[ WP ] You found the device that Santa uses to stop time and travel around the world delivering presents . It only works one day per year .

It was burning a hole in my pocket. 
 
 As a scientist, my recent assignment to the North Pole was supposed to be an uneventful one: perform tests to gauge the impact of global climate change on the ice atop Earth ’ s high Arctic. Nothing prepared me for what I actually found. Though the man himself and his legions of elves were nowhere to be found, an empty sleigh and a large toy factory caused me to shed all vestiges of my cautious skepticism. When I found a large office with a sturdy-looking safe, it only took a matter of moments for me to recover a drill and start to working. While I drilled through the lock mechanism, I surveyed my surroundings. There was certainly dust, indicating that the usual residents had been away for a time, but not nearly enough to speak of a long absence. It was the middle of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, though, and Santa and his elves still had months before their most important task. “ Must be on vacation, ” I murmured. 
 
 At that moment, the drill broke through, and after a bit of tinkering, I pulled open the safe. Inside was but one object: a silver hourglass filled with sparkling sand, which slowly descended a mere grain at a time. A key was fastened to the hourglass with a crimson ribbon, and a parchment tag had the words, “ Caution: One user per year ” hastily scrawled upon it. Gingerly picking up the hourglass, I saw that at the top, it had a keyhole. “ Once per year, eh? ” My mind raced. Santa wouldn ’ t need whatever this device was for at least a few months, and in that time I could return it to a lab, perform some testing, and see what it was. “ I could write a research paper. It would be an unparalleled scientific achievement. ” 
 
 Besides, what was the worst that could happen? Santa would put me on the naughty list? Who needed Santa ’ s presents when I was rich and famous? 
 
 When I departed the North Pole a few weeks later, it was with hourglass in hand. As soon as I was back in a proper laboratory, I performed a full battery of tests. I could tell that it altered time, but the secrets of how it actually worked continued to confound me. I took the device with me everywhere, fearing that it would get lost or stolen. But this had an unanticipated side effect, as circumstances kept tempting me to use it. 
 
 The day I learned that it could stop time, I watched in horror as a woman absentmindedly walked into the path of a speeding bus. I did everything I could to get to her before disaster struck, but I reached her side just in time to cradle her dying form in my arms. “ I could have prevented this from happening. I could have stopped time and gotten her out of the way, ” I thought. But I had to think of the children, and how much disappointment they ’ d feel if Santa couldn ’ t make it this year. 
 
 Several weeks later, I was in a convenience store when a man charged in with a gun, and demanded all the shopkeeper ’ s money. “ It ’ s just money, ” I thought. Once I had divined the secrets of the Time Stopper, I could give the shopkeeper enough money to be set for life. I couldn ’ t justify derailing Santa ’ s annual flight for something so insignificant. 
 
 A month later, I was nearing a breakthrough, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I could give Santa back his device. The terrible burden would soon be gone. Returning to my apartment, I didn ’ t give a second thought when I found my door unlocked, as I ’ d been in a rush to get to the lab that morning. When I saw the horned figure seated in my armchair, I realized just how wrong I ’ d been about everything. 
 
 “ Gruß vom Krampus, ” he said, lips curling up to a devious smile, revealing pointed teeth. “ You have something that Nicholas has kept from me, for a very long time… ” 
 
 Though I wanted to run, I found myself frozen in place as Krampus stood, and walked over to me. I attempted to resist as he removed the hourglass from my grasp, but he was far too strong. 
 
 “ Think, ” he said, leaning forward, his foul breath causing me to shudder in repulsion. “ Think of all the torment I can do now… ” 
 
 “... starting with you. ” 

