Jay Steven McDunn was a 75 year old man who lived down the street from where this magic shop had suddenly appeared. Of course he didn't believe the silly backstory about swapping attributes with people, but it was a pretty ring. He probably would have believed it back when he was younger, but the world seemed so now. His wife had died six years ago, his kids were grown and gone far away, and no one really spoke to him in public anymore because everyone walked around with a phone under their faces. It was hard to make friends anymore, and it was hard to see the magic in things. Every once and a while, it was nice to try something new and bring back a souvenir. Already, he was starting to regret making such an impulse purchase on a fixed income, but he'd already lived most of his life and he wouldn't be taking any money with him when it was over.
Steve slowly walked up the stairs to his apartment using the cane he'd bought when his legs stopped working. He tipped his hat to his neighbor Susan who didn't look up from her phone. Maybe they should get an elevator in this building. Maybe he should move to one of those nice retirement homes his kids read about in the brochures. Maybe he should get out more often, since he didn't even know there was enough room on his street for a magic shop. When exactly did it open up, anyway?
He was just about to take the ring off and put it in his late wife's jewelry box, when he got to thinking...