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Description
Zippers closed the door behind him as he exited the old man's house. He sighed, disappointed. Yet another failed attempt. He then procured a little notepad and a fountain pen from his pouch, unzipped the lower part of his right arm, connected the pen to one of his veins, and wrote the word, "Unsuccessful. . ." under the page he had written down about the old man. He sighed again and closed the notepad, shaking his head. Why did they always have to die? He replaced the notepad and pen, after disconnecting it from his vein, back in his side pouch; then returned the vein to his arm and zipped it up tight.
Zippers stepped down off of the porch and looked up at the sky. Vivid hues of reds, yellows, and pinks splattered the clouds with color, almost making the sky look as if it were alive. Like blood in an animal, the sun gave life to the planet. Gracing the Earth with it's light, helping both plants and animals grow to meet their full potential. This made Zippers stop in awe and wonder. When will I ever get to reach my full potential? He sighed one last time and started walking.
Zippers gingerly kicked a small rock down the sidewalk as he contemplated the days events.
"I can't believe it happened again. . . And I was sooo careful this time! I made sure the scalpel was nice and sharp so it wouldn't leave messy cuts and mess everything up, I gave him the painkiller before he could do anything to mess it up, and I even double checked my measurements to make sure I wouldn't mess anything up. . . But it still didn't work!!" He grunted in anger and kicked the rock hard, sending it hurling down the sidewalk and off onto the street. "I'm so sick of this!" he yelled, stomping his feet on the ground. "It happens every time!!!" He was about to let out another frustrated yell, when he heard a window open above him.
He gasped and quickly darted into the dark alley, hiding himself from view of the window. He could hear someone speaking.
"Did you hear that, Mary?"
"No, what?"
"I thought I heard someone yelling, just now, outside our window."
Zippers tensed. He didn't want anyone to know he was there. Especially this time of day when it was still a little light out. His black, leathery skin would stand out if anyone saw him in the light. It was best to only go out when the sun was down, he knew that, but tonight he felt like going out a little bit earlier, hoping to get more chances for practice.
"I think you're just hearing things, Tonya. You should go to sleep; you have that test in the morning."
"Yeah. . . maybe you're right. . . My parents are gonna be mad if I fail another Chem test," she said with a laugh.
The girl closed the window and silence, once again, befell the town.
Zippers slowly made his way out of the alley and checked to make sure they were gone. When he saw that the window was closed tight, he issued a sigh of relief and began walking again.
Again, he began contemplating his situation, trying to think up different strategies and procedures as to how to make his plan work. Perhaps he should try only making small incisions at a time? Or maybe he should inject them with not only a painkiller but a blood thinner, too! That way there won't be as much blood to gob up the zippers and make them all sticky and hard to work with!
"That's actually not a bad idea," he said to himself. "I'll have to write that down when I get home."
This town, like his own, was one he had been in many times. He knew all of the various streets and sidestreets that mapped it. He had taken special care in memorizing all of the buildings and houses as he passed through during evening and late-night strolls, so as to not get lost when out on his own. So it came as a surprise to him when he didn't automatically recognize where he was at all of a sudden.
He looked around. It was definately the same town, just a part of it that he'd never been in before. The buildings looked much older, much more worn by time. A few of them had broken windows and missing shutters. The street was scattered with papers and empty soda cans and bottles, along with some fliers loosely stapled to a few of the telephone poles.
Zippers looked up. The streetlights weren't even lit up. It was as if this whole part of town was just. . . abandoned. Hastily abandoned and left for theives and criminals to do what they pleased with it. It gave him an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"I should probably get going before it gets too much darker," he decided.
He turned around and started heading back the way he came; as he did, though, something glinted at him out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head in curiosity to see what it was.
It was something shiny. Something shiny that was sitting in a basket behind one of the broken windows to a store. As he moved closer, he was able to make out what it was:
It was a pair of scissors--a freshly sharpened, shiny, new pair of scissors--sitting in a little wicker basket full of other various sewing supplies.
"Huh..."
Zippers unzipped one of his side pouches and checked his current inventory.
