The grand apartment is crowded, dark, and loud. I can’t hear my friend tell me she’s grabbing a drink, but I can see her make enough motions with her hands to take a guess. The bass of the music is loud enough for me to feel throughout my body.

As I join in to dance with a decent sized crowd, I decide to not think about the bizarre week and just let go. I jump and move with the rhythm, grateful my shoes are tennis shoes. I didn’t dress for a fancy party or any party for that matter. I’m wearing black jeans with holes in the knees and a light gray shirt that says ‘Dill With It” with a green pickle wearing sunglasses. I’m underdressed by far.

When the song changes smoothly into one I know, I pump my fist in the air. I’ve needed this moment. But the music stops. It’s such a shock that I do another jump before I completely stop. It’s happened again.

Every person around me is frozen. There’s a girl pushing her butt into a guy with nerdy looking glasses and a white button down shirt. They look the part of a professional party gone wild. I turn towards the kitchen where my friend presumably is. I know the music will turn back on in a few minutes and everyone will unfreeze, but I’m not in the mood anymore.

Leaning against the door jam is a man sipping a dark liquid out of a clear glass. And he is watching me. His hair is dark and short but long enough to run your hands through it. I bet it would be soft. He’s muscular but tone and dressed like he fits in with the crowd here.

Holy crap. The man is not frozen. Everyone but the two of us are captured in time. And based off how he isn’t panicking, he probably can stop time too.

“I was hoping you’d be here tonight.” The hot guy across the room says. My face scrunches as I search my brain for a missed memory of the man I’m approaching. But I think I’d remember someone like him.

“I’m sorry. Have we met?” I step a little closer to him, but I’m unsure why. Maybe it’s because I’m expecting everyone to unfreeze at any moment.

“The thing I needed the most I should have gotten when I stopped time around you this week.” His voice sends a shiver down my spine. “And yet you didn’t freeze.” He is still leaning on the door jam and looks at me like I have a secret to this new magical curiosity.

Even though this is insane news, I can’t help but feel disappointed that I am not the one controlling time. It wouldn’t have been my first choice as a super power, but it would still be cool to have any magic whatsoever. I sound like an insane child. Magic isn’t real, but then what is happening right now?

“You’re not the only one disappointed.” I shrug. “But if you needed something, you could always ask.” Something inside me tells me this man is dangerous. But a stronger sense urges me to help him.

He steps towards me and sets his drinking glass on a nearby table. My head tilts back to look at his face as he steps into my personal space. Yeah, this guy is dangerous for multiple reasons. He smells cozy and like pine.

He searches my face. “If you are who I think you are, you’ll be found soon.” He grabs my hand and pulls us to a closet door. I can’t help but think about the warmth and how good it feels to have my hand in his.

“Why are we going to the closet?” Why am I not running out the door from this crazy, intoxicating man? I feel like my head is beginning to ache.

“I’ll explain things when we get there.” He says simply as he opens the closet and grabs jackets for the both of us. Mine is obviously a man’s jacket and comes down past my knees, but it’s warm.

Why did I agree to put this on? My head feels like it is going in slow motion. Come on, Beth, get it together.

“Dude, it’s June in Florida.” This man is insane. It’s time to part ways. I try to take a few steps back, but he grabs my hand and poof. We are standing in snow.

I make a slow spin as I take everything in. The air is so cold it almost hurts to breathe. I’m grateful the jacket is long enough to cover the holes in my jeans.

We are standing on what appears to be a mountain top surrounded by woods with a clearing to view more woods of the surrounding mountains. The view is stunning. Behind us is the largest cabin I’ve ever seen. It’s screams luxury and warmth. I want that warmth.

“Where are we?” I feel so shocked I am surprised at my words.

The man grabs my hand again and leads us towards the cabin. “Everything you know about the world is limited. It’s like a milk jug in the fridge. You know everything about that milk jug. But you don’t know about anything else in that fridge.

“You don’t know the fridge itself. I am going to do my best to explain it all to you. And to ask for your help.” He gives my hand a light squeeze as we approach the wooden door.

“So we are on the orange juice next to the milk right now?” I ask him. His metaphor is making me wish I had dinner. “You could have just said the universe.” This guy must really think I am stupid, and maybe I am for getting myself in this situation.

He shakes his head no but doesn’t elaborate. “We are home.” He says as he opens the door.