The Mystery of the Safety Deposit Box

      "Hey!" I yelled in frustration.

      "Sorry, Spike, but I'm kind of busy!" Hannah yelled.

      I grabbed my jelly off the floor and followed her. She was running back and forth so quickly that it was hard to follow her. I then caught up to her at this big and dark safe. I stood in awe until Hannah stopped.

      "Go away, Spike! Shoo!" she yelled.

      "Why? What is this thing anyway?" I asked.

      "It's the safety deposit box and you're not allowed in it, got it?" Hannah asked.

      "Why? It looks so cool! Can I see what's in it?" I asked.

      "No means no, Spike. Now, I need you to run some errands for me with Ming, okay? I am going to give you the exact number of neopoints you are going to need to purchase these things for, okay?" Hannah asked.

      "Fine. Should I haggle?" I asked.

      "Yes. You can buy something with the left over money, okay? Just don't do what you did last time, okay?" Hannah asked.

      "It wasn't that bad!" I exclaimed.

      All I did was try to buy some really cool weapons that might have cost more than they should. I complained and maybe hurt the owner. Hannah gave me about 3,000 neopoints and I left with my sack with Ming in it. I made sure I had all the right clothing on being it was a blizzard outside in Shenkuu. It's winter on this side of Neopia but my mom and I live through it. I put some fire faeries in a bottle in the pack so Ming was warm.

      I walked out of the house and into the blizzard. The first thing on the list was to get food from the local store in Shenkuu. I walked in and let Ming out to let him explore.

      "Hey, Spike. What does Hannah need today? Better yet, how much has she given you?" asked the red Nimmo.

      "Nice try. Hannah gave me a list this time. I was also told to haggle," I said.

      "Fine. What exactly does she want?" he asked.

      "She wants Grilled Enoki for only one thousand neopoints, final," I told him in the most serious voice I had.

      "Fine. The Grilled Enoki for one thousand neopoints," he said.

      I gave him the money and he gave me the food. I stuffed the food in my pack and told Ming to get in as well. I went through the door and headed out to the next stop: Neopia Central. What really got me was the fact that I was heading there to get a Magical Hair Usuki Doll. The last time I checked, Ming and I didn't like Usuki dolls. What I was also wondering was why did she try to stop me from going into the safe?

      I needed to do the chores before I could go and figure out this mystery. I headed for Neopia Central after I put all my heavy clothing into my bag and took Ming out. I flew out of Shenkuu and to Neopia Central in less than ten minutes. Ming enjoyed the fresh air, but I was getting suspicious. Did Hannah finally get the lab ray and was going to turn me into a girl? Or maybe she was going to turn me into a baby. Maybe even worse: she was going to replace my petpet with a girly one and give her all the attention.

      I flew down towards Usukiland and entered the shop. I knocked on the counter and waited for the blue Blumaroo to turn around.

      "Welcome to Usukiland. How may I help..." she said and then stared at me.

      "You are one ugly girl," she told me.

      "I'm a boy," I told her.

      "Oh. I'm sorry. Please don't tell Lawyerbot. I'll give you a ten percent discount. Hey, where's your owner?" she asked.

      "At my house, but I don't know what she's doing. She have me a random list of things and I have to go and buy them. She tried to keep me out of the safe and now I'm here, buying a Usuki doll. I don't even like Usuki!" I complained.

      "Maybe it's not for you," the blue Blumaroo told me.

      "But I think she's too old for Usuki too," I told her.

      She said, "Never mind, kid. What Usuki doll do you want?"

      I pulled out the list and said, "The Magical Hair Usuki Doll, please. I get ten percent off, right?"

      "Fine. That will be five hundred neopoints," she said.

      I walked out of the store with the doll and walked to the Ever Stocked General Store for a... khaki skirt? I stared at the list and wondered what Hannah had planned with all this. Was I really going to become a girl? Did Hannah have a secret pet she admired more than me?

