A Taste of Timestoppage

You leave your room, realizing that you are running late for your job, a distasteful corporate gig that you had taken to pay the bills. As you hurry down the stairs, you notice that the world outside is alive with movement and sound once more.

The sun had dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the sidewalk. The park across the street was filled with children playing, their laughter ringing out in the crisp autumn air. You crossed the street, weaving your way through the traffic, and entered the park. The trees that lined the path were a riot of color, their leaves a brilliant mix of red, orange, and yellow. The air was filled with the scent of fallen leaves and the distant sound of car horns.

Eventually, you arrive at the office, waving a quick hello to Julia, the beautiful blonde receptionist on the ground floor, before just barely catching an elevator before it dings, heading up to your floor at the office.

The elevator doors slide open, and you step out into the familiar hallway, the sound of your footsteps echoing off the sterile white walls. You walk past the rows of cubicles, each one filled with the quiet hum of keyboards and the occasional ringing of a phone.

The air is thick with the scent of stale coffee and the faint aroma of printer ink. As you reach your cubicle, you see that your coworker, a middle-aged man named Tom, is already seated at his desk, his eyes glued to his computer screen.

He glances up as you approach, his face breaking into a wide grin. "Hey, Ray-man," he says, his voice a low rumble.

You smile in return and greet him as you sit in the stiff chair. The chair creaks softly as you lean back, the fabric scratching against your shirt. You glance at the clock on the wall, noticing that it's 10:15 AM. You realize that you've lost track of time, your thoughts still consumed by the strange events of earlier.

Tom leans back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head. "So, what's new?" he asks, his eyes twinkling with curiosity.

You hesitate for a moment, wondering if you should tell him about your encounter with the mysterious app. You decide against it, not wanting to sound like a madman. "Not much," you say, forcing a smile.

Tom nods in understanding. "Yeah, I guess that's how it is sometimes," he says, taking a sip of some coffee.

As Tom sets his cup down, his eyes drift back to his computer screen, and he begins to type away with a look of intense focus. You watch him for a moment, feeling a pang of envy at his ability to focus on the mundane tasks of the day.

Your mind, on the other hand, is still reeling from the strange events of earlier. You try to shake off the feeling of unease, telling yourself it was just a glitch or a prank. But as you glance down at your phone, now lying silently on your desk, you can't help but feel a sense of trepidation.

After doing about an hour of work, you keep finding your mind drifting back to the app, almost as if it was subconsciously calling your name. You resist the urge to check it, reminding yourself that you have more important things to focus on. However, a nagging curiosity lingers in the back of your mind, making it difficult to concentrate fully on your tasks.

You decide to take a quick break, hoping that a short walk around the office will help clear your head. You stand up from your chair, stretching your arms above your head as you walk towards the break room. The sound of your footsteps echoes off the sterile white walls, the fluorescent lights flickering overhead.

As you enter the break room, you see a few of your coworkers gathered around the coffee machine, chatting quietly. You nod in their direction, offering a polite smile before making your way to the vending machine. You insert a few coins, selecting a pack of chips and a bottle of water.

At this point, you think to yourself, "What's the worst that could happen?" You hesitate for a moment, your thumb hovering over the pause button. You take a deep breath and press it, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu wash over you.

Time seems to slow down, the sound of your coworkers' voices fading into the background. You look at the clock on the wall, watching as the second hand ticks down to 11:20 AM. You take a step back, feeling a strange sense of detachment from the world around you.

Everything is frozen in place, the vending machine still dispensing your chips and water. You take a deep breath, trying to calm your racing heart. You walk around the break room, and sure enough, all of your coworkers are frozen in place, mid-conversation. Everything is suspended in reality, leaving you in a state of disbelief. You wonder if you're the only one who's aware of this strange phenomenon, or if others are experiencing it too.

You shake off any thoughts of such things, and you spot one of your more attractive coworkers in the room, a shorter Asian woman named June Akeno. She was stunning, with long, raven-black hair and piercing green eyes that seemed to sparkle even in the dim fluorescent lighting of the break room. Besides that, she had pretty huge tits. You've always had a subtle crush on her, but you've never mustered the courage to approach her. Now, as you gaze at her frozen form, you can't help but feel a twinge of guilt for the way your mind is wandering.

You take a step closer to her, your eyes tracing the curves of her face, the gentle slope of her nose, and the soft, pink lips that seem to curve into a perpetual smile. You feel a strange sense of intimacy, as if you're the only one who can see her like this, suspended in time.

You reach out and grab her left breast, the softness of it surprising you. You hold it for a moment, feeling a rush of excitement mixed with a realization of the power you hold (literally) in your other hand. You glance around the room, ensuring that you're still alone, still the only one moving in this frozen world. Your heart beats faster as you hold her breast, the sensation both thrilling and terrifying.

You release your grip, and your hand lingers in the air for a moment, as if hesitant to let go. You take a step back, your eyes still fixed on June's frozen form. You feel a pang of shame, wondering what's come over you. You've always thought of yourself as a decent person, but now you're not so sure. You take a deep breath, trying to clear your head.

"What kind of power is this?" You wonder to yourself, almost amazed at the endless possibilities flooding your mind as it all finally clicks together.

You look around the room, your eyes scanning the frozen forms of your coworkers. You see Tom, his hand frozen mid-gesture as he tells a story to a group of coworkers. You see Sarah, her mouth frozen in a half-smile as she listens to Tom's tale. You see the vending machine, the chips still suspended in midair as they fall into the dispenser.