SLAM!!! I rushed to my bed and fell on it and shouted “IT'S NO FAIR ALL MY FRIENDS GET THE NEWEST STUFF WHY CAN’T I!” It was 15 days before Christmas and I found out that my mom wasn’t getting me the new smartphone I wanted. I was so mad at her because my little brother was getting all the gifts he asked for, but noo, I already have a phone that works so I don’t need a new one. I was so mad I didn’t even have dessert with her that night.

When I woke up the next morning I went into the kitchen and I was still mad but less than the previous night. My mom was standing at the stove, finishing making breakfast.  She smiled at me and gave me my breakfast. She said “ I’m really sorry about last night, but, I decided that you already have a nice phone and that you can deal with it for another year or two. Jenny called and asked if you could go over to her house, and I said that you would be their once you were ready, so hurry up.”

I ate my breakfast, and went out the window onto the fire escape and climbed down two levels of the fire escape to her window. I told her what happened and she said that she didn’t know what she was getting. We played our favorite game for awhile and then decide to go out to Central Park. We were walking to our secret treehouse when we started falling into a black hole of nothingness. We landed with a thump.

When we got up we were in a strange place. There was small shops to either side of us and there were stagecoaches parked in front of them. “I think we time traveled to back in time! Look, horses tied up outside of buildings, stagecoaches, dirt roads!!!!” We ran to the building with the most horses in front of it. It was the town hall. They were all wearing old fashioned  clothes. We were greeted immediately and the woman cleaned all our scuffs from the fall. They also gave us new clothes to change into since ours had gotten all ripped up.

“Why you girls are awfully young to be trav'lin by yourselves.” The redheaded woman said.
“You must be very tired from your journey. Why don’t you come to my house with me until your folks show up?”
“Thank you” I said. This is all very kind of you but we really must get home.”
“Oh, well, where do you live?”
“We live in New York City.”
“Why that’s crazy! New York is almost 1000 miles away from here. There is no way you can get home by yourselves in time for Christmas. Why don’t you just stay with us?”
“Where are we exactly?”
“You are in Dodge City, Kansas.”
“What is the date?”
“Why, it’s December 23rd, 1866.”

That was when Jenny lost it. “We are in Kansas in 1866! How in the world are we going to get home! My mom is going to freak out! I can’t miss Christmas!”
“Calm down. We will get you home and explain the whole incident. But why did you come out here if you knew you had to be home for Christmas?” asked the woman.

“We were home and then we fell through a hole and jumped 144 years into the past and a thousand miles away!”
“Well, I don’t know what we will do about that, but as long as you are here, you might as well enjoy yourselves. “ said the woman. She was a bit bemused, as if she thought we were telling a tall tale.

So we decided to take her advice, we explored the town, went to the candy shop, and met all the townsfolk. When Christmas Eve came carriages and people on horses started arriving. So many relatives came  just to be together on Christmas. Around noon, the whole town got together to decorate a huge tree that had arrived on one of the stagecoaches. We helped them decorate it too. We put ribbons on it and small pieces of stained glass and small ornaments that people had collected over the years. There was also small clay ornaments that children had made and metal ornaments that the farrier had made. Finally we strung popcorn and dried fruit and hung it on the Christmas tree. Then Jenny and I went with all of the other kids to play a game that was like the one we call home run derby. We came back when it started to get dark. Jenny and I went to Ms. Clara’s house and slept throughout the night.

It was Christmas in the old western town and everyone brought their gifts to the town square. Everyone was so happy and nice to each other. The children got a doll or wooden toys of some sort that their mother or father had made.  We all had a small lunch and then went to the town square. everybody celebrated the day. The school teacher played the piano and everybody to danced and danced. Then the children went to play a game of tag. When we all came back we went into the town square where the tree was. While we were gone all of the adults had put candles on the tree to make it light up. All of the metal ornaments were shining and the candels showed off all of the hard work everyone had done. There was also a huge table set up in the square with more food than anyone could dream of. There was turkey, corn, sweet potatoes, and pie. We ate so much food and it was all sooo good it was like the food was dancing on my tongue. It was all made by the townspeople and their relatives. The best of all was the maple syrup that Ms. Clara’s cousin had sent to her from Maine. At the end of the night everyone was so full and tired that we all  just wanted to sleep.  Even in their exhaustion everyone still showed appreciation towards each other. That was when I realized why Jenny and I had transported here. I had to learn that I should be grateful for what I have and not mad about what I can’t get for Christmas. I told everybody thank you and that I would probably be leaving soon. I told them that I would never forget them all.

Jenny and I were walking up the stairs  in Ms. Clara’s house and when we got to the top there was no floor. We didn’t realize this until we were falling down in darkness. Thump! We landed back at the bottom of our treehouse. It was the same time as it had been when we fell!
“We made it back!” I said to Jenny.
“I know and I’m so glad we did! Let’s head back home now.” Jenny said.
“I’m okay with that.” , I agreed.

It was a long walk back and five floors of ladders to climb but I got home and ran to my mom. ”Thank you for everything you do”, I exclaimed
“You’re welcome, I think.” said my mom in a perplexed voice.

Fifteen days later it was Christmas and when my brother and I woke it up we ran to the living room. Our mom was there waiting for us. We opened all of our gifts and they were all great. After we finished opening them all my mom said, “We have one more gift that you didn’t open.”
“There is no more under the tree,” I said.
Then she went to the kitchen and brought back a bigger box with holes in it. My brother and I opened it, IT WAS A PUPPY!!
“Thank you, this is way better than a phone ever would be.” I shouted joyfully!