     ***

      I returned home from the errands and had put all the groceries onto the couch and walked to the kitchen for some lunch. I looked in the fridge and noticed there was no food. I looked in the cabinets and couldn't find a thing. I saw Hannah still running back and forth from some rooms to the safe. I ran over to the safe and saw some adjustments were made to the door. Hannah came over and locked the door and slammed it shut. Some of the adjustments she made to the door were five more locks, two password locks, a retinal scanner, and a doggie door.

      "What's with all the security?" I asked.

      Hannah turned around startled and said, "To keep you out. Now, did you get the stuff I asked for?"

      I pointed to the bag and she ran to it. She came back, typed in a password, and a giant tube came down and sucked all the supplies up. She decided to go over to the couch and lie down and I couldn't blame her. She looked exhausted!

      "Hannah, I'm a little hungry. Do you think I could get something out of the safe?" I asked.

      Without any effort, she said, "Ming, as the tide blows, the Pear Jelly comes with it."

      Ming got out of my pack and raced into the doggie door that was on the safe door. He came out with ½ a Pear Jelly. I was amazed at Ming. When did he learn that?

      "Sweet Spike, if you want anything else to eat, you must ask me first. No exceptions. If Ming wants something, though, he can get it himself. I pick what's for dinner, okay?" she asked.

      "Fine, but can I get a toy?" I asked.

      "Ming, every Blue Fuzzle has a blue string," she said.

      Ming went back into the safe and got me a Blue Fuzzle. I started to wonder how he did that.

     ***

      I sat at the table and tried to eat my omelette for dinner. If I ate all that, I was allowed to pick my own dessert. The problem was I felt a twist in my tummy and didn't want to eat. I just kept pushing the food around.

      "What's the matter, Spike? Not hungry?" Hannah asked.

      "No, not really. Can I please go to bed?" I asked.

      "Sure, little buddy. Go right ahead," she said.

      I got off of my chair and walked to my room. I didn't feel good because the suspense of the safe was killing me. Why all the protection? I mean, we wouldn't need all the protection if we were rich, right? I climbed into my bed and thought for the night. I grabbed my Blue Fuzzle and held it above me.

      "What was with all the secret code sentences and how Ming responds to them? I just don't get it!" I threw the Blue Fuzzle to the wall and Ming woke up.

      He jumped onto my bed with the Blue Fuzzle and gave it to me. I smiled and gave Ming a hug. My eyelids became very heavy and I soon dozed off to sleep.

     ***

      I woke up at what seemed like 3 in the morning. I couldn't take it anymore! I had to find what was in that safe! I tiptoed downstairs with Ming in my arms and walked to the safe. I saw a sign on the safe.

      "'Don't touch, please. Consequences will be severe. This means you, Spike. Ming may enter for a midnight snack if needed.' Mom doesn't get that signs like these are meant to be ignored!" I told myself.

      I put Ming down and said, "You know what would be a great midnight snack for you? A Downsize! But I heard pirates and ninjas came in here and poisoned some of the stuff. Bring the Downsize out here and I'll taste it so if it is poisoned, you won't die and you will live to tell the tale!"

      I didn't like lying to Ming but it was the only was to get inside the safe. Ming went through the tiny door and came out with the bottle. I took the bottle and quickly took a pill. I jumped on top of Ming before I shrank all the way down.

      "To the safe!" I ordered Ming.

      He quickly went through the doors and I ended up getting off his back and yelling, "Find the Supersize!"

      Ming handed me the opened bottle and I flew inside to get another pill. Before I grew all the way, I flew out and looked for the closest bottled faerie. I grabbed both bottles of the stuff and put them in my sack while I held the bottled faerie.

      "Could you light up a tiny bit more?" I asked the faerie. Soon, the faerie glowed until the whole room was bright. I stared in amazement.

