Chapter Text
“Dad! You can’t do this!” Kinsey shouted, “what about our friends? Our lives? You can’t just up and move us just like that!” She slammed her bedroom door. The pictures in the wall rattled, frames clacked together.
Nina held Rendell’s arm, “she’ll come around eventually. Just you wait, she’ll forget her anger when she sees her room at…what was it called?”
“Key house,” Rendell answered, “the Locke family estate. Or as I like to call it, ‘the place where the impossible becomes possible’.”
“Why do you call it that?” Nina said.
“You know…I can’t remember,” Rendell scratched his head, “Huh…it’s odd. I can’t remember why my friends and I called it that. There isn’t anything special about the house, it’s just a big house.” The man smiled and shook his head, “it’s probably not important.” However, his expression gave way to confusion. Why did he call it ‘the place where the impossible becomes possible’?
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Kinsey POV
The car droned to a halt in front of a giant house. This is where Dad grew up? It looks like the places on those ghost hunting shows Mom watches.
“Well, well, well, look who decided to come crawling back to good ol’ Matheson,” a man with long black hair said, leaning over the porch. He looked familiar but I don’t think I’ve ever met him. He’s about dad’s age. “Rendell Locke, as I live and breathe.”
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Dad said, “nothing better to do, Caravaggio?”
“Shove it, Locke.”
“Oh, har har har, very clever.”
“What’s it been since you ditched us here in this little town? 20 years? 25?”
“I had bigger dreams.”
“Bigger dreams, aye? Too big to visit your old pals? I’m wounded.” Then he just started laughing, like it was all just some joke.
“Lucas Caravaggio,” Dad said. A grin spread across his face as he pulled the man into a bear hug. “It’s been too long, man. God…you look old.”
“I look old? Have you looked in a mirror?” Lucas Caravaggio said.
“You know this weirdo?” I looked at Dad.
“This ‘weirdo’ as you so delicately put it,” Dad explained, “is my childhood best friend. We grew up together. Daycare, pre-school, all the way up until we graduated we were inseparable.”
“Then your dad here just had to run off to college out of state,” Lucas elbowed Dad. Dad’s laugh barked across the yard. “It’s great to finally meet you, kids. And you, Nina. Rendell never shuts up about you. I feel like I practically know you already.”
“Rendell talks the world of you,” Mom said, “I’ve never met any of his friends from here before.”
“He had a few but most of us drifted after high school. Mark moved to New York, Kim and Jeff left for warmer pastures in Florida. Erin’s still kicking around in Boston last I heard. My wife Ellie and I still live nearby.” Lucas brushed his hair from his face, “our son Rufus is the groundskeeper so you’ll see us popping in. Rufus’s a good kid, say hi to him if you see him, okay?”
“Didn’t you tell me your son’s name was-” Dad said.
“I have two, you don’t own the rights to having more than one kid,” Lucas joked, “Rufus is the older of the two. We adopted him when he was 5. Speaking of my other son though, you kids will probably see him around Matheson Academy. He’s your age, Kinsey, you should have some classes with him.”
“Great…just what I need, weirdo JR one working at my house and weirdo JR two in my classes,” I muttered.
Lucas chuckled, just letting the insult roll off his back. This guy is far too chill. “Duncan’s waiting inside, he’s just setting some stuff up for you all. I’m gonna go check on Rufus then I gotta go pick my wife up from work.”
“You have to bring your wife and sons over for dinner one of these days,” Mom told him, “I’m sure Rendell would love to catch up and it’d be great for the kids to get to know each other.”
“I’ll suggest it to Ellie,” Lucas said, “she’ll be all in before I even get the words out.”
“You four head in, let Duncan know we’re here,” Dad said, “I have some things I need to discuss with Lucas.”
“Okay, Dad! It was nice meeting you, Mister!” Bode bolted inside, Mom rushing after him before he could trip and hurt himself. Tyler simply nodded and went in. I looked at Dad. He nodded to the house, giving me his patented ‘this is adult stuff’ look he always did when he didn’t want us to hear. I stepped inside, pressing my ear to the door.
“You have a nice family, Ren,” Lucas said, “you’ve got it all together.”
