5th anniversary update

Theodora walked in the front door after a long day at work as Sunset Valley’s mayor. It was a job that commanded a lot of respect and power. After everything she had been through over the past twenty years, Theodora could hardly believe how well things were going. She had pulled herself and her family out of poverty. She had fought hard to climb back to the top. And now here she was, with her fit young husband and teenage triplets. The others more or less long forgotten. And she preferred it that way.

It wasn’t long before the eldest girl, Trista, came out to greet her.

‘Hi, Mother,’ she smiled.

‘Hello, sweetheart,’ Theodora smiled back, going over to hug her daughter.

‘How was work?’ Trista asked.

‘Oh, much of the usual. Nothing out of the ordinary to report. What about you?’

‘Um, yeah, you could say that,’ the girl nodded. Trista was a good girl. She had a smart head on her shoulders and was almost certainly a future businesswoman. ‘First off, Rupert came back, can you believe that?’

‘No! Wow,’ Theodora said. ‘His parents always made such a big fuss over him going to Millington's.’

‘Turns out he was expelled, because of this other kid, Harry,’ she continued. ‘And then Harry showed up too, as a new student!’

‘That must have been an awkward reunion,’ she remarked.

‘Not half! But get this, he’s a demon! With red eyes and horns! A real life demon!’ Trista declared. ‘It was weird. Then he asked who we were. No, he asked if we were Farringtons. He already knew. Isn’t that strange?’

‘That… is rather strange, yes,’ Theodora said, looking strangely at her daughter. Trista had never been a fantasist, yet this story seemed rather farfetched. ‘Perhaps he knew you were my children?’

‘I definitely think he did,’ Trista agreed. ‘And the oddest part… His surname. He’s an Atwood. As in, Oliver’s surname.’

Theodora’s blood ran cold.

Atwood? As in Mildred Atwood, preferred to go by Millie?

‘Are you sure…?’ Theodora asked, after an uncomfortable pause. Holy shit, this was not happening.

‘Definitely. Do you think he’s related to her, or is it a weird coincidence?’ Trista replied, confused by her mother’s stricken expression.

No, it was no coincidence. Coincidences like this didn’t happen. Theodora knew that Millie was still alive, still free to do whatever she wanted. And if what she wanted was to have some half-demon abomination the same age as Theodora’s children, it was perfectly possible.

Fuck.

‘…I do think so,’ she sighed. ‘Trista, love. Please can you get your siblings? We need to talk, in the living room.’

‘Oh, sure,’ Trista said, concern spreading across her face. ‘Are you alright, Mother?’

Theodora had no response for this, instead shutting herself in her office.

Millie sat in the armchair, awaiting her son’s return. She was wondering how Harry’s first day at his new school had gone. Moving schools would always be a challenge for any sixteen-year-old, but the extra-special circumstances made it all the more interesting. The expulsion from his previous prestigious boarding school had been initially frustrating. Millie was not pleased to see Harry’s temper explode in such a manner. He had been lucky not to face criminal charges. Fortunately, money went a long way.

But after the dust had settled, Millie realised it was a golden opportunity. Harry would be needing a new school. But since distance would be no issue thanks to teleportation, why not send him to none other than Sunset Valley High School? He would be able to finally meet the children of her old nemesis. What better way to get back at her than through her children? What better way to prove that nowhere could be truly safe for the Farringtons?

Harry appeared in a flash of light.

‘Ah, there you are,’ she greeted with a smile. ‘How did it go?’

‘Yeah, it was fine,’ he replied. ‘Hey, you’ll never guess what.’

‘What?’

‘Rupert just started too. They’ve sent him to the same school!’

‘Oh, wow,’ she remarked. ‘That’s incredible. I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised, given that they’re from Sunset Valley too, but I would have thought the Millers would have wanted him to go to another private school.’

‘Yeah, me too. Turns out he was talking to the Farrington triplets,’ he replied. ‘They’re the first ones I saw when I got there.’

‘And what were they like, in person?’ she asked.

‘I didn’t spend enough time with them to tell. The blonde girl, she seemed to have the most attitude. The other girl was scared of me,’ he replied, with a little smirk.

‘Good, that’s what we want,’ Millie said. ‘They’re her children. They can’t be trusted, and I’m sure as soon as she finds out who you are, she’ll make sure they hate you. She’s the enemy of our family. Never forget what she did to your grandmother.’

‘Don’t worry, I won’t,’ he promised.

‘Well, tell me about the rest of your day,’ she prompted. ‘Then I think I’ll get in contact…’

The next day, Theodora was working in her office, attempting to distract herself from the events of yesterday. She heard a knock at the door.

‘Come in,’ she called.

‘There’s a letter for you here, Mother,’ Trista said.

‘Oh, thank you,’ Theodora replied.

‘Who do you think it is?’

‘Probably just a bill.’

‘But it seems to be handwritten...’ Trista said. ‘Bills aren't handwritten on the front.’

‘Hmm...’ Theodora looked up, and frowned. Who was writing to her? ‘I'm not sure, then.’

Once Trista had left, she opened the envelope. Indeed, it was a handwritten letter. As she read, her heart dropped into her stomach. She knew that peace was over, and that things from now on were about to be very different…