By: Leaya Chen

In the small town of Doylestown, there once lived a girl called Alisa. Alisa loved exploring her hometown, and one day, she stumbled upon an abandoned library called THE TIME LIBRARY. Curious, she stepped inside, excited she had finally discovered something worth thinking about. Inside was dusty and filled with cobwebs, and there were piles of old books. Alisa picked up a book titled The Life of John Hancock. As soon as she opened the book, she felt a sudden dizziness, and theneverything went dark.

Alisa opened her eyes to see many men talking amongst each other. They were crowded near a piece of paper.

“Um, excuse me, where are we?” Alisa asked a man next to her.

When the man didn’t respond, Alisa reached forward to tap the man on his shoulder. He walked through Alisa’s hand as if Alisa was a ghost. Shocked, Alisa gaped at the man walking away.

Alisa remembered that she had learned at school that many men, including John Hancock, had signed the Declaration of Independence during the American Revolution. She walked to the paper the men were signing.

‘The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America – When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.’

Alisa looked around, searching for the man whose biography she had entered. Suddenly, a man in a coat and a tricorn hat stepped forward to sign first. Alisa recognized him instantly from the paintings she had seen before—it was John Hancock. His signature was unmistakably bold as if he wanted everyone to know his name.

Alisa watched, filled with interest, as history unfolded before her eyes. As Hancock finished his signature, he glanced up and, for a moment, met Alisa’s eyes. Before she could react, the scene around her began to blur.

In an instant, Alisa was back in the dusty, abandoned library. Dazed, she looked around, but everything seemed the same. Had it all been a dream?

As she wandered through the library, she noticed a glimmer of light coming from behind a bookshelf. Curious, she pulled the books aside and found a hidden compartment. She opened it to find a letter addressed to “The Seeker.” It explained that the library was a “magical place” and gave those who entered a glimpse into history.

Alisa grinned and picked up another book. She knew she had many more adventures ahead!