A swirly cloud of something that looked like fog filled the room, and then faded into the night. A man lay sleeping in a bed, covers pulled up to his chin. The clock next to him showed "6:59", then quietly flipped to "7:00" and began to beep.

Jim was asleep, and right in the middle of a very exciting dream, when the loud beeping of the alarm woke him up. He blinked his eyes a few times, rolled over and turned off the alarm. He lay there in bed for a moment, remembering what he was supposed to do today. Whatever it was, it had to be better than yesterday, he thought - today is a brand new day!

After laying there quietly for a moment, Jim:

Sharon's birthday!

Jim hopped out of bed, his eyes wide as he realized he hadn't gotten her a present yet. He jumped into and out of the shower, brushed his teeth, and ran a worn-out comb through his hair, and then

He went to mall, heading toward's the local hallmarks store, when he saw an odd shop called Spells R Us. He lingered at the window for a moment, tempted to go in...

Inside the small shop, it was dark and quiet. Narrow aisles were formed by towering bookcases, each loaded with books, boxes and gadgets of every description. "Hello?" Jim called. There was no response.

Jim Falls Alseep...