The trip home was longer than I remembered it. Though it didn’t matter. I had what I wanted. Upstairs in my apartment, yeah when you have more money than God you can have an apartment at 17, I slowly unwrapped the hourglass. It was so cold to touch, the painted wood felt like ice. I sat mesmerized for what seemed like twenty minutes but when I came to my senses and checked the clock it was still the same time as when I sat down. In fact the second=d hand hadn’t moved at all. Stupid thing must be broken. Then I looked at my watch, the exact same time, down to the second still not changing. Which just happens to be impossible on a digital watch.

Suddenly my room started to get blurry and everything started turning white and next thing I know I’m standing in a totally colorless version of my room and there were two men, one standing on either side of my bed, staring straight at me. The first in a black suit with white pinstripes. He was tall, maybe six three, sleek black hair with a soul patch and a pin of a trumpet on his lapel. The other had on a white suit with black stripes and a totally different look. Long unruly hair a short goatee and a rough looking face. And on his lapel was a star pin. Band nerd.
“My name is Lucifer Morningstar. This is my heavenly counterpart Gabriel.” Said the man in the white suit.
“Whoa wait, what? Are you sure you don’t have that backwards isn’t the scary looking guy supposed to be the devil?”
“Boy you are trapped in purgatory with the archangel Gabriel and the former right hand of God and you question our appearance?” Hmmm seem to have angered mister Morningstar.
“No we are in my room.”
“Purgatory isn’t a fixed location it is a prison that souls are locked in that takes the appearance of your location.” Gabriel corrected. Smart jerk.
“Why am I imprisoned with the devil and an angel then?”
“Not very scared is he Gabriel?”
“No Lucifer but we are not here to scare him. Mr. Knight we are here to read you the terms of ownership of the Sands of Time.”
“The Sands of Time?”
“Yes the hourglass in your hand that you have been presented contains the Sands of Time. As the owner you may stop or continue time as you wish, all you have to do is come into contact with the hourglass and time will stop.”
“Now Gabriel we aren’t here to explain what he has probably figured out. The rules Gabe, get on with the rules.”
“As usual your impatience gets the better of you my dear fallen star, I mean Morningstar.”
“Ha Ha the golden angel has jokes! Get your head out of the clouds and continue!” Great I’m going to get caught in the middle of the next heavenly war.
“The rules are…very simple. If you do good with the Sands, you go to heaven, evil to hell, and if you only do things for yourself you will end up in purgatory after your existence wastes away.” Gabriel said flatly, emotionlessly, kind of scary.

Suddenly the room began to shake and several of my floorboards were pulled nail and all out of the support beams and seemed to roll up like a fire hose. Lucifer reached into the newly created abyss and pulled out a long yellowing piece of paper that looked sort of like a contract but the contract was actually very short, the length of the paper was taken up by what seemed to be signatures. The last being Alphonse Federico.
“All you need to do now Mr. Knight is sign here under Mr. Federico and you will be the new owner of the Sands.” As usual Gabriel remained calm and collected.

I signed the paper and with a loud crack and flash of light that must have been lightning in my room the color returned and the angels disappeared, but time was still at a standstill. I put the hourglass back on the table so I could resume my life, at least for now, and think about what I would do with all the time in the world. Just as I released the glass all the energy rushed out of my body and I passed out in the middle of the floor where moments before there had been a hole with the devil’s hand in it.