Time Stopping Ring

Eighteen year old Jason "Jase" Whitlock was browsing through a flea market. He had just moved into a dorm for his freshman year at college and was looking for some interesting nick-nacks to decorate his room with. The flea market was a half mile from campus, and he had ridden his bike there.

Jase was 6'4, 190 lbs, with dark blonde hair, a long nose, cleft chin, pale skin, and hazel eyes. He was single, having broken up with his high school girlfriend when they went off to different colleges after high school, and had no friends at college. His roommate Enrico, a short Hispanic, was friendly enough, but they had not known each other more than a couple of days.

Jase saw an unusual ring at one stand. It was copper with a sun-dial on it. "Damn, thing looks dangerous," he said as he touched the top of the triangular dial. He slipped it on. It seemed too big at first but then seemed to shrink to his finger. He tried to pull it off but it was stuck. "Dammit!" he said.

The man at the stand just stood and watched. "Was askin' ten bucks for that," he said blankly, "but damn thing's been sittin' there forever. Five bucks for that."

Jase could not get it off. He tried twisting it, but as he did so, he twisted the triangular sun dial.

Everything went silent. Jase looked around. Nothing was moving. The man behind the table at this boot just stared straight ahead. Jase looked up and saw a bird suspended in mid-air. Jase waved his hand in front of the man's face, but the man did not move. Jase looked around, and nothing was moving. People were frozen in their tracks. He looked down and picked up another ring. He let go of it, and it hung suspended.

Jase looked at the ring. He twisted the dial back the other way.

Sound started again, the ring that had been suspended in mid-air clinged down on the table.

"Watch it!" said the man.

"Um, five bucks, huh?" said Jase, "I'll take it!" he fished out a five dollar bill as fast as he could and handed it to the man.

Jase then hurried away from the booth. "What the fuck did I just buy?" he mumbled to himself.