      I found that only magic items were in this room. I saw that there were more tunnels labeled, "For the pets" "Home" "Petpets" and "Etc." I was so excited to go down a tunnel but couldn't pick one. I decided to go down "Petpets" and see what petpets Hannah has been saving. As I walk down the tunnel, the light faerie in the bottle started to get tired and started dimming down.

      "No, no! Stay awake! Please because if you don't it would be scary," I told her.

      She just kept trying to fall asleep. I heard the story about the guy who decided it was wise to shake a faerie when she didn't do what he said. I would let her out but I was afraid she would fly away.

      I asked the faerie, "What do you want that will keep you awake?"

      She pointed to her stomach, indicating she was hungry. "If you can be lit up until I get you to the food storage, I'll get you something. But you have to promise not to escape, got it?"

      She nodded in agreement. She then lit up as bright as ever. I walked down the tunnel and saw a room full of all kinds of petpets. Some in bowls, some in cages, and some in nice beds. Half of them woke up and started staring at Ming and me. Ming started squeaking in a low tone and they started to respond. Some sounded angry, sad, and even joyful. I walked around the small damp room and saw they had been getting fed and played with.

      I wondered why I couldn't just take a pet in the first place instead of looking around the world for Ming. Would've saved time for me. I dragged Ming back as he waved goodbye to the other petpets. I walked out of the tunnel and accidently set off a trap. The floor below me disappeared as I slid through another tunnel. I ended up letting go of the bottle, Ming, and my sack. When I came out of the slide, I ended up crashing to the floor.

      "Oof!" I said as my body hit the cold, hard floor.

      All I heard was the chitter of Ming, my sack hitting the floor, and the bottle breaking with the faerie in it. The light faerie escaped and was I scared of what sge would do to me. Instead, she grew to full size and giggled at me. She lit up the whole room and smiled at me.

      "Thank you for releasing me. For that, I shall bless you with Magic Torch! Also, I had a fun time, so thank you," said the faerie.

      She gave me a hug and disappeared. I was happy that she blessed me but I was scared because she was the only bottled light faerie I saw in the front. I activated my Magic Torch and walked around to see where I was. I was back at the beginning! All that effort just to be back at the beginning! Maybe that was okay so I could pick a different tunnel.

      I looked at the remaining three tunnels and thought about "Etc." I walked through the tunnel to find this one was much colder going down the way. After about fifty feet of walking, I reached a fork in the tunnel. One sign said, "Collecting" while the other said, "Special." I went down the "Special" tunnel and found yet another fork! One said "Battledome" while the other still said "Special." I went down the "Battledome" one and Ming climbed into my sack.

      I could feel him shuddering. I walked into this giant stadium and all the lights turned on. I felt the ground vibrating and saw a giant door opening. I saw a pair of small eyes come out and then I saw a Meepit. I've heard Meepits were evil, but this little guy looked too cute!

      "Where does Hannah get the neopoints for this stuff?" I asked myself.

      The Meepit started making squeaking noises and I started giggling. He sighed and pulled out a mechanical necklace and had put it on.

      "Intruder! Cease and desist right now!" he yelled.

      I said, "Just move out of the way, little buddy. All I want is to see is the stuff we have."

      "We have?! This is master Hannah's stuff, not yours!" he yelled.

      "But I'm Spike, Hannah's pet! Just let me through and I won't hurt you," I told him.

      The Meepit grabbed a poison snowball and tried to throw it at me. I luckily dodged it but he grabbed the Red Frost Cannon and started firing at me. I flew up and towards the Meepit before he could fire again. I grabbed a Jar of Meepit Eyes and shook them in front of him. He passed out (probably because they were Meepit eyes) and I looked around. The Battledome weapons weren't much to look at. I realized there was another tunnel behind all the stuff.

      I grabbed Ming and flew off. I lit up my Magic Torch and flew on. I didn't even know what time it was at this point. I just wanted to look around the rest of this safe and then leave! I was flying so fast I crashed into a wall. On this wall were two parts of a map. I turned around to another wall and saw two pieces of another map. I walked backwards and tripped over a barrel. I opened the barrel to see a ton of codestones.

