Lock and Key

There is only Zuul.
Just kidding, there is decidedly more.

I remember the first time I encountered the need to keep something in. That a door might be locked not to prevent someone from entering but to keep those on the outside safe from whatever was inside. There’s often a moment in horrorish movies where a group will futilely attempt to stop someone from unleashing hell upon the populace, to no avail because arrogance and hubris and having a nice juicy antagonist we can boo and hiss at.
It’s easy to say, I would have done it differently, I wouldn’t have insisted on seeing what was behind that deliciously gothic door with the elaborate and intricate lock which looks as though no one has been through it in centuries, even though the key turns as though it was oiled as recently as 2 hours ago. But humans are curious by nature, and the plot relies on that to propel itself forward, because there can be no growth without conflict. Can there? For the sake of this writing, I’m going to say no.
I sought out a second opinion and was told, if you’re made of dross, you’ll break. Steel sharpens steel, to quote the clever human sitting relatively close to me as I type this.

Where is the fun in a mystery without the grand reveal at the end? A puzzle without a solution? A conundrum without a eureka moment? A gatekeeper without a keymaster?
And sometimes we are the gatekeepers of our own habits and tendencies, forgetting that we have the power to allow access without impedance. Perhaps this hesitation was learned from those who would curtail exploration, stemming from fear of what might be possible if unfettered access were granted. I’m not talking about humans realizing their full potential blah blah, merely the idea of letting the self off the hook for wanting to know more, whether it feels like the right time to acquire that information. There are some things humans should leave alone, yes. Giant tombs under the sea which potentially contain elder gods? Check. Skeletal remains with an iron scythe carefully placed across the neck? Leave it be. Science pursuing interdimensional travel before we’ve properly outfitted ourselves to deal with murderwasps and laser sharks? How about nope?

But curiosity about the existence of such things? Heck yes. That’s what makes rabbit holes so interesting.