The Metamorphosis

kind of damage as a brown fluid came from his mouth, flowed over the
key and dripped onto the floor. “Listen”, said the chief clerk in the
next room, “he’s turning the key.” Gregor was greatly encouraged by
this; but they all should have been calling to him, his father and his
mother too: “Well done, Gregor”, they should have cried, “keep at it,
keep hold of the lock!” And with the idea that they were all excitedly
following his efforts, he bit on the key with all his strength, paying
no attention to the pain he was causing himself. As the key turned
round he turned around the lock with it, only holding himself upright
with his mouth, and hung onto the key or pushed it down again with the
whole weight of his body as needed. The clear sound of the lock as it
snapped back was Gregor’s sign that he could break his concentration,
and as he regained his breath he said to himself: “So, I didn’t need
the locksmith after all”. Then he lay his head on the handle of the
door to open it completely.

Because he had to open the door in this way, it was already wide open
before he could be seen. He had first to slowly turn himself around one
of the double doors, and he had to do it very carefully if he did not