Heheh. Here's to hoping I can post this today. ;p

" AUGH! ANOTHER KEY?! "

Mantha bellowed, AMAZED this stupid cool art gallery needed so many keys! And this door here, just took the cake too! A FISH KEY?!

" What IS IT with Richard and keys?! And PUZZLES?! Why can't this be simple?! "

Thatch sighed softly, head lowering, twiddling his fingers. He didn't want this girl here speaking ill of his best friend, but... he didn't want her more mad. What could he say? His shyness was a curse...

As Mantha's temper suggested, they'd reached another door. Another, LOCKED door. And once more, they needed a key. Only this time, it was both simple and complicated. It needed a fish key, and there were two rooms they could pick from. The problem was, it was a small fish key, and they weren't sure which room they should pick.

They didn't want to sit around waiting either.

Casper sighed mildly and turned to his friends, saying gently.

" I think we should split up for this. One person, should go to the left, and the other to the right. Since Mantha and I went and split up last time, Ra, I'd like you and Thatch to split up this time. "

Ra frowned, beginning to shake. He'd been afraid of when he had to do the exploring. He couldn't help it. This was RICHARDS sketch book. Everything here was scary. It even seemed like Casper knew of this, as the ghost walked over to him and whispered.

" Please Ra? I need a chance to catch my breath, and it doesn't look like Mantha can take much more... "

Turning, the mummy found exactly what the ghost meant. Mantha was covered in wounds and looked breathless. Almost as though she'd collapse at any second. Ra gulped, as while still not wanting to go face whatever possible danger lied ahead, he also didn't want Mantha to strain herself...

Taking a breath, the mummy soon sighed. Clearly giving in.

" Alright. I'll, I'll go... "

Thatch smiled bright to this, placing a soft hand on his shoulder in assurance. Soon, pulling back and heading down his path. Ra, gulping and soon heading down his own. Dreading what lied ahead.

Thatch gulped a bit as he made it to a room of mannequin heads. Those things always creeped him out a little. Mainly because he knew what they could do. How creepy they truly were...

Shaking it off for now, he looked around, finding boxes and full body mannequins without the heads. Them, all equally as creepy. He hoped to get out of this room soon. He had no idea if or when one of them would start moving. He didn't really want to find out.

Turning, he decided to try one of the boxes, using his pocket knife to cut it open and soon dug inside. He wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, so he was praying that the key was in here. He simply KNEW the mannequins and mannequin HEADS would start moving and being creepy soon. He didn't want to be in here for that.

Fingers brushing up against something, the vamp narrowed his eyes a bit, gently taking hold of it and pulling it out. It, looked like a fishes tail, yet it was made of wood. This couldn't be the key- or half the key- could it?

... The bat took it anyway, holding it close to his chest, turning and preparing to head back.

Yet as he predicted... everything in the room was seemingly given life. The mannequins all began to move towards him, while the heads seemingly opened their eyes. Thatch yelped and rushed for the door, unable to turn into a bat due to fear and fear of losing the key. Ducking underneath and between the mannequins, avoiding "eye contact" with the heads.

Ra looked around, slightly confused at what he was looking at. It was a room with blinds, or curtains, covering pillars. Ra could only imagine they were hiding something. Taking a gulp the mummy turned his head a bit, finding a message in the wall beside him. Saying "Care for a game of hide and seek?"

" No thank you! "

The creature snapped, shaking a bit. Yet... connected the dots easy. Realizing this was so he could find the key. Sighing a bit, the boy began to walk to the poster closest to him, pulling the curtain up and finding... a rather, sinister looking painting.

Shivering, fear now gripping him, the mummy walked over to the painting a few pillars across from him. Pulling the curtain to find... a picture of a clown, the clown, amazingly, throwing a ball at him and hitting him on the cheek.

" Ouch! "

Ra yelled, rubbing his cheek, failing to notice the petals falling from his rose. Shaking it off the best he could he walked down to the second row of pillars, not wanting to stay here much longer. Not if the paintings could hurt him! Taking a breath and grabbing the middle pillars curtain, he pulled it up to find... a wooden fish head drop from the fabric. The mummy smiled, soooo relieved, not noticing it was just the fish HEAD.

Picking it up he quickly turned to leave... freezing at the second pillar closest to the door. Curiosity peeked a bit, the mummy wondering what else was here. Taking a breath, the creature pulled the curtain, finding...

A womanly shriek was heard, Ra suddenly getting slapped by the painting, more petals falling, and the curtains were pulled back down with force. The creature, red faced and slowly, heading out of the room.

" Ooooh, so the key was two parted. "

Casper breathed out.

" Man. It was a good thing you two separated then. Saved some time. "

" Say Ra, why are you so red-faced? "

Mantha asked gently, the mummy... slowly shaking his head, not saying a word. Thatch, raising an eyebrow to this yet not questioning it, taking the fish head key from his hands and connecting it with his own fish tail. The vampire slowly walked over to the cat face, and popped the fish key into the socket.

The cats eyes shrunk, meowing to this before a hall way split through the cats face, leading to a new place, meowing as it did so. The children, simply staring at this all with wide eyes. Mantha, soon saying lowly.

" That, was both adorable, and horrifying... "

Heheh. Finally got this chappie done! Hope you all liked! ;D