It appears to be only a faded brown piece of parchment. It is slightly larger in size than the average sheet of paper used in households today. Once, its color was youthful, but all evidence has been erased through time. The cream color has faded, with only a dull shade of brown remaining in its place. Four creases have been formed up and down the parchment from the many years of being folded. Slight rips can be found here and there where the creases meet at right angles.
Written on the top of the parchment in small neat cursive script is the word: Date-
Toward the middle of the parchment is a drawing of the earth in thin black ink. It is sketched so that the planet in its entirety can be seen as if it were cut down the middle and laid out flat.
The name of every continent, country, and island is written in the same small script inside each place's interior. It is a simple map, with vague details. One would never know where to find the mighty Mississippi River or the towering Mount Everest by looking at the picture. There is no outlining of rivers or mountains. Cities and capitals are not located. Only the basic lands are labeled with the fine script.
Directly above the map one can read the words, "X marks your destina-." The word is not complete, due to wear. By searching through the simple map, one can easily see there is no 'X.'
The map, will take you to wherever wanted on the drawing. In order to achieve this, however, you must also write the date that you wish to arrive. You see, this map not only leads you through mysterious lands, but travels through something much more than this - time itself.
The air is damp. A constant creak can be heard from the wooden swing swaying back and forth. A little boy sits positioned on the swing, gripping the rough rope with his little hands and kicking his legs out and then back. The boy's hair is a warm brown. It is parted on the right and neatly combed back. His pale face appears even more white against his exuberant blue eyes.
The boy's small body is clothed in a button-down plaid shirt and tucked into a pair of size eight jeans. Around his waist is a belt. From the rain's puddles of mud, the bottom of his jeans is wet and brown. On his little feet are laced a pair of worn, brown dress shoes.
The young boy's name is Charlie Chester Wilborrow. He is ten years old. Charlie has three siblings: Patrick (12), Paul (9), and Hannah (7). He lives in an out-of-the-way, back road town of southwestern Pennsylvania.
Charlie Wilborrow is a well-behaved child. His good manners and sweet reputation can be admired. Academics, however, are a less-than natural ability for Charlie. Try as he might, subjects such as math, history, and science just don't catch the attention of the young boy. His mind wanders to the fantastical stories written in his borrowed library books, or more often, the wheels in his mind churn up adventurous stories of their own.
Folded five times and wrapped inside a rough cloth is the map. It is tied with a strand of rope. The bundle is tucked inside a leather bag, and carved on the outside flap are the words, "James Charles Willborrow." The leather bag is placed inside a canvas tent that lies beside a bundle of woolen blankets. Outside the tent is a half-built log cabin. Nearby is a man, German by face, chopping wood. This is Pennsylvania in the 19th century.
Meanwhile, during the present time and in the same state of Pennsylvania, a family lives in a wooden house. The house was built down a back-road, apart from all other houses. It is a little dwelling surrounded by a small forest. Behind the house is a hand-built swing set. Its wooden seats are held up with rough rope. It is the season of fall. Leaves are falling throughout the wood, creating a mystical land that could be found in a storybook. The weather is wet from a few days of rain. Mud puddles are found every four feet. It is on this property that Charlie Willborrow lives. The house is on the same foundation as the half-built log cabin had been so many years ago.
Henry James Wilborrow, the name has long been replaced by four little children who refer to their grandfather simply as Pappy. He is seventy-six years old, but his sturdy arms and thick hair erase five years from his age.
His forehead has deep creases that are exaggerated when he smiles. He has a large nose above his little, pink lips. With high cheek bones and stressed dimples, he has the eternal expression of joy. His bright blue eyes are always shining with excitement, and a loud hearty laugh is often heard from his mouth. His thick gray hair is brushed back. Pappy and his wife Katherine, two years his younger, live in his oldest son's household.
Three other important characters are Patrick (twelve), Paul (nine), and Hannah (seven) Wilborrow. They are Charlie's siblings. Patrick looks like Charlie, except for his brown eyes and older age. Even strangers have commented on their similar appearance. Likewise, Paul and Hannah have a shared appearance. Paul's short, dark brown, almost black, hair is the same shade as Hannah's long locks. Both of their eyes are a deep green. All four children spend hours playing with each other in the house and through the mystical wood.