      I saw a small little box in the barrel and picked it up. All I saw were a few dubloons. I put the box back in the barrel and put the lid back on the barrel. I looked up at the ceiling and saw a Shiny Astrolabe and an Astronomy Club Membership Badge. Before I could leave through another tunnel, I saw an Ancient Map Of Neopia on another wall and saw a Mysterious Orchid growing.

      "Interesting," I said.

      I walked through the door until I stopped when I hit another wall that was so close. The door behind me closed. Ming quickly jumped into my pack and in a couple of seconds and I found out why. The door in front of me quickly opened and the floor collapsed. Before I could fly, what felt like a giant air pressure cannon hit me, firing me through a deep, dark tunnel. I stopped when I hit what felt like a mattress. I took Ming out of my pack and set him down on the floor. I lit up my Magic Torch once more and found I was back at the beginning, again! How was this possible?

      I decided to skip "Home" and go to "For the Pets." This tunnel just led up to a room. I could tell this was the toy room with all the toys on shelves and in boxes. I saw plushies, Usukis, and other toys of the sort. I saw kites on shelves and balloons on bars. I saw toys from a Toy Pirate Hat to a Broken Fake Uni Hat (which I hoped Hannah was going to get fixed). I walked into the next room with Ming and closed the door. I wanted to go back but when I opened the door, there was a void behind the door.

      "This place is enchanted! Hannah really must not want people here," I said to myself.

      This room was much different. I could tell it was the food room, though. There were fridges everywhere! I opened one up to see jelly that was jiggling. There were a couple of stoves still cooking omelettes and plants still growing berries. I picked a berry off, but when I had let go of it, the berry grew back on. I saw shelves with minor things like crackers, crisps, and cookies but I saw bowls of fruits. I opened up a few stoves to find cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. I opened a cabinet to see pitchers of drinks and I found a jar of candies. What amazed me the most was the bowl of edible fish.

      I decided to take a Butterfish and head off. The next room wasn't really a room at all. It was more of a small hall. All there was were a few cures to certain things. The next room was just a closet with only a few things. I turned around and entered the same way I had came in and accidently left Ming in the closet. I couldn't go back but hopefully, Ming could've just found his way back. This room was astonishing. There were six different podiums with six different paint brushes. There were the two starters, a ghost, a cloud, a camouflage, and a Christmas paint brush. Underneath the Ghost Paint Brush was a plaque that said "For the Usul."

      I didn't know who that was but it was clear to me that it was for another pet. Unless Hannah was planning on turning me into a Usul, it wasn't meant for me. I sat down and felt like I was about to cry. Was I going to be replaced with someone better? I sat down and silently cried until someone opening the door interrupted me.

      It was Hannah in her usual nightgown. "Spike, what are you doing here?!" she yelled.

      "I don't know. What's with the Ghost Paint Brush and the plaque?" I asked while pointing to it.

      She sighed and sat down next to me and explained, "Look, Sweetie, I can't just live with you forever. I'll need some company when you make friends and go hang out with them. Besides, what if I'm gone? You can't talk to Ming because he can't talk to you. Besides, I'm getting two girls and a brother for you. It'll be another adventure for you."

      I replied, "But why the secrecy? Why not tell me straight up? And what's with all the safety on the safe?"

      "Well, I don't trust you enough. I mean, I would think you would freak out and run away. I thought you would steal the paint brush and run! Maybe a few petpets," she told me.

      We got up and Hannah opened the door, revealing my room. Hannah picked me up and tucked me into my bed. I was still astonished she could get me all the way from the safe to my room.

      "Where's Ming?" I asked. Hannah nudged her head to the side. I turned and saw Ming, sleeping in his bed.

      "How did you do all this?" I asked.

      "As a mother of someone like you, I need a few tricks up my sleeve," she said.

      She waved goodnight and headed out the door, without a peep and without a worry.

The End