"Well. . . I am running kinda low. . . and I could use a new pair of scissors. . ." He reached in through the window and picked up the scissors, inspecting them.
It was true; they were brand new! Crisp, sharp blade edge and a smooth, black handle. He snipped them a few times; ahh, the sound of the first use; he liked the sound. He checked the rest of the basket's contents: there were quite a few spools of thread in various colors, a little box of pins, a few sets of different-sized needles, and a dark blue pincushion in the shape of a cube.
It was a cute little set, Zippers thought, and he could definately use it. He looked around; no one really ever came to this part of town nowadays, and the store was obviously abandoned, he figured, so they probably wouldn't notice if this little basket full of sewing supplies went missing, right?
He picked up the basket and transferred some of the supplies to his pouches, then he looked at the basket itself; it was a really nice basket. Finely-woven reeds with a cute material design on the inside of flowers and bugs. It would make for a nice picnic basket, he thought.
"Maybe I can invite Splendy and a few others to lunch in the park someday!" he said gleefully, hanging the basket on his arm.
He was about to start heading home, when curiosity got the better of him. Something made him stop and turn back to the store, as if there was something there that he was missing; something else that he needed to see before he went home. Zippers looked up at the sky--it was really getting dark now--then back at the store.
"Well. . . I guess it won't hurt to take a little peek inside. . ."
He turned the doorknob and tried pushing the door open, but it was stuck. Frustrated, Zippers tried jiggling the knob a bit and pushing harder on the door with his other hand, but it still wouldn't budge. Finally, he grunted and threw his shoulder into the door while turning the knob, and the door snapped open, leaving him stumbling a bit into the building. Zippers recovered quickly from the sudden force of motion and brushed himself off a bit from the dust that had gotten swept up into the air from it.
He straightened up and looked around at the dingy little shop, and he was surprised by what he saw.
Dead bodies, or so he thought, were displayed in various ways throughout the store: some hanging on walls, some sitting in chairs, and some propped up like mannequins. To any normal human it would appear quite creepy and disturbing, and even Zippers thought it was a little weird. Why would someone display dead bodies in a store that sells sewing supplies? he thought. However, upon closer inspection, he realized that they weren't dead bodies, but, in fact, they were dolls. Life-sized, realistic, human dolls! He could tell because they had various types of fabrics for skin, and they were soft and plush to the touch. Some of them had yarn for hair, while others had synthetic, fiber-like hair.
But there were other things in the store besides just life-sized dolls. There were also smaller dolls of various sizes; there were shelves upon shelves of different types of fabric, along with stands that held many different patters and design instructions. There was a section that displayed different types of ribbons made of different sizes and materials, such as lace-like designs, some with little flowers on them, and some that were simply smooth ribbons. Another section was filled with sewing supplies such as pincushions, needles, seam rippers, and so on.
It was a neat little shop, Zippers thought. That's when he suddenly passed by a larger stand, which displayed only one thing: zippers, and lots of them! Zippers squealed with delight, when he saw them. All different sizes and lengths; different colors, too! He felt like a starving kid in a candy store, moving from one section to the next, gleefully pouring himself over all of the different types to choose from. They ranged from shiny, metallic silver and gold colors, to soft pastels, even neons! OMG! Glow-in-the-Dark zippers, too??!! Zippers couldn't help but spazz over all the excitement he was having! One-by-one, he picked them off of their little hooks and laid them in the basket.
"Now I can make all SORTS of things pretty!!!" he exclaimed happily. After he had gotten his fill--and filled his basket--he smiled triumphantly and continued browsing around the rest of the store.
He walked past the counter. On the wall behind it, he noticed, hung a bulletin board, decorated with a few pinned-up notes here and there, and a key-ring. The keys, he noticed as he got closer, were of different sizes and shapes. Some were brass, others were made of silver, but they all had a look of importance to them; very antique designs.
As he passed by the counter, he entered a hallway. There were doors on each side, all with a sign hanging above each door. Some of them read "Adult Female", "Adult Male" "Children", "Teen", etc. Then he passed by one door that was on the right that was marked "Eye Candy".
