4.

The births of nine daughters occurring in the year 2000, one coming somewhat anomalously so in the May with the other eight occurring in order one day after another in June, was not the first attempt at such a thing by the dark prince of the underworld, it was something he attempted many times unsuccessfully in the past. This incarnation by far is the strongest and the first to see all nine girls turn eighteen years of age.

A previous incarnation was partly thwarted on the third day of March 1988 when the death or murder, accidental or otherwise, of Ester Fontaine occurred. The Fontaine household served a purpose then and may still do no matter how unlikely it is that Sammy may rejoin the dark underworld.

Indeed, Darkness knows the value of time. To use such the ability to control time to ensure Ester Fontaine's life is not lost on that March day in 1988 would undo everything which the current crop of daughters has been set up for, such is the effects such a gift can have. Still, retribution, revenge to a degree is still possible. Early iterations a grand plan too, can be thought of as having been trial runs in many ways, all having come with varying degrees of success, such is why generations of set up went into the current crop with chances of success being extremely high on the latest iteration, so at least Darkness believes.

For some of the current crop of nine, Darkness has had an ear from the moment birth occurred, with others he waited. Darkness did not make himself known to Lexi Hansen until she was eight years old and the gift, he had bestowed upon her did not fester all so much prior to her turning eight years of age.

Only a couple of months before a gathering, a first encounter where all nine daughters of the millennial alumni would be in the same place at the same time, Darkness had some work for Lexi to attend to. Despite her pleasant demeanour as a child, her good naturalness she had prior to Darkness making himself known to her, Lexi was on board and always on board with the entity she would call her true father.

One port of call was to visit the best friend of her maternal grandmother on the day her gran died which also so happens to be the day her own mother was born. There was a warning Darkness had Lexi deliver. A prior task however brought about a visit to 1988.

The relationship a certain Christopher Furlong had with the Fontaine family ended at the moment Ester Fontaine died. Banished, despite the fact his actions had done nothing to bring about the death of a child, Christopher went on to live with his own personal darkness, his life spiraled though a knowledge of what would someday come grew within him. It had already been growing prior to coming into contact with the Fontaine's.

A young man in 1988, aged as time went on and aged all the more by not having a place, he could call home by the time New Year's Day 2018 came around. He could not even call the streets home for as cruel as people can be, Christopher was made unwelcome wherever he was and wherever he went. He was treated like the trash he surrounded himself with.

He tried to use his knowledge of what surely was to come by warning others, but no one wanted to know, no one wanted to listen to the words of a dirty ragged street urchin until Samuel Lemmontine Fontaine was made aware of where this man was and on New Year's Day 2018. Sammy Found Chris but before a proper conversation could come Chris vanished right before Sammy's eyes, more or less.

Indeed, an element of vengeance acquired, and a lesson taught both occurring at the same time. Darkness had a not quite eighteen-year-old Lexi Hansen use her gift so she could be near the Fontaine household, right by where it stood in 1988.

She brought Christopher Furlong back to witness the events of Ester Fontaine's death. On the first day of January 2018 Chris's mind, it could be said was already on a steep decline. Witnessing the actions of his younger self and a repeat of the actions that occurred on the third day of March 1988 sent him further into decline.

Further decline it is as Chris is soon dispensed to an underworld where he'd appear as a crazed old man who fits in well among the other oddities that belong down there. Imagine what his decline may be if he could know that his younger self completely disappears from the timeline somewhere after March third, 1988. So, all his experiences between March third 1988 and January first 2018 only exist for him with the likes of Sammy Fontaine and Hazel Watts still being aware of the presence he had on the New Year's Day of 2018.

Ripples ... this is why the likes of Sammy Fontaine and Hazel Watts are aware of Chris on New Year's Day while no one else is. From Here, March Third, Chris continues to live out his life, not being returned to 2018. He will get back to that time one day though it could be debated of just how aware of a return he would be by such a time when 2018 returns.

***

Whatever occurred on the day when Anna went out on a grocery expedition, it hit her as hard as any kind of traumatic event can. This trauma brought home the fact that Anna and Jonathon Hansen were not as ready as they thought they were to have the life they had. A young couple, married with a home, a mortgage, a job each and now a pregnancy too. Anna feeling so less ready now when it had been assumed that she had been the stronger one, the more determined of the two.

A counseling session became necessary taking on an occurrence of three a week at first then going on to one a week. What it done for the mum and dad to be was that it brought about a level-headedness and a realization that things weren't all so tough as they appeared to be. It also brought about a realization that Anna herself really was as tough as she had once presumed to be and that she thoroughly is ready to raise a family.

How strange that when a daughter did come along and went on to turn eight years of age that these counseling sessions began up again so many years after they previously had come to a close. The difference this time round being that the Hansen's weren't quite as young as they had been last time round and of course they had their little girl with them too.

What made things all the easier this time, if it could be deemed to be easier, is the fact that the counselor the Hansen family meet with is the very same counselor from the first lot of sessions.