"The answer to this riddle will determine whether time returns to normal or time stays as it is now."

"Um..."

"So what will it be?"

* * *

January 2 - Day 1

I was only doing my homework. Well, I was listening to the radio at the same time. Okay, okay. So I was listening to the radio. I totally lack the ability to multi-task, so what used to a progressive hour of doing homework turned into a series of head-bobbing to blaring pop on my Sony tape deck. Then it happened.

I thought that the power had gone out because the only immediate change I had noticed was the sudden stopping of the music on the radio and the hands on my wall clock. It wasn’t until I’d noticed a leaf suspended in midair outside through the window that I knew something was wrong.

Soon after noticing these things, I ran down the stairs to confirm my theory. And lo and behold, my parents were frozen. My dad sat there frozen like a human popsicle staring intensely at the updated interest rates in the business section while my mom stood in a stiff position slightly leaning over my father’s shoulder, pouring a coffee into his mug. The coffee looked like a frozen brown waterfall in Antarctica, not that they had any frozen waterfalls, much less a brown one.

So, as much as I had feared, time froze. Everything froze. Except for one person. Me. A girl named Hannah. I was just reading a book and listening to her radio when suddenly, all matter froze. Except me. Why me?

Why was I the only one not frozen?

Hard as I tried, I couldn't get anyone unfrozen. Have you ever watched “Out of this World”? Well, I have. And judging by the fact that putting my forefingers together or clapping or touching people doesn’t do anything, I’ve basically learned nothing from that sci-fi show. I could survive off of food, I suppose. I wondered if the food would be stiff if they were frozen. No, they weren’t frozen. Only movement was suspended in time. All the laws of matter were still intact. Water. Well, it wasn’t moving, but it was still in the liquid state. Think of water in space that hasn’t been moved by any external force. But I could scoop them out like Jello, and when I drank it, it was once again moving.

January 2 - Day 2

It'd seemed like it'd been years since time still moved when it had only been yesterday. School was going to start soon, but not any sooner than yesterday. Actually, if time stopped, how could today be today as opposed to yesterday? Now my head is starting to hurt.

Well, so far, it’s been fun. No work, all play. No responsibilities needed. Last night, well, not really night, I had to get myself to sleep in broad daylight. I ended up staring at the bright wall illuminated from the sunlight.

After I felt like I had had enough sleep, I filled the bath tub to the top with water, overflowing, because I seemed to lack the ability to produce the right temperature of water. That morning, or afternoon, or night, I had a bubble bath with bubbles floating all over the place.

[something fun]

January 2 - Day 3

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t as fun as I thought. The house was getting dirty, and the garbage truck never came by because, well, it couldn’t. And the trash can outside was filled with one week’s worth of trash already.

As far as the food went, I was getting worried. The food was running low in the refrigerator, and the nearest supermarket was two miles away. And to make matters worse, my bike was broken. Even if my bike wasn’t broken, I wouldn’t know the directions to the supermarket anyway.