"Ooh! Candy! I bet Splendy would like it if I brought him some!" He tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge. The door was locked. Zippers pouted for a moment, but then said, "Oh!" as he remembered the key-ring behind the counter. He quickly ran back and plucked it off the wall, then returned to the door.
He examined the keyhole, which was located on a metal plate below the doorknob. It was a rather old looking lock, very antique-looking. It was simple-looking enough, though. Zippers flipped through the keyring, looking for a key that looked like it would fit the old lock. He decided upon one that was rather longer than most of the others. It had a two-pronged tip and a rounded end. He slipped it into the keyhole and turned they key in a full 360 degree rotation. Success! The lock clicked open! Zippers pulled the key out and turned the doorknob, excited to see what sort of candy lay beyond the door.
Zippers quickly opened the door in a rush of excitement. However, after he had done so, he donned a look of shock and horror--though you wouldn't be able to tell due to his lack of facial features.
Naked bodies. Everywhere. Both male and female. Some posed on pedestals, others hanging on the walls. Some of the men were endowed with overly large genitalia, while the women had varied sized breasts, ranging from Bs all the way to double Ds. Some had hair on their places, others did not. It was truly a pervert's paradise.
Zippers, on the other hand, was mortified. He immediately slammed the balls of his palms into his face where his eyes would be and screamed, "AAAAHH!!! DIRTY THINGS!! DIRTY THINGS!!!!!" and ran from the room, down the hallway.
He wasn't watching where he was going, so it didn't take him long to run full force into another door at the end of the hallway. Zippers bounced back and landed on his butt, stunned at the sudden impact. Some of the contents of his basket spilled out onto the floor.
"Ow... that hurt," he said, rubbing his bottom. He looked up at the door. It was a rather beautiful looking door. It was colored a dark, rich crimson. The doorknob was very detailed and regal looking, and made of metal, painted black. Zippers read the sign above the door; it simply said, "Special" in a fancy, calligraphic font.
Zippers contemplated what might be behind the door.
"Well, if it's anything like the last one, then I don't even wanna know..." he said, picking up the zippers and things that had fallen out of the basket and placing them back in.
However, upon looking back up at the door, something seemed to spark his interest. Something seemed so intriguing about this door to him. Like there was something beyond it that he needed to see. It was the same feeling that he had gotten outside of the shop. Like something was calling out to him from beyond.
He paused for a moment, contemplating. He really should be getting back. He had had enough surprises for one day, and he just wanted to go home, go to sleep, and try to forget about the horror that had just ensued. But, for some reason, he just couldn't seem to shake this feeling of interest. He needed to see what was behind the door, and he needed to see it now.
Zippers sighed and stood up, stepping towards the door. He tried opening the door, but this one was locked as well. He frowned and looked at the lock, which was located above the handle. It was covered in dust, so he rubbed it clean with his thumb and examined it, as it now appeared very intricate. He knelt down so that he was eye-level with the lock. It was a shiny metal plate, crafted into the shape of a heart through various swirls and leaf patterns. At the bottom, it swirled out at the point in both directions, with a tiny, pink jewel in the center. It looked very steampunk- or antique-like. In the center of the heart, was an empty space; that was the keyhole, he figured. It was rounded towards the top, then slimmed out as it went down, then fanned back out a bit to the sides at the bottom, leaving a bit of an upward peak in the middle. In the center of the plate, towards the top where the dip of the heart was, was a very detailed and even realistic-looking crystal eye. It had a pink iris and a black pupil. The eye stared straight ahead, as if its sole purpose was to keep watch on the hallway and nothing else. It was almost creepy, the way it seemed to have life within it. As Zippers stared at it, it almost made him feel like it was staring back, as if it knew he was there. It creeped him out a bit. He shuddered a bit and held up the key-ring, looking for the right one.
However, none of the keys on the ring seemed to match the shape of the keyhole; none of them had that upwards peak at the bottom, nor the fanned out sides. This confused Zippers. Why would they make a lock so intricate, but not have the proper key available for it? Then he looked back up at the sign. "Special," he read again. Then a thought occurred to him: Maybe there was a special key that matched the locked for the special room! Just because it wasn't on the key-ring didn't mean it wasn't somewhere in the store still!
