The Turning Teeth

I slipped into the hollow space behind the heavy encyclopedias... completely dim. Quiet shadows. Then... a subtle, mechanical ticking stirred beside me. An open wind-up music box. I froze instantly. Rigid. Stiff as carved stone. I waited three full beats of silence. Then... a sudden lunge forward. I reached out and tapped the rotating metal cylinder. The raised pins scraped against tiny steel combs, plucking sharp, tinny chimes into the dark air. The vibration hummed right through my plastic joints... incredible. When the mechanism began to sputter and slow, I gripped the brass winding key and gave it a sharp, deliberate twist. It whirred to life again.