A Similar String | Anne Shirley & Gilbert Blythe

One | Elaine's Rescuer

|Note|
because I am crazy I have decided to do a rewrite of the one-shot I wrote for AnneWithAnECommunity titled, Elaine's Rescuer. This first chapter will seem VERY familiar if you've read my one-shot, but with a few changes. I wrote it in about two weeks and I'm planning to have it published before season 2 comes out on Netflix. Which means I have ten days to edit/rewrite/publish ten chapters. This is gonna be fun. I hope you guys enjoy!

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Anne's first full summer in Avonlea was more wonderful than anything she could have dreamt up. It was nothing but sunshine, flowers, freedom and play. Every day Anne and her comrades, Diana Barry, Ruby Gillis, would take to the outdoors and enjoy every single adventure to be found.

Often the three girls were joined by their friends, Jane Andrews and Tillie Boulter. One late summer afternoon the five girls gathered by Barry's Pond for a little picnic after having run through the woods to get there.It was a wonderful time. Food always seems twice as good after an energetic romp.

However once their stomachs were full, they were over taken by an indecisive sort of boredom. They tossed about ideas for entertainment, but none seemed to suit the girls fancy.

Diana suggested they take her father's boat out on the pond, but Jane protested saying, "we did that yesterday" and the others agreed.

It was then that fourteen-year-old Anne had a marvelous idea. She sprang from the grass upon where her tall, skinny self was sprawled, and announced, "Why don't we reenact The Lady of Shallot?"

The Lady of Shallot was a poem which had been read avidly in the girls Story Club. A new favorite of their's, they would read a passage from it aloud at every meeting.

So naturally this idea was met with much enthusiasm and in a moment the five girls gathered on the reedy bank of the Lake of Shining Waters, accompanied by Diana's father's boat and the picnic blanket.

"Now, you must be Elaine, Anne," said Diana.

Anne turned to her bosom friend, her freckled face filling with sudden anguish. "Oh but I can't be Elaine!"

"But you have too!" insisted Ruby bossily. "It was your idea! Besides, I couldn't lie there and pretend to be dead! I just couldn't! I'd actually die!"

"I couldn't either," said Diana.

"Me neither," agreed Tillie, looking slightly sickened by the mere thought.

"I'd be popping up every few seconds to make sure I wasn't drifting astray!" said Jane, "And you know Anne, that would ruin the effect."

"But we can't have a red-headed Elaine!" protested Anne. "I would so love to be Elaine, but it's ridiculous! Ruby, you ought to be Elaine because you're so fair and have such lovely long golden hair!"

"You're just as fair as Ruby-" said Diana.

"But I've got freckles," said Anne ruthfully.

"- and your hairs so much darker then it ever was before!" continued Diana.

Anne's face brightened. "Oh Diana, do you really mean that? I spent a good half an hour scrutinizing my reflection in the mirror last evening trying to convince myself it was so. I thought it might be, but Marilla told me it was just a trick of the light. And then she told me not be so vain. But how can I be vain when I know I'm so terribly homely? Oh! Do you think my hair could be called auburn now, Diana? Life would be so much easier it were!"