"Maybe it's back up front still," he thought out loud. Zippers stood up and quickly ran back to the place behind the counter where he found the key-ring. He looked at the wall, trying to find some hook or clip that the special key was hanging on. He lifted up the notes attached to the clipboard to see if they were covering it up, but they weren't. He turned around and checked the drawers behind the counter, but they were all empty.
He was really starting to get frustrated. It had to be here somewhere, and he wasn't leaving until he found it. He kicked the base of the counter in frustration.
Suddenly, a little hidden door popped open right below the lip of the counter. Curious, Zippers reached in and pulled out a little drawer. There was only a single item in the drawer: a key. It was a beautiful key, to say the least. It looked to be made of silver. The base of it was an upside-down heart, shaped the same way as the lock plate, but with subtle differences. Above the heart was the same crystal eye that the lock displayed, this one giving off the same feel as the other, with that mysterious, lifelike appearance. It had two leaf patterns behind the eye as well. The tip of the key was rounded and slimmed out as it went down, fanning out to the sides at the bottom of the prong, leaving a little bit of an upwards peak in the middle.
'This has to be the key,' he thought. He smiled with glee as he jogged back down the hallway to the door.
He carefully slipped the key into the lock, careful not to be too forceful, in case the key was really frail from age. Then he slowly turned the key to the right; the sound of tiny little gears started clicking as he did so. The suspense was building within him as he turned the key all 360 degrees around. As the key completed its full rotation, there was a final 'Click!' as the lock finally opened.
Zippers gripped the doorknob nervously. Whatever he was about to discover would hopefully calm the pent up nerves he was having. Whatever he needed to see lay behind this door, he could feel it. Like a detective about to discover the last crucial piece of evidence to a case, he was excited; nervous. He slowly turned the doorknob and held his breath as he pushed the door open, awaiting whatever wonderful secret this room held for him.

Description
Zippers closed the door behind him as he exited the old man's house. He sighed, disappointed. Yet another failed attempt. He then procured a little notepad and a fountain pen from his pouch, unzipped the lower part of his right arm, connected the pen to one of his veins, and wrote the word, "Unsuccessful. . ." under the page he had written down about the old man. He sighed again and closed the notepad, shaking his head. Why did they always have to die? He replaced the notepad and pen, after disconnecting it from his vein, back in his side pouch; then returned the vein to his arm and zipped it up tight.
Zippers stepped down off of the porch and looked up at the sky. Vivid hues of reds, yellows, and pinks splattered the clouds with color, almost making the sky look as if it were alive. Like blood in an animal, the sun gave life to the planet. Gracing the Earth with it's light, helping both plants and animals grow to meet their full potential. This made Zippers stop in awe and wonder. When will I ever get to reach my full potential? He sighed one last time and started walking.
Zippers gingerly kicked a small rock down the sidewalk as he contemplated the days events.
"I can't believe it happened again. . . And I was sooo careful this time! I made sure the scalpel was nice and sharp so it wouldn't leave messy cuts and mess everything up, I gave him the painkiller before he could do anything to mess it up, and I even double checked my measurements to make sure I wouldn't mess anything up. . . But it still didn't work!!" He grunted in anger and kicked the rock hard, sending it hurling down the sidewalk and off onto the street. "I'm so sick of this!" he yelled, stomping his feet on the ground. "It happens every time!!!" He was about to let out another frustrated yell, when he heard a window open above him.
He gasped and quickly darted into the dark alley, hiding himself from view of the window. He could hear someone speaking.
"Did you hear that, Mary?"
"No, what?"
"I thought I heard someone yelling, just now, outside our window."
Zippers tensed. He didn't want anyone to know he was there. Especially this time of day when it was still a little light out. His black, leathery skin would stand out if anyone saw him in the light. It was best to only go out when the sun was down, he knew that, but tonight he felt like going out a little bit earlier, hoping to get more chances for practice.
