"Oh, Trish, you're finally awake," Mom said as she heard me nearing, head turning to the side "Meet my parents, and, mom and dad; this is Tristan."
"Yo." I greeted with my goto introduction.
"Good day to you too kiddo." The older of the two coots said with small smile.
"Well, me and Michelle need to see if the movers brought over everything and make sure nothing's missing, can't leave Kiara alone and all. Trish; don't be mean, okay?" Dad said before commanding me as he walked backwards to the mansion along with mom.
...Kind of irresponsable to let me be with two old coots, who knows if I would just beat them up for all they had.
-I wouldn't, but, seriously "Well, grampa, nice to finally meet you?"
"Just call me gramps kiddo, I did the same with mine. Gotta keep steadfast to family tradition!"
"If you say so gramps." I instantly relented.
Grandma gave gramps a certain look, it was hard to describe, but I was certain it had a bit of annoyance mixed in "You and your grandson seem to need some alone time, nice to meet you Tristan."
"You too grandma." I responded curtly, as she walked away to wherever... I took a look around and didn't see another car nearby, strange. Anyways, more importantly was the old man in front of me.
"So kiddo," he continued without even a slight pause at his wife's departure "It seems you and your big sister are quite close."
Wait what? "Uh, I only have a younger sister, I have no idea what you're talking about."
With a his signature jovial laugh the old coot returned "Really? Well, she told me you were the younger one."
"Then she was lying," It all made sense as the puzzle pieces connected, Ki had been annoying and the old coot was playing along "Wouldn't be that surprising."
"Huh, well, I guess I'll take your word for it. Anyways, what do you think about the house so far?" He asked.
I gave glance to the mansion again "The porch needs renovation, and the house could use one too."
"Good luck with that, kid, I don't believe anyone in the town would have the courage to work on it. Though the porch... Maybe Frank could do it, though it'll cost a good bit."
"Really?" I said back "It's just a porch, it'd at best be a few hundred dollars."
"It isn't expensive because of the porch kid, its what's under it..." He said, pausing for a moment "There's a family of possums living inside, but they're completely docile as long as you don't try to break into it, though I don't reccomend feeding them."
"Why not, I could probably use rat poison to get them out of the way." I remarked, having seen some rat poison in the cart I had ferried through the grocery aisle.
Though gramps just laughed it off "It would be great if that could get the bastard, but it probably won't."
"We'll see, we'll see." I noncommittedly said.
Though to my words he just smirked "You've got quite the pair, well, I've something perfect for someone like you, where was it again..."
Taking out a ring of keys holding like a dozen old-timey keys "Though I would normally just give this out through inheritence, due to circumstances, but I'll give it to you instead of your mom."
"Thanks, I guess, what are they for?" I asked.
"First, let me ask you one thing before I answer that." He stated.
With a shrug I confirmed "Sure, lay it on me gramps."
"If you could get any one thing, no matter how impossible; how far would you go?" He asked, his voice suddenly sullen with a sense of urgency I would've never expected.
...I needed a moment to think, if I could get any one thing- And I assumed I couldn't get everything in the world since that wouldn't really be a real question then- I could probably become the richest person ever and never have to work a day in my life, or become world-ruler god-emperor Tristan.
"I wouldn't be sure, but it could really get any one thing... I think risking my life would a bit too far I guess." I said calmly, it wasn't as if I needed to overstate my confidence for this old coot, I'll get it eventually anyways.
Though, I was surprised that he was actually quite happy with the answer "Good, the truth is better than some random lie. The keys are for fourteen doors hidden in the mansion, allegedly."
"Okay? Then, can I have them?" I wasn't really interested in whatever those fourteen doors were, but the keys were free, so I wanted them. Free stuff almost always felt better than the regular stuff I had to pay for.
"Take 'em, they're all yours now. Make sure to not give them out to any random person, okay kiddo?"
Obviously I wouldn't give them away. Even if those doors he yapping about didn't exist, they could still probably be melted down for money "No need to worry, I'll make sure to keep them close to my chest."
With keys now given over to a more suitable owner- Me- I couldn't help but smile at my new, free, key chain.
"Well, it seems it's time for me and your grandmother to go," He said, glancing at the sun that had just recently gone to the last third of the sky on its path back under the horizon "Make sure not to do anything stupid, who knows if one of the rusty nails will give you tetanus."
"Wait, you're leaving without saying goodbye to mom and dad?"
"Just tell them that we left, they really don't need a farewell," He said, turning around and going the same way as grandma "I hope you a wonderful stay."
"Uhh, goodbye then."
Well, that was strange.
I pocketed the keys and promptly forgot about them, the doors probably existed seeing from the old coot's certainty. But there was probably, at best, only a small compartment in each one of them with some little message wishing a nice stay, or something...
Maybe some money, but that was like a 1% chance.