Once, there was a boy called Alec. He had been locked in a food storage cupboard for as long as he could remember. He survived on biscuits, tinned sardines and bottled water, however he did have a computer to keep him entertained.

And, sad but true, the computer was Alec’s best friend. When he was sad they (not that the computer could talk) chatted about it. The computer was not connected to the internet, so Alec couldn’t email for help. And although Alec had a key to the door of the cupboard, he couldn’t get out because the lock kept on changing shape or size. But we aren’t looking at every day or every hour: no, we’re looking at every SECOND!

One day when Alec was playing around with the disc inserter on the computer, something strange happened.
One moment there was nothing in there, the next there was a tiny key.
“HUMPH!” thought Alec. “That key won’t be any good either.” He threw the key on the floor, and in a minute, was fast asleep.
He woke up the next morning to find the small, feeble key had turned into a shapeshifting key!
And even better, it had the exact same pattern as the shapeshifting lock engraved on it. He tried the key out, but to his despair, it didn’t work.

But suddenly he realised that the shapeshifting lock was just a fancy illusion: the real lock was hidden inside it. When Alec looked at the real lock,he was annoyed to realise that the tiny key would have fitted it if he’d tried it before it shapeshifted.
By the end of that day, he was angry and frustrated.

But the next morning, to his astonishment, the key had returned to its original size so it would fit the true lock! He unlocked the door – he was free!

He took the computer with him. Now he could find out who his family were by looking on ‘Genes reunited.com.’

Finally he arrived at his family’s house and they were all thrilled to have him back. Many years before, or so it seemed, in a game of hide and seek at home, Alec had gone into a cupboard ... he had been magically transported millions of miles away to the Food Storage Cupboard by an evil witch’s curse.
“I have been gone for years,” said Alec.
“No you haven’t, you joker!” said his Mum.
“You’ve only been gone a week!”

It was true. When Alec looked in the mirror he hadn’t aged a bit. And neither had his family.

Alec’s time in the cupboard had made him a computer genius! His family was very pleased and they had roast dinner to celebrate. It tasted weird to Alec as he could only remember eating sardines, biscuits and water.

One thing’s for sure though: with his shapeshifting key, Alec never has to be afraid of locked doors again!

The End