"I think you're just hearing things, Tonya. You should go to sleep; you have that test in the morning."
"Yeah. . . maybe you're right. . . My parents are gonna be mad if I fail another Chem test," she said with a laugh.
The girl closed the window and silence, once again, befell the town.
Zippers slowly made his way out of the alley and checked to make sure they were gone. When he saw that the window was closed tight, he issued a sigh of relief and began walking again.
Again, he began contemplating his situation, trying to think up different strategies and procedures as to how to make his plan work. Perhaps he should try only making small incisions at a time? Or maybe he should inject them with not only a painkiller but a blood thinner, too! That way there won't be as much blood to gob up the zippers and make them all sticky and hard to work with!
"That's actually not a bad idea," he said to himself. "I'll have to write that down when I get home."
This town, like his own, was one he had been in many times. He knew all of the various streets and sidestreets that mapped it. He had taken special care in memorizing all of the buildings and houses as he passed through during evening and late-night strolls, so as to not get lost when out on his own. So it came as a surprise to him when he didn't automatically recognize where he was at all of a sudden.
He looked around. It was definately the same town, just a part of it that he'd never been in before. The buildings looked much older, much more worn by time. A few of them had broken windows and missing shutters. The street was scattered with papers and empty soda cans and bottles, along with some fliers loosely stapled to a few of the telephone poles.
Zippers looked up. The streetlights weren't even lit up. It was as if this whole part of town was just. . . abandoned. Hastily abandoned and left for theives and criminals to do what they pleased with it. It gave him an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"I should probably get going before it gets too much darker," he decided.
He turned around and started heading back the way he came; as he did, though, something glinted at him out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head in curiosity to see what it was.
It was something shiny. Something shiny that was sitting in a basket behind one of the broken windows to a store. As he moved closer, he was able to make out what it was:
It was a pair of scissors--a freshly sharpened, shiny, new pair of scissors--sitting in a little wicker basket full of other various sewing supplies.
"Huh..."
Zippers unzipped one of his side pouches and checked his current inventory.
"Well. . . I am running kinda low. . . and I could use a new pair of scissors. . ." He reached in through the window and picked up the scissors, inspecting them.
It was true; they were brand new! Crisp, sharp blade edge and a smooth, black handle. He snipped them a few times; ahh, the sound of the first use; he liked the sound. He checked the rest of the basket's contents: there were quite a few spools of thread in various colors, a little box of pins, a few sets of different-sized needles, and a dark blue pincushion in the shape of a cube.
It was a cute little set, Zippers thought, and he could definately use it. He looked around; no one really ever came to this part of town nowadays, and the store was obviously abandoned, he figured, so they probably wouldn't notice if this little basket full of sewing supplies went missing, right?
He picked up the basket and transferred some of the supplies to his pouches, then he looked at the basket itself; it was a really nice basket. Finely-woven reeds with a cute material design on the inside of flowers and bugs. It would make for a nice picnic basket, he thought.
"Maybe I can invite Splendy and a few others to lunch in the park someday!" he said gleefully, hanging the basket on his arm.
He was about to start heading home, when curiosity got the better of him. Something made him stop and turn back to the store, as if there was something there that he was missing; something else that he needed to see before he went home. Zippers looked up at the sky--it was really getting dark now--then back at the store.
"Well. . . I guess it won't hurt to take a little peek inside. . ."
He turned the doorknob and tried pushing the door open, but it was stuck. Frustrated, Zippers tried jiggling the knob a bit and pushing harder on the door with his other hand, but it still wouldn't budge. Finally, he grunted and threw his shoulder into the door while turning the knob, and the door snapped open, leaving him stumbling a bit into the building. Zippers recovered quickly from the sudden force of motion and brushed himself off a bit from the dust that had gotten swept up into the air from it.
He straightened up and looked around at the dingy little shop, and he was surprised by what he saw.
