the past. An alternate world can look like your own world and it may seem the same but it's not and you have to remember that.

The cost of going to the past or going to an alternate world is huge. Our sanity will come into question. Are we really fit as a people to travel in time or going to an alternate world? and of course there is the issue of money and lastly the risk of traveling through time is a risk of getting lost in time, getting lost in a time that is not our own and showing the people of both worlds our technology. The something could happen if you go to an alternate world. We need to be very careful as to how we accomplish both. How did we get to this point?

My name is Hannah. I am the creator and inventor of the time portal. I create the time portal first as a means to explore our past, the history of the human race and my own family history. I have always been fascinated with the past. The way the people looked. How they dressed? Their hair style and make-up. The cars they drove. How their homes looked? the technology they used and the types of medicine they used. Each decade is equally fascinating and unique.

Along the way I also discovered the time portal can do more than send us to the past, the time portal can also send us to an alternate world. I don't know much about alternate worlds, the one thing I know is that alternate worlds co-exist within our own world. So the people might be the same as in my world.

My own family history is very interesting. Throughout the last few years, I have been researching my family history and I have found a lot of things about my family I never knew. This information is what led me to create the very first time traveling device. I want to know if both worlds are the same and if my family are the same people.

You see in this century, the 23rd century wars are no longer being waged. This society no longer talks about the wars of the past. The children no longer study about the wars of the past. So when I found out my ancestors served in the old military and fought in wars like World War 1 and 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan I was shocked. I asked my parents about this but they just brushed it off. So began my quest to learn more about my family and to see if the alternate world has the same events as this world has or had. Here I am ready to embark on my journey. I'm not going alone. My twin Holly is coming with me on this journey.

Me and Holly will be the first people in history to travel between the past and an alternate world. Maybe in time more people will follow in our footsteps. As I prepare myself and Holly for this journey, I write down the names of my ancestors that I want to see. Two in past and two in the alternate world. I also pack pictures of both of them. I only write down a couple names from two decades the 1940's and 2002. These two decades interest me because it spans six decades between World War 2 and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I want to see if there is any difference between both worlds. I also write down instructions for what not to do. Minimal interaction with the locals in both worlds, hide all technology and the most important rule don't change any event in the past and in the other world. I tell Holly and she agrees.

The day has come for this journey to the past and the other world. Me and Holly dress in the clothes of the time period we are going to the 1940's. Our first trip is to the past. Henry and Evelyn Murphy mine and Holly's many times over great grandparents. The research I did on Henry and Evelyn is quite remarkable. Henry served in the Army and was one of the first to land in Normandy beach. Evelyn was a Navy Nurse and helped save the lives of many men. "Ready Hannah."

I grab Holly's hand and she holds on to mine tightly. I punch in the coordinates middle to late may 1944, days maybe weeks before the D-day invasion. I remind Holly about the rules and I tell her one more thing and that is we cannot stay for a long time. Ten maybe twenty minutes, long enough to see Henry and Evelyn. Holly nods and I push the button.

The time portal opens. Me and Holly enter. A rush of air hits us. I close my eyes and before I knew it, we were transported to another time. Me and Holly are New York. I look down at the time portal, it reads 1944. It worked, it really worked. I immediately hide the time portal in my bag. Me and Holly begin to walk, hoping we blend in with the people.

We look around at the buildings and the people. The women look beautiful with their hair and make-up. The men look handsome in their suits. I'm loving this time period. "Where do we go next?" Holly asks me. I take out a piece of paper with an address on it. I tell Holly "This is where Henry and Evelyn live." We walk instead of taking a taxi, minimal interaction. It took us a while but we got here. Now in this time it's days maybe weeks before the Normandy invasion. Henry is about to leave for England.

"Hannah look." I look to where Holly is pointing. There is Henry and Evelyn. Evelyn is so beautiful but there is also a sense of sadness that I see in her. Me and Holly follow them. Henry is tall with black hair and an olive complexion. Henry and my grandpa Charles look like they can be twins. How amazing is that? Me and Holly follow Henry and Evelyn to the Brooklyn Navy Yard where we see hundreds more soldiers. We stop beyond the entry point. Henry and Evelyn keep on going. Me and Holly watch the many hundreds of soldiers and their families. They are saying their goodbyes.

We spot Henry and Evelyn in the crowd. I begin to cry as I watch them say their goodbyes. "Are you okay?" I look at Holly and nod. In the distance Henry and Evelyn are hugging when a horn blares. The soldiers begin boarding the ship. I look at Henry, he picks up his bag, before he leaves he kisses Evelyn and I see him whisper something to her. She smiles then he boards the ship. Holly asks "Where are they going?" I tell her "They are going to Europe to fight." Evelyn turns around this time I don't see her crying. I see a new determination and a strong-willed woman.

