Breaching the Corridor

I squeezed right through the crack beneath the heavy front door the second it clicked loose! Out in the long, muffled hallway, the patterned carpet smelled of dust and stranger-boots. Right against the skirting board sat an abandoned tin mint box, shut tight like a vault. Ha! I hopped forward on both feet, clamped my claws onto the painted rim, and wedged my trusty steel blade right into the thin silver seam. With a vicious sideways jerk—*snicker!*—the lid popped wide with a hollow snap! Inside lay an empty paper wrapper and a tiny discarded brass key. I tapped the key with my blade tip, claiming the treasure and the quiet carpeted trail for myself!