Gilbert's Pov:
I was just walking through the tall grass in the meadow, the soft blades of dark green nature prickling my fingers, past green gables and into the big field surrounded by trees, trees again, and more trees.
In the corner of my eye I spotted a bright glowing light coming from another part of the field.
Fire.
I tore through the grass, down the pathway and over the sticks and stones in my way.
Someone could have been hurt. Someone could have been dying.
I raced further toward the glowing flame but stopped short in my tracks when I realised what it was.
Anne?!
"Anne?" I whispered, my boots leading me down the path.
I tried to be quiet just so I wouldn't startle her, but the quiet weather wasn't helping me blend in.
"Anne? Is that you?" I said again in a hushed whisper, barely catching her attention.
I made my way closer into the middle of the field, but stopped when I heard sobs coming from her.
"Anne? Are you alright-"
She spun around as quick as my parents died and stared at me in horror. Tear stained cheeks, wet eyes, all red from rubbing them.
"Gilbert?" She croaked, stepping back, and wiping her face with her hands.
"Gilbert. What are you doing here-"
"I could ask you the same thing." I stepped closer, but she moved back.
"Don't move b-" I stopped talking. Behind Anne was where the orange glow was coming from.
I stepped forward, pushed her out the way gently, to see pieces of paper piles on top of each other in a basket, everything on fire.
My eyes widened as I saw words on those pages. Words that lead to other words, and they come together to make a poem. Anne's poems!
I quickly used my index finger and my thumb to grab the edge of a piece of parchment, and brought it up, and then dropped it onto the grass.
Stomping my boot onto it to get the fire off, I picked it up to examine its contents.
Her poems.
Her stories.
"Don't look at that!" Anne exclaimed, grabbing the paper from my hands. "It's not your business." She finished, more tears welling in her eyes.
"Why are you throwing your poems and stories into a fire Anne?" I asked in awe. "What made you do such a thing?!"
"It's nothing Gilbert! Leave it."
"Anne-" I pushed, looking behind her, red hair illuminated by the fire.
The leaves underneath the burning glow crackled, so I stomped on them more to try and save more pieces of paper.
"This isn't nothing Anne! These are your poems- your stories! You work hard on these."
"It doesn't matter." She mumbled not looking at me. " And I said leave it."
I clenched my jaw in frustration.
Why won't she tell me what's going on?
"What happened?"
"What?" She asked looking up into my eyes.
"What happened to make you like this?"
"Nothing happened Gilbert." But she went quiet, and shuffled her feet.
"Anne," I moved forward and grasped her hand in my own, rubbing my thumb against hers, sliding it onto her palm. "Anne what happened?"
She hesitated and clutched my hands softly, but then rested her head on mine and sighed.
"Billy." She whispered, and I immediately looked up confused.
"Billy? What about Billy?! Did he hurt you?"
"No-"
"What did he do?!" I exclaimed, tightening my grasp on Anne's hands.
"He said-" she let out a breath. "He said that everything that I do is terrible, badly written, weird."
"He said WHAT?!" I yelled.
"Gilbert stop!" She grabbed my hands and brought it up to her cheek to rest it there. "I'm okay-"
"He has no right to say that!" I felt my anger boiling inside me. " He can't even read and write let alone write lines and lines of heaven."
I stared her in the eyes to realise the tears.
She giggled.
"Lines and lines of heaven? That's the best you can come up with?" She laughed. "Gilbert Blythe, I would've thought you'd be more imaginative than that."
I didn't say anything, only tightened my grip on her and pulled her into a warm embrace. I think I felt her smile, but maybe that was just my 'bad' imagination.
"And Gilbert," she said, nuzzling into my neck. "Don't go and hurt Billy."
"Why?" I asked, resting my head on hers again.
"He's not worth it." She said, placing her lips on mine softly, and moving her hand to the back of my head to play with my hair.
I kissed her back, moving my hand to her neck.
"The fires out right?" She mumbled, whilst I deepened the kiss, placing my right hand onto her cheek.
"Yes." I stated as I moved away from her, smiling.
"What are you smiling for?" She asked, laughing softly, and placing her hand to my chest.
"You're cute," I said, hugging her tightly.
"That's sweet Blythe."
"I'm so sweet."