Dead bodies, or so he thought, were displayed in various ways throughout the store: some hanging on walls, some sitting in chairs, and some propped up like mannequins. To any normal human it would appear quite creepy and disturbing, and even Zippers thought it was a little weird. Why would someone display dead bodies in a store that sells sewing supplies? he thought. However, upon closer inspection, he realized that they weren't dead bodies, but, in fact, they were dolls. Life-sized, realistic, human dolls! He could tell because they had various types of fabrics for skin, and they were soft and plush to the touch. Some of them had yarn for hair, while others had synthetic, fiber-like hair.
But there were other things in the store besides just life-sized dolls. There were also smaller dolls of various sizes; there were shelves upon shelves of different types of fabric, along with stands that held many different patters and design instructions. There was a section that displayed different types of ribbons made of different sizes and materials, such as lace-like designs, some with little flowers on them, and some that were simply smooth ribbons. Another section was filled with sewing supplies such as pincushions, needles, seam rippers, and so on.
It was a neat little shop, Zippers thought. That's when he suddenly passed by a larger stand, which displayed only one thing: zippers, and lots of them! Zippers squealed with delight, when he saw them. All different sizes and lengths; different colors, too! He felt like a starving kid in a candy store, moving from one section to the next, gleefully pouring himself over all of the different types to choose from. They ranged from shiny, metallic silver and gold colors, to soft pastels, even neons! OMG! Glow-in-the-Dark zippers, too??!! Zippers couldn't help but spazz over all the excitement he was having! One-by-one, he picked them off of their little hooks and laid them in the basket.
"Now I can make all SORTS of things pretty!!!" he exclaimed happily. After he had gotten his fill--and filled his basket--he smiled triumphantly and continued browsing around the rest of the store.
He walked past the counter. On the wall behind it, he noticed, hung a bulletin board, decorated with a few pinned-up notes here and there, and a key-ring. The keys, he noticed as he got closer, were of different sizes and shapes. Some were brass, others were made of silver, but they all had a look of importance to them; very antique designs.
As he passed by the counter, he entered a hallway. There were doors on each side, all with a sign hanging above each door. Some of them read "Adult Female", "Adult Male" "Children", "Teen", etc. Then he passed by one door that was on the right that was marked "Eye Candy".
"Ooh! Candy! I bet Splendy would like it if I brought him some!" He tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge. The door was locked. Zippers pouted for a moment, but then said, "Oh!" as he remembered the key-ring behind the counter. He quickly ran back and plucked it off the wall, then returned to the door.
He examined the keyhole, which was located on a metal plate below the doorknob. It was a rather old looking lock, very antique-looking. It was simple-looking enough, though. Zippers flipped through the keyring, looking for a key that looked like it would fit the old lock. He decided upon one that was rather longer than most of the others. It had a two-pronged tip and a rounded end. He slipped it into the keyhole and turned they key in a full 360 degree rotation. Success! The lock clicked open! Zippers pulled the key out and turned the doorknob, excited to see what sort of candy lay beyond the door.
Zippers quickly opened the door in a rush of excitement. However, after he had done so, he donned a look of shock and horror--though you wouldn't be able to tell due to his lack of facial features.
Naked bodies. Everywhere. Both male and female. Some posed on pedestals, others hanging on the walls. Some of the men were endowed with overly large genitalia, while the women had varied sized breasts, ranging from Bs all the way to double Ds. Some had hair on their places, others did not. It was truly a pervert's paradise.
Zippers, on the other hand, was mortified. He immediately slammed the balls of his palms into his face where his eyes would be and screamed, "AAAAHH!!! DIRTY THINGS!! DIRTY THINGS!!!!!" and ran from the room, down the hallway.
He wasn't watching where he was going, so it didn't take him long to run full force into another door at the end of the hallway. Zippers bounced back and landed on his butt, stunned at the sudden impact. Some of the contents of his basket spilled out onto the floor.
"Ow... that hurt," he said, rubbing his bottom. He looked up at the door. It was a rather beautiful looking door. It was colored a dark, rich crimson. The doorknob was very detailed and regal looking, and made of metal, painted black. Zippers read the sign above the door; it simply said, "Special" in a fancy, calligraphic font.
Zippers contemplated what might be behind the door.
