The Time Portal

Ahmad kicked stones along the hiking trail, bored with his family's weekend adventure. His parents had stopped to take photos of the view, letting him explore the nearby bushes. Behind a large boulder, Ahmad spotted something unusual—a circle of shimmering light hovering just above the ground. Curious, he reached out to touch it, and with a sudden whoosh, the world around him began to spin.

When everything stopped spinning, Ahmad found himself standing in hot sand under a blazing sun. Enormous triangular structures rose in the distance while people in strange clothing worked nearby. A young boy carrying water jars stared at Ahmad's modern clothes with wide eyes. Before Ahmad could speak, the air shimmered again, and he felt himself being pulled away.

This time, Ahmad landed in a muddy courtyard surrounded by stone walls and armored men. A feast was underway with musicians playing instruments he'd never seen before. Ahmad watched in amazement as knights practiced with swords nearby, their armor clanking. The portal appeared again, glowing brighter than before, pulling him into its swirling center.

After visiting prehistoric times with massive dinosaurs, Ahmad finally understood how to control the portal. He thought hard about his parents and the hiking trail, feeling the portal respond to his wishes. When he opened his eyes, he was back behind the boulder, only seconds after he'd left. Ahmad smiled, keeping his amazing adventure secret as he rejoined his waiting parents.