I grab Holly's hand, we go to an empty alley, where I punch in the new coordinates to 2002, the alternate world, a world that is similar to my own. In my world the year 2002 in the historical records indicate this time period was a time of great sadness and a time for vengeance. It was March 2002 when me and Holly arrive in the alternate world. In my world months earlier a horrific event took place that claim the lives of over 3000 civilians. We learned about this tragic event. Our teachers and parents never wanted to talk about it. They simply said that event changed the course of this country. I want to see in the alternate world if the events are the same. I have a picture of my many times over great grand parents Bryson and Zoey Bennett. They lived in my world in the year 2002.

Zoey Bennett is the granddaughter of Henry and Evelyn. I want to see if they are the same people in this alternate world. Historical records indicate that Bryson Bennett enlisted in the United States Marine Corp after 9/11. We should land right at the time when Bryson is set to go to Iraq. So the place me and Holly are going to in the other world is in upstate New York in the town of Cold Springs.

Here we go. The time portal opens up me and Holly enter. A rush of air hits us both and in a matter of minutes me and Holly are in the alternate world of Cold Springs New York. "You okay Holly?" Holly looks at me and nods. I again hid the time portal. I grab Holly and quickly tell her "We need to look like the people of this world. I quickly let my hair loose so does Holly. I look in my bag and take out the clothes I brought with me. We quickly change. Now we look good. Me and Holly set off.

As me and Holly are walking down the street I see this world looks just like my world did in 2002. I have seen so many pictures of the time period. I notice how the people are friendly and caring towards each other. I see the same sadness I saw in Evelyn's eyes among the people. I walk to a newspaper stand and see the images of fallen buildings and immediately I know what has happened. This world 9/11 did happen just like in my world. I see Holly and notice how she doesn't understand what's happening. I tell her about the tragedy that took place in our world during this time period and this world suffered the same fate. I wrote down the address of Bryson and Zoey's home in my world and hope it's the same address in this world. Again me and Holly walk to our destination.

This world's Cold Spring is a very beautiful town just like in my world. In my world after the second war ended Henry and Evelyn moved from the city to Cold springs to begin a new life. They chose a beautiful place to live and raise a family. I wonder if the same happened here. Maybe I won't know that but it never hurts to think about it or imagine it.

After walking around Cold Springs for what seemed like hours, we finally made to what I hope is the home of this world's Zoey and Bryson Bennett. I noticed in the houses we pass that they are each displaying an American flag, the same flag as in my world. This was the old flag I saw in pictures. We don't use this flag anymore. Me and Holly stop across the street from a blue house. I take out a picture of Zoey and Bryson I brought with me. I look at the picture and then I look at the woman. She looks so beautiful but different from the picture, actually this Zoey Bennett looks exactly like me. She has long black hair, high cheekbones and blue eyes.

We watch Zoey, she has a distant look I her eyes. The door to the house opens, a man in a military uniform comes out. I look at the picture of Bryson and the man who I assume is the Bryson of this world and they look exactly alike. Wow, this is too unbelievable. This day in my world is the day Bryson leaves and I guess this Bryson is also leaving. Next, we see Zoey and Bryson getting into a car. I only saw those in pictures too. We watch as they drove off. I grab Holly's hand. We follow them as best we can. I follow the signs and realize Zoey and Bryson are going to the train station. I heard about that form of transportation as well.

Zoey pulls into the train station. We follow them inside but stay far from view as possible. They stop at a platform. The sign reads platform 3. Me and Holly see Zoey and Bryson embracing each other. They hug and kiss then Bryson gets on the train and waves to Zoey. She waves back. Zoey leaves with tears in her eyes. Once we watch Zoey get back into her car and drive off me and Holly find an empty alley. I punch the coordinates for home. In a matter of seconds, me and Holly are back home. Wow after experiencing these two worlds that are different but also the same in their own unique way, I have a new appreciation for these people of both worlds and those who served in the old military. Their families were some thing special.

In the ensuing weeks I took many more trips to the past and to the alternate worlds with Holly and sometimes I went alone. Now more and more people are traveling to the past, to relive the story of this country or to alternate worlds to see how both worlds are different yet the same. I learned a lot from traveling to the past and to alternate worlds and I will take my experiences with me and hold it close to my heart forever.