Duskwood: And Beyond

49. Going Back to Normal

ORYN

Anabelle and Phil found solace in their relationship. They leaned on each other for emotional support and understanding, spending countless hours talking and comforting one another. They made a conscious effort to create new memories and rebuild their lives, slowly but steadily moving forward. Which led to Anabelle moving out of our house and into his. It took us a while to get used to everything but Phil really developed as a person and he makes Ana happy. At first, we continued to work on our newspaper but new cases started emerging. We were contacted by many people and at some point, we started to work on those. We are now private investigators.

Thomas and Cleo disappeared again after everything went down. I rarely saw them. Thomas and Hannah broke up and Thomas left Duskwood because it was all too hard for him. Cleo was always with her mom. I don't really know much else about them.

Richy, after his arrest, faced the consequences of his actions head-on. He spent his time reflecting on the choices he had made and the impact they had on himself and others. While incarcerated, Richy immersed himself in self-reflection and therapy. He confronted the underlying issues that led him to participate in the cover-up. 

Hannah's healing journey began with the recognition that her actions were driven by guilt. Jake and Lilly kept in touch with her but I didn't want any part of it. I had to cut her out of my life if I wanted closure. I heard that she was getting the help she needed but it didn't change the fact that she tormented my life for the past couple of months.  

Dan became very passionate about his new job with Alan. He sometimes helps us with our cases. We grew really close, so much so that we meet every week for a game night. Jessy decided to return back to Duskwood. I believe she is the only one that visits Richy regularly - apart from me. Everything was very hard for Lilly but eventually, she managed to get back on her feet. She now works with us. We grew especially close with her particularly because we see her every day. She started seeing someone and started living alone in a cute little apartment not far from ours.

Yes, we moved. Me and Jake, we now live together in a two-bedroom apartment.  I have experienced my own emotional turmoil throughout the events. It took time for me to process everything that had happened and the toll it had taken on my well-being. One of the most important steps on that was to move. The house had a lot of negative memories attached to it and Jake and I agreed on leaving those behind. 

Jake struggled to find a sense of normalcy after the events, often grappling with the weight of everything that had transpired. I am not sure he is still completely over everything. He makes sure to visit Hannah with Lilly once a week. He still continues to work with Alan. Ashton left after Richy turned himself in. He emails us sometimes but that's all we know about it. That gave Jake some relief. He was also redeemed but he chose to continue working with Alan and now Dan. He sometimes helps us with our cases and he sometimes returns back to hacking but makes sure he doesn't do anything illegal. He got even better when we started living together, just the two of us. He still dislikes Phil but he is bearing it for Anabelle.

There is still much to do and a lot to heal but so far, we are all doing the best we can and we are taking steps in the right direction. Some steps are bigger and some are not, but as long as we have each other, we know everything will be alright.   

THE END.