Home to Avonlea

20. back to the woods

Gilbert took a shortcut through the woods to Green Gables, and that's where he stumbled upon the two girls arguing.

He heard them before he saw them, their familiar voices echoing through the trees. The woods were a beautiful sea of green leaves and moss, dotted with yellow and white flowers. Anne's bright red hair blazed through the image like a flame. Gilbert slowed Belle, steering her through the tall trees to where the pair were talking heatedly.

"--thought we were friends! Why don't you trust me?" Diana was saying, clearly upset.

Anne was standing apart from her, her voice heavy with emotions. "We are! Diana, I can't tell you everything. I can't explain it, I'm sorry--"

"What's going on here?" Gilbert asked loudly, interrupting them. He dismounted the brown mare and lead her over.

"Belle!" Anne's sadness broke for a moment of relief as she ran to the horse and threw her arms around its neck. "I thought you were gone forever."

When she separated from the horse, she looked at Gilbert. He felt a strange feeling in his chest being so close to her. He could see all of her freckles and her bright eyes. He didn't know what to do suddenly. He'd almost forgotten the way Anne made him feel.

"Where did you find her?" Anne asked.

He gathered himself. "She rode into town." He glanced at Diana. "She's actually the reason I came here to talk."

"Talk about what?" Anne frowned.

"A man in town found something on Belle's saddle - it was fabric torn from your dress." He told Anne. "Diana and I found some of this fabric on a crashed wagon in the woods the night we searched for you."

Anne's heart dropped. This was like an ambush. First Diana, now Gilbert.

"I don't know how that got there." Anne lied, her cheeks flushing.

"She won't tell me." Diana spoke up, her voice hurt. "She won't even tell her supposed best-friend."

"What is it? Why are you lying?" Gilbert asked quietly, his dark eyes catching Anne's guilty ones.

She felt magnetised, as though she couldn't look away. She was trapped. She couldn't tell them, but she couldn't keep lying either. What should she do? Gilbert licked his lips slightly, and fixed his stare. She felt so anxious.

"Did somebody hurt you?" Gilbert asked.

Anne's lip trembled. She gazed at Gilbert. The handsome, smart boy who'd tried to be kind to her on her first day despite everybody's prejudice and she'd never forgiven him for one small comment about her hair. It was foolish. He was a good person who always looked out for her and yet she always pushed him away. She felt such regret.

Anne looked over at her best-friend, wonderful, sweet Diana. She loved her more than anything. She meant so much to Anne, if she were hurt Anne felt as though she'd die. She wanted to protect them both. She couldn't tell them the truth. She had to sort this out herself.

Joseph wouldn't keep her trapped in her own lies and fear. She would find evidence and report Joseph and he'd be taken away and she'd be free. She'd fix everything. Anne would not let a heartless criminal rule her life. She was stronger than that.

Anne grabbed Belle's reins and used all of her remaining strength to swing herself up onto the saddle in the blink of an eye. The sudden movement hurt her side and she gasped in pain. It was time to go.

Diana rushed forward to stop her.

Gilbert gasped, "Anne!"

But Anne was gone. She spurred Belle and they charged through the forest, branches whipping her cheeks and tearing at her clothes and hair. She didn't care. She had to get away from them. She was putting them in mortal danger.