"Well, if it's anything like the last one, then I don't even wanna know..." he said, picking up the zippers and things that had fallen out of the basket and placing them back in.
However, upon looking back up at the door, something seemed to spark his interest. Something seemed so intriguing about this door to him. Like there was something beyond it that he needed to see. It was the same feeling that he had gotten outside of the shop. Like something was calling out to him from beyond.
He paused for a moment, contemplating. He really should be getting back. He had had enough surprises for one day, and he just wanted to go home, go to sleep, and try to forget about the horror that had just ensued. But, for some reason, he just couldn't seem to shake this feeling of interest. He needed to see what was behind the door, and he needed to see it now.
Zippers sighed and stood up, stepping towards the door. He tried opening the door, but this one was locked as well. He frowned and looked at the lock, which was located above the handle. It was covered in dust, so he rubbed it clean with his thumb and examined it, as it now appeared very intricate. He knelt down so that he was eye-level with the lock. It was a shiny metal plate, crafted into the shape of a heart through various swirls and leaf patterns. At the bottom, it swirled out at the point in both directions, with a tiny, pink jewel in the center. It looked very steampunk- or antique-like. In the center of the heart, was an empty space; that was the keyhole, he figured. It was rounded towards the top, then slimmed out as it went down, then fanned back out a bit to the sides at the bottom, leaving a bit of an upward peak in the middle. In the center of the plate, towards the top where the dip of the heart was, was a very detailed and even realistic-looking crystal eye. It had a pink iris and a black pupil. The eye stared straight ahead, as if its sole purpose was to keep watch on the hallway and nothing else. It was almost creepy, the way it seemed to have life within it. As Zippers stared at it, it almost made him feel like it was staring back, as if it knew he was there. It creeped him out a bit. He shuddered a bit and held up the key-ring, looking for the right one.
However, none of the keys on the ring seemed to match the shape of the keyhole; none of them had that upwards peak at the bottom, nor the fanned out sides. This confused Zippers. Why would they make a lock so intricate, but not have the proper key available for it? Then he looked back up at the sign. "Special," he read again. Then a thought occurred to him: Maybe there was a special key that matched the locked for the special room! Just because it wasn't on the key-ring didn't mean it wasn't somewhere in the store still!
"Maybe it's back up front still," he thought out loud. Zippers stood up and quickly ran back to the place behind the counter where he found the key-ring. He looked at the wall, trying to find some hook or clip that the special key was hanging on. He lifted up the notes attached to the clipboard to see if they were covering it up, but they weren't. He turned around and checked the drawers behind the counter, but they were all empty.
He was really starting to get frustrated. It had to be here somewhere, and he wasn't leaving until he found it. He kicked the base of the counter in frustration.
Suddenly, a little hidden door popped open right below the lip of the counter. Curious, Zippers reached in and pulled out a little drawer. There was only a single item in the drawer: a key. It was a beautiful key, to say the least. It looked to be made of silver. The base of it was an upside-down heart, shaped the same way as the lock plate, but with subtle differences. Above the heart was the same crystal eye that the lock displayed, this one giving off the same feel as the other, with that mysterious, lifelike appearance. It had two leaf patterns behind the eye as well. The tip of the key was rounded and slimmed out as it went down, fanning out to the sides at the bottom of the prong, leaving a little bit of an upwards peak in the middle.
'This has to be the key,' he thought. He smiled with glee as he jogged back down the hallway to the door.
He carefully slipped the key into the lock, careful not to be too forceful, in case the key was really frail from age. Then he slowly turned the key to the right; the sound of tiny little gears started clicking as he did so. The suspense was building within him as he turned the key all 360 degrees around. As the key completed its full rotation, there was a final 'Click!' as the lock finally opened.
Zippers gripped the doorknob nervously. Whatever he was about to discover would hopefully calm the pent up nerves he was having. Whatever he needed to see lay behind this door, he could feel it. Like a detective about to discover the last crucial piece of evidence to a case, he was excited; nervous. He slowly turned the doorknob and held his breath as he pushed the door open, awaiting whatever wonderful secret this room held for him.