Rhys’s Adventure
    
Rhys sat outside in shorts and a tank top, fanning herself. She lived in California, of all places! It never snowed at her house. She had to wear shorts and sandals and tank tops during winter or else she’d sweat herself a river! Currently, it was eighty-three degrees Fahrenheit and still climbing! Rhys opened her sliding door and slipped inside of her air-conditioned house.
    
“Close the door! Quick! You’re letting the cold air out!” her mom said.
    
Rhys slammed it shut. Her mom looked at her pants/shorts.
    
“Go to your room and change. Those shorts are way too short,” she said, pointing to Rhys’s room.
    
“Fine,” said Rhys, heading to her door. She went into her room. She opened her closet and was very surprised to find . . . a swirling, blue portal!
    

“Well, anywhere it leads is better than this,” she said to herself. Then, she hopped into it.

The place she landed in was the coldest place she’d ever been to. Everything was white. White was even falling from the sky!
    
“Is this snow?” she asked herself. She looked around and then looked down and realized that she was transparent! She looked next to her, and a transparent polar bear appeared.
    
“Being warm is not the worst thing in the world. Observe,” it said. He blinked his eyes, and they were standing in a small barren hut. A man was huddled in the corner, breathing shallowly. The polar bear blinked again, and they were in a house with no lights or TVs or electricity on. A small family stood with their hands outstretched toward a small fire. He blinked yet again, and they saw a house completely covered in snow, up to the door. It was dark inside, and a little girl stood by a window, crying.
    
“Make it stop!” Rhys screamed. “Please!”
    
“OK,” said the bear. The world started to spin.

Rhys awoke in her bed. Weird dream, she thought. Still, I will never take warmth for granted again. She went outside and lounged on a lawn chair.