“You’re doing pretty well yourself, Luke,” Dad replied. The silence dragged on for what felt like forever. I peaked through the opening of the door. The two guys who were just laughing and joking looked awkward and uncertain. Why did dad leave Matheson? What happened?
“It wasn’t your fault,” Lucas finally broke the silence, “I don’t even know what that fight was about but whatever happened, we all were to blame. No one reacted well.”
“You don’t have to sugar coat it,” Dad said, “Erin was right and I was a major ass that night. If we’d gone down to the caves, we could’ve died. Why did I even want to go down there?”
“You were young, dumb, and curious. You were seventeen.”
“Young, dumb, and curious sure is right.” Dad tapped his fingers on his jeans, “that wouldn’t have been an excuse if you’d listened to me and something bad happened. I’d…I’d have never forgiven myself if we’d gone down there and any of you got hurt. Ellie, Erin, Mark, Kim, Jeff, you. Any of you.”
“Erin talked sense into us, we’re fine. Don’t beat yourself up over ‘What if’s. Now, you should be heading in before your family thinks you ran off exploring without them.” Lucas stepped out of view.
“Oh. And, Luke? Thanks for…sticking with me all this time, even when I was an ass.”
“Anytime, Ren. That’s what I’m here for.”
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“Welcome to your new home!” Uncle Duncan announced, placing party hats on our heads, “Welcome to Casa de Llaves!”
“Case de Llaves?” Mom said.
Dad laughed, “and you call me the dramatic one, Dunc. Key House. Welcome to Key House.” A house with a name? Lame.
“Our house has a name? Cool!” Bode said, “why is it called that?”
“I think that’s obvious,” Dad said, “because we’re the Lockes.” A house with a name that’s a pun. Can this get any worse? Locks and keys decorating the walls? A giant painting of a lock and key? I want to go back to Seattle. At least there the houses are normal and not some dad joke.
“Which one’s my room?” I said.
“Yours is the one with the scratched doorknob but don’t you want to stay and celebrate with us?” Mom said, “Uncle Duncan came all this way and set all this up just for us.”
I grabbed my bag, starting to head up the stairs. “No, I just want to go to my room and check what my friends back home are doing on Instagram, since, y’know, you two decided to rip us away from everything we care about.”
“Kinsey-”
Dad placed his hand on Mom’s arm, “let her go. She needs her time.”
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“Someone looks pleased to be here.” I looked up as a boy with an English accent sat on the step in front of me. “You’re the new girl in town, aren’t you?”
“Great, I’m a rumor already,” I said sarcastically, “and you would be?”
“Scot Cavendish, Scot with one T,” he introduced himself, “you’re not a rumor. My friend’s dad told him about you. I mean- Not you yourself, that’d be weird. That new people were moving into town.”
I scoffed, “your friend sure is a gossip,” I took a bite of my sandwich, “what do you even want, Cavendish?”
“Your name, for starters.” he said, “You know mine, what’s yours?”
“Kinsey. Locke.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Kinsey Locke, me and my droogs are having a thing later if you’d like to join. The Savini squad is always welcome to new faces and yours seems like an interesting one.”
I tilted my head, "excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t mean anything bad by it! Gah…I’m really failing this one, aren’t I? I just mean, look at you, you’re so bright and colorful. You’re unique and…I’m just going to shut up now before I dig myself into a bigger hole. I’ll ping you the address, come if you’d like.”
“Whatever”
“Cavendish!” a voice called.
“That would be one of them now,” Scot said, “over here!”
A boy with dark skin and a leather jacket covered in patches stepped in. He grinned, “there you are, Scot. The squad was about to send out a search party.” He noticed me, “I don’t recognize you. You’re new, aren’t you? Kinsey, right?”
“How did you know my name?” I asked.
“This is the friend I mentioned before-” Scot started.
“Friend? Scot, I’m hurt. I prefer the term ‘life partner’,” the newcomer clutched his hand over his heart like he was wounded.
Scot rolled his eyes, shooting the weirdo a glare, “not this again. We are not dating.”
“No need to be harsh, Darling,”
“Who are you?” I said.
“Hm? Oh. Sorry, that was rude. I should introduce myself. What’s up? I’m Gabe. Gabe Caravaggio.”