The two women walked along amiably chatting when Dahlia froze.
“What’s wrong?” asked Cami, stopping too.
“That’s it,” Dahlia said, pointing to floral arch creating a doorway on the path.
“That’s what?” Cami asked.
“That’s the portal that I came through when I got here,” Dahlia replied.
“The doorway to 2023?”
“Yes! I’m sure of it!” Dahlia said. “Now I can go back home!”
Cami put her hand on Dahlia’s arm. “Are you sure?” she asked.
“I’m sure it’s the arbor! I remember seeing it and being surprised that it had just suddenly appeared! Yes! This is the portal!” Dahlia said, her excitement growing with every word.
“No,” said Cami. “I mean, are you sure you want to go back?”
Oh, goodness, yes! I’ve met my grandmother. I’ve got my great-grandmother’s journal here in my bag. I’ve got so much to tell them back home.”
“How do you know that the journal will survive the trip?” Cami asked. “You haven’t even had a chance to read it yet!”
“Why wouldn’t it survive?” Dahlia asked.
Cami frowned. “We don’t know the rules of time travel, do we? You don’t even remember what happened when you came through before.”
Now Dahlia frowned. “I wish I could remember what happened before that breakfast at the Jackson farm. It’s like one moment I’m seeing a floral arbor and heading for it, and the next I’m at breakfast on a farm seventy years ago.”
“You mean a few weeks ago,”Cami said.
“Yes,” said Dahlia, puzzled.
The Unicorn Challenge is to write a 250 word story based on the photograph.
First, I’m not a fiction writer.
Second, the only idea I had when I saw the arbor was time travel.
Third, I kind of hate that that was my first thought, especially because the parent blog for the challenge is called Tales from Glasgow and clearly from Scotland.
Fourth, for the record, I have NOT read or watched Outlander. Just sayin’. But because of Outlander, time travel in Scotland just sounds cliche.
Fifth, as I thought about the whole idea, I realized that I don’t know the rules for time travel. Would a journal travel unscathed through a portal?
Hot Dogs and Marmalade 
I hope there are more chapters to come!
Haha — pretty sure this was a one-off. 🙂
Interesting 🥹
I think that’s a great story. For the record my time travelling characters Morgarna, Merlin and can carry anything they need , Morgarna has a bag that she can carry anything in even huge things . Merlin carriesbthing in his clothes Gail can’t carry anything yet.
Thanks, Willow! I couldn’t decide whether I wanted objects to time travel or not. If they can’t, it really changes things, doesn’t it?
Yes indeed but my guys have it so they can 💜💜
An intriguing story, I wonder if Dahila will ever go back 😄
The great thing about time travel, Sally, is that you make your own rules.
It doesn’t exist yet, so it’s whatever you want it to be.
I liked your story, rules or no rules.
Thank you! I discussed all this with my daughter as I drove her back to college. She seems much more well-versed in time travel than I am — but she said basically what you said — I get to make the rules. Gah! I don’t want to make the rules! I want the rules of the universe to be set in place so that I can work within them! All this is why I will never write a fiction book about time travel. 🙂
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Fascinating conundrum! 💞
I keep playing with it in my mind. What if the journal doesn’t survive the portal and is lost forever? What did she just lose? How would that impact the present? OR — what if she gave it to her friend and asked her to stash it in a specific place where she might be able to find it in the present? So many options!
Ooooo, I like the stash option! Safety deposit box, so nothing happens to it?
I was thinking more like, in a cave, under rock, wrapped in layers of oilskin fabric — an old coat or something. A secret place that the two of them know, you know?
That would be awesome!
Depends on the writer. In the Terminator continuity, everyone time travels naked.
I did not know that!