Fiscally responsible, financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to progressive and save hundreds. Because progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home, and more. Plus, you can count on their great customer service to help when you need it so your dollar goes a long way. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance. For casualty insurance company and affiliates, potential savings will vary, not available in all states or situations. Ava didn't sleep much that night. She kept thinking about Tommy and how scared he had looked about the things he was saying about her family's car and talking about having light without flame like it was some kind of impossible magic. In most of all, she thought about the fallen tree. The next morning, she woke with the sun and hurried through breakfast. I'm going exploring, she told her parents, already halfway out the door with her sketchbook tucked under one arm. And when she reached the river, the tree was still there, sprawled across the water like a wooden bridge. Tommy was already there waiting. You came, he said. Of course I did. This is our special place, isn't it? Said Ava. Tommy looked relieved and then he nodded toward the tree. You ready? Ava hesitated. Yeah? Why wouldn't I be? Isn't it just a tree? Tommy gave a crooked smile. It's not. I'm sure of it now. Huh? Ava said. But then she took a deep breath and stepped onto the trunk. As she crossed this time, she felt something strange in the air that she hadn't noticed before. The light around her seemed to shimmer just for a second. And the sound of the birds shifted into something older, something quieter. The wind even smelled a bit different, like a mixture of wood and smoke and earth. When she reached the other side, the world felt different. The forest felt older. The colors seemed warmer and up ahead. Between the trees, she saw smoke curling from a stone chimney in the distance. Tommy led the way, pointing out his family's small log cabin. It looked like something out of a storybook with wooden walls, a shingled roof, and no wires or antennas in sight. They didn't have a car in their driveway either. In fact, they didn't even really have a driveway at all. They just had a couple of horses tied up to the nearby fence. And as they walked closer, Ava took in the strange sights around her. Laundry was drying from a wooden rack. A goat was tied to a post, and a stack of firewood was piled high beside the door. She spotted a lantern hanging from the porch, not electric, but the kind you light with a flame. Wait, where are the lights? In the power lines. Do you guys not have a car here? Ava asked. Tommy looked at her like she was the confused one now. In your house, she said, there's no cables or satellite dish or anything. Wait, Tommy, what year is it? The year? Uh, it's 1890. Wow, what year did you think it was? Ava stopped walking. 1890? She looked around again, this time really seeing it. The clothes, the tools, the handmade chairs on the porch. She wasn't just in the woods anymore. She was in the past. Ava's heart thumped wildly in her chest. She turned in a slow circle, trying to take everything in. Trying to believe it. This can't be real. She whispered. Tommy looked concerned. You okay? Ava nodded slowly, but her voice was barely there. I think I just realized how far from home I really am. Tommy said, yeah, I know it's a lot to take in, isn't it? They walked in silence for a few moments. Ava still trying to catch up with her own thoughts. They stood there for another moment. Both of them uncertain about what was going on. But then a deep rumble echoed through the valley. The sky had grown darker while they weren't looking, and clouds were growing larger above them. Tommy's eyes darted over to the river. We need to get back, he said. And so they ran, dodging roots and ducking branches as the wind picked up speed. And the first drops of rain hit hard, cold and fast. Thunder crackled again. The sound of the river was louder now, and it sounded angrier. When they reached the riverbank, they both stopped. The tree was gone. The river had risen with the storm, and the fallen trunk had been swept away, tumbling and spinning as it disappeared downstream. Ava's heart sank. No! She splashed into the water, but Tommy grabbed her arm and pulled her back. It's too deep, it's not safe, he said. But I can't get back! Ava cried. The tree's gone. How will I get home? She looked across the river, and panic was building in her chest. I'm stuck, she whispered. The rain poured harder in the forest. Once magical, now felt like it was closing in around her. And Ava, standing soaked and breathless on the wrong side of time, realized that if they didn't figure something out, she might never get home again. But that's a story for another day.
