#Ongoing Adventure: The Past is the Present

Summary

The protagonist receives a mysterious glowing letter that turns out to be a time travel test, transporting them to London in 1931.

Abstract

In this interactive narrative, the protagonist encounters a glowing letter that they retrieve using a Swiffer. Upon opening the letter, they discover that it is a time travel test from BumbleBee Tech, sending them to London in 1931. The protagonist finds themselves in an old London setting, with a person standing over them, who appears to know a woman named Sarah. The narrative then presents the reader with multiple options to continue the story.

Opinions

The protagonist is characterized as being curious and willing to take risks.
The narrative is designed to be interactive, with multiple options presented to the reader for continuing the story.
The author's son contributed to this chapter, showcasing a collaborative writing process.
The story is part of a larger series, with the previous chapter and the option to start from the beginning provided.
The narrative incorporates elements of time travel and historical settings.
The narrative includes a sense of mystery and intrigue, as the protagonist encounters a glowing letter from an unknown company.
The author expresses gratitude towards the creator of the project, which has become a new hobby for the author and their son.

You Fish Out the Envelope with a Swiffer

You stare uneasily into the glow. It seems as if the glow is not a part of this world… as if it doesn’t belong and you are staring into something deeper than you can understand. You feel unwelcome just being near it. So, of course, curiosity takes ahold of you and you race as fast as you can to the closet (It takes 5 minutes — your fastest yet! I mean, who even needs to exercise?) and grab your Swiffer. You electrify the sheet as much as you can with your TV.

You approach the letter, Swiffer at the ready, and pick it up. The glow follows the envelope, the bumble-bee seal strangely visible amongst it. You are afraid to pick it up, but as curiosity is guiding you, you grab it in your bare hand. You open the letter slowly and read what’s inside:

Time Travel Test 5. Destination London, 1931.

Host: Sarah D. Tamothon, female, 31 years old, widowed. Very close to Marrie M. Mary. Lives at 216 London Street, London. Favorite food is hotdogs.

Activation Method: Electric shock

-Letter courtesy of BumbleBee Tech

You look at the letter. Time travel? BumbleBee Tech? You don’t think you’ve heard of that company before. As you turn it over again and again in your mind you hear a voice, “Oh Sarah, stop fretting all about with your letter, he’s dead now, find a new husband.”

You look up at London, but a very old London, the scent of smog is thick in the air. You notice a person is standing over you. You piece this together quite quickly.

Options:

👉 Run to 216 London Street, London 👉 Relook at the letter, which is now slightly heavier 👉 Pretend to be Sarah and talk to the person 👉 Just run, screaming at the top of your lungs

Written by JS

This chapter was written almost entirely by my eleven-year-old son. He deeply enjoys these sort of alternating adventures, and has mapped out several for us in the past. This, however, is the first one he’s written and contributed to. For my part, I made sure he kept it under 300 words, stayed relevant to the previous chapters, edited a couple of words and punctuation, and kept the final format matching the rest of the #OngoingAdventure. I’d love to thank Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她) for coming up with this entire project, because it has been a new hobby for my son and I to enjoy together.

If you’re looking for more from my son, he wrote this poem:

#OngoingAdventure: The Past is the Present

You Fish Out the Envelope with a Swiffer

Options:

How I Feel

A Poem About Being Sick