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Selena Liu

Mrs. Caronna

Over the River and Through the Woods Ending

She couldnt help but stare as he unzipped his trouser pockets with those strange strips of metalshe supposed was one of those newfangled inventions people created from the strange ideas they got

these days. As he searched for whatever he was to give her, she pondered what it would be, who that

letter was addressed to, all of the unsolved mysteries that had surfaced these past few hours. She

thought about the Bible from someone named Amelia, the children who claimed their name was

Forbes

A voice jolted her to the present. I found it! cried a proud Paul, holding an envelope and a

book. Here it is! Nervously, she took the creamy white envelope with a bulge in it addressed to her

and ripped it open. Dear Ellen, the letter read in that same neat type as shed seen on that other letter. I

offer you my sincerest apologies. Im sorry to burden you with the extra weight of my children, but we

have great need for your help and, for your willingness to assist others, I thank you. Times are hard upon

us, and I cannot afford to let the aliens take the children with us. It is too dangerous to have them stayhere. She stared at the print, confused. When she glanced up at Paul, who was watching her intently,

she spotted something else: the date, which said, December 18, 2093. She stared at the paper in

shock, wondering whether she had comprehended it correctly. Or was it simply a typographical error?

P-Paul? she whispered, pointing to the date. Wh-What Why How---

What, Grandma? he asked, then looked at where she was pointing. He frowned. Whats

wrong with that? Isnt it correct?

She paled. Paul This is 1896. Paul turned white as chalk.

But thats not possible! Its 2093 right now, we just walked a little ways here, and we arrived at

your farm! In fact, we could walk right back there if we wanted to!

Paul? she asked quietly. It might help if you told me exactly howyou got here.

All right, Grandma, he said. We just walked through the portal ---

Portal? shrieked Grandma.

Yes, we use them all the time for transportation--- he faltered when he saw the strange look

she was giving him.

So, Grandma murmured, contemplating the many possibilities. My best guess is that the

portal somehow transported you back in time.

But why? he asked.

Maybe it might help if I read the part of the letter aloud to you, Grandma suggested. Then she

read:

Dear Ellen,

I offer my sincerest apologies. Im sorry to burden you with the extra weight of my children, but

we have great need for your help and, for your willingness to assist others, I thank you. Times are hard

upon us, and I cannot afford to let the aliens take the children with us. It is too dangerous to have themstay here.

As she waited for her supposed grandson to digest the information, she read the rest of the

letter:

Mychildren dont know it yet(unless they have figured it out by now), but they have been

transported back into time from the year at the top of this page, 2093, so that they, too, will not be

abducted by those vile aliens when they reach Earth on the winter solstice, 3 days from now. Here, in

your household, the children will be protected against harm. The rest of the family has chosen to stay

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behind to help others and try to escape the grasp of those barbaric creatures, most likely by rebelling

against them. If all goes well, my family will meet you not long after you read this letter at your house,

and pick up the children. Under any circumstances, do not speak of this to anyone other than Jackson,

your husband. It would be best not to mention anything to the children, either, unless they have already

figured out what happened.

Well, she thought, the children now knew that theyd been transported back in time. She might

as well tell them, and looked at Paul. As she watched, realization, then shock, and finally, horror,

dawned on his face. It wouldbe quite a shock to discover that your parents sent you back in time on

purpose, she thought. Paul, she said. Your parents sent you here to protect you from danger. They

willcome back for you.She didnt quite believe the last sentence any more than she believed that he

and Ellen were her grandchildren, but he nodded to show that he was listening. Satisfied for now, she

started to read again.

Your great-great grandson,

Jason Forbes

He was her great-great-grandson? She thought. That meant that the children would be her

great-great-great-grandchildren, a far cry from their story, which stated that they were her

grandchildren! She continued:

P.S. The book is for you from your sister on your 59th birthday. If you like, I will offer you aglimpse of the future. I wouldnt urge you to take it, though; if you reallywould like to know, it is about

death. However, you may be saved if you follow my instructions and live longer, even though it bears bad

news. The information is on the next page.

She considered this with a shudder. Shed always wanted to die a peaceful death, not one where

she died screaming in pain. But here this letter was, suggesting that her would-be death was a painful

one. She sighed. Why not read the other page? Now the mystery was gone, like the ending of a book

spoiled. Well, she might as well try to make her death less painful.

She turned to the next page. It said:

As my brother, Jackson, the familys historian, has informed me, it appears that you died because

of a condition we suspect is cancer in 1904. Once January 1, 1904 rolls around, take 1 of these pills every

day, even before you get sick. Stop taking the pills only when they run out; the pills I have given you willlast well into 1905. These pills will have a prolonged effect that way. Even if cancer is not the cause,

these pills can still serve as an antibiotic. Your sister, unfortunately, died in a physical accident that we

cannot aid her in, and never had a chance to give that gift to you. It was found in her house after her

death.

She looked inside the envelope. Nestled inside was a bottle filled with small pills. She would

keep that package safe until 1904.

Just then, she heard a knock on her door. Flinging the letter onto the table, she called, Im

coming!and raced as quickly as she could to get to the door, but with her skirt, she couldnt move as

fast as Paul did. He ran for the front door, and, breathlessly, opened it. His face brightened when he saw

who was there. Mama! Papa! Youre here, he yelled, joy filling his face, and Aunt and Uncle, too!

Grandma watched and smiled as Paul greeted his family members, then went into Ellens room to wake

her up and share the news. She had already been woken by the racket Paul was making, and was

rubbing her eyes sleepily. Whats with all the noise? she murmured.

Ellen! Wake up! said Grandma. Your parents are here!

Ellen stood up abruptly. Really? she asked, excited now. When Grandma nodded, she slipped

on her slippers, and raced to the front door, still in her pajamas. Mama! Papa! Aunt and Uncle! she

cried.

So, Im guessing that all went well, Grandma said.

Yes, we managed to free everyone, Mama replied.

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Do you think Ellen could handle everything? Paul already knows, Grandma asked.

Well, since Paul here has handled it, I believe Ellen can as well. With that, she recounted the

story from the beginning: How aliens were seen coming to Earth, how theyd told the children that

theyd have to stay at Grandmas house for the time being, how they were sent back in time, how the

aliens abducted everyone, how theyd freed the humans, built a portal, were sent back to Earth, and

how theyd come back in time several hours later the children were supposed to have arrived, just in

case they took longer than was planned.

Grandma listened quietly and tiredly; enough had already happened these past few hours.

When Mama was done telling the story, she said, You must be tired. So many things have happened in

such a short period of time. You can all stay at our house for the night, and in the morning, well make

proper introductions. Everyone agreed, and Grandma led them to their bedrooms. When everyone

knew where they were to sleep, she lay down under the blanket. As much as she wanted to sleep, she

still couldnt wait for the next day.