Pip and the Impossible Key: Glimmerbrook’s Wildest Morning

pip slid the key into the front door lock just like every other morning glimmerbrook was finally quiet again after the great vocabulary valanche last week had everyone talking in riddles pip was just glad to be home the key was cool metal in pip's hand the sun was warm on their back they turned the key a soft click the door swung open easy a little too easy pip frowned they pulled the key out and looked at it it was just their normal house key silver with three little bumps on the side just for fun pip trotted over to the garden shed the shed had a big rusty old padlock pip's house key was way too small

for it but they tried it anyway they slid the tiny silver key into the giant rusty lock it fit they turned it a loud clunk the padlock sprang open pip's eyes went wide okay okay this was weird they ran to the street where their neighbor's bright red bicycle was chained to a lamppost big chunky bike lock tiny silver house key pip held their breath click the lock fell open this was impossible pip started running the post box on the corner click the door to the library click the little gate to the park click every single lock opened pip wasn't the only one who noticed down the street the baker was waving his

arms his front door wouldn't stay locked people were wandering into the wrong houses by accident the entire town of glimmerbrook was unlocked it wasn't fun anymore it was chaos pip saw mister gable the town locksmith kneeling by a door his tools scattered around him he looked miserable it's no use he groaned throwing a wrench onto the grass i've tried every tool every key it's like the locks they've forgotten they've forgotten which key they belong to forgotten that one word echoed in pip's ears that's what happened last week the words had forgotten what they meant what if what if the locks had the same problem they didn't need a new key they needed a reminder

pip had an idea a brilliant wonderful might just work idea they sprinted home straight to the bookshelf and grabbed the family photo album they found a picture of their whole family standing right in front of their blue front door with a piece of tape they stuck the photo right onto the door itself then they ran to the shed and drew a quick picture of a rake and taped it to the shed door they showed mister gable and his eyes lit up soon everyone was doing it the baker taped a picture of a croissant to his shop door missus higgins put a photo of her prize winning roses on her garden gate the whole town became a giant scrapbook then the moment of truth pip walked up to their own front door the one with the family photo they put the key in the lock and turned a single perfect click it opened then they ran to the neighbor's door it had a picture of a grumpy looking cat on it pip tried their key nothing

it didn't even wiggle it worked order was restored that night pip looked out their window every door every gate every lock in glimmerbrook had a little picture on it the keys remembered and the town had never looked so much like home