Cuba finds a strange key in his chest of drawers, and a soft knock from inside makes his room feel suddenly full of secrets.
Cuba thought his room was ordinary. It had books piled on the shelf, a teddy bear with one eye, and a big old wardrobe where he liked to hide when he played. But the thing he liked best was his creaky chest of drawers.
One bright morning, with birds singing outside and sunlight slipping through the curtain, Cuba noticed something odd. One drawer was sticking out a little. He was sure he had shut it the night before. He stepped closer and saw a tiny key lying inside, shining with rainbow colours.
Cuba looked under the bed. He peered behind the door. No one was there. His mother was still asleep. He picked up the key. It felt as light as a feather. Then, from deep inside the drawer, came a soft knock-knock-knock.
Cuba froze. A thin curl of mist floated out, twirled in the air, and began to shape itself into something small and strange. Cuba lifted his hand towards the drawer, and just then came another knock, louder this time, as if something inside had woken up.