swept and mopped the floors, washed the walls and dusted. After straightening out the livingroom, Mike collapsed into a kitchen chair. Everything was so clean it sparkled! The place looked great; better than when he'd moved in. He was proud of himself, indeed!
"Boy, is it hot in here!" he said. "Wonder if my thermostat is out of order again? I'll have to have the maintenance man check it later." He went over to look at the room temperature on its gage. It read seventy-five, but to Mike the room felt like it was ten degrees hotter. Turning back to the kitchen, Mike glanced at the clock, and his mouth fell open in shocked disbelief. "Only twenty minutes?" he gasped, "It couldn't have taken me only twenty minutes to clean up this whole place! It's impossible!"
When he had gathered his wits about him once again, he sped off to Dr. Horton's to report his new discovery.
"Hmmmm!" Horton smiled, "A new power for the books! This one's not in the manual, Mike! Here," he said, taking a pocket watch from his lab coat, "do you know where the ferryman's wife sells little handmade dolls from the pier we frequent in the summer months?"
"Sure, doc," Mike nodded, "they have a little store right on the waterfront."
"Well, I want you to run down there for me, buy me a doll from the ferryman's wife, and run back here with it, as fast as you can. I will time you." He handed the boy two dollars.
"Aw, doc, that's a mile or two away from here! It'll take me all afternoon just to get there. I'll be exhausted!"
"Maybe, maybe not. Just do as I say and we'll see. Don't start off until I say 'go,' then I'll start the clock."
Mike did some heavy breathing for a few minutes, then Horton cried, "ready, set, go!" and he was off. He did not realize it until a few seconds later that something amazing was happening to him...he was running down the corridors and noticed everyone he passed seemed to be literally standing still! Afterwards, things began to blur and warp out of proportion. What was in front of him seemed normally shaped, but as he passed them, blurred and grew huge in size. Mike would have felt dizzy but he concentrated on his destination, and reached the pier all right. He purchased a doll from the kindly ferryman's wife as instructed, briefly touching her hand as he took the little bag that held the miniature from her. She smiled. Then, he was off again as quickly as he'd come, experiencing the same visual distortions as before. He finally stood before the elderly physician again, quietly, thinking it strange he didn't feel out of breath.
"Here you are, doc!" Mike said, handing him the bag.
"What?" Horton gasped, "But you didn't even leave the room!" He glanced at the watch. "That only took you three seconds, Mike!" He looked pale. The boy was speechless.