A Similar String | Anne Shirley & Gilbert Blythe

Nine | into the woods

Anne fearlessly ran into the woods. Darkness was dawning. The silhouetted trees, now stripped bare of leaves by the October wind, shook and creaked through the dark, and owls called overhead. In Anne's day's of the "haunted wood" she would've been quite terrified. Anne's chest was filled with a terrible feeling — but not with fear for herself in the eery night, but fear for Carrie.

Anne was certain Carrie had gone to her favorite place in the woods; the willow tree by Alden Cote's abandoned home. The thought of the young girl being alone in the woods in the middle of the night was frightening enough, but Anne couldn't not stop her mind from going to that old well which she had warned Carrie to be careful of.

Anne intended to run straight to the willow tree without stopping, her path led by the lantern which she held aloft, but her plans were intruded upon when she heard someone calling her name repeatedly and concernedly through the trees.

"Anne! Anne! Anne!"

It didn't take Anne long to recognize the voice. Anne stopped in her tracks and groaned. "Gilbert Blythe you are the bane of my existence. It'd serve you right if I just let you wander around the forest all night calling my name." But Anne's heart was not to cold as that. She raised her voice and called, "Gilbert! I'm over here!"

Anne held the lantern aloft as Gilbert came jogging out from the dark and came to a stop in front of Anne.

His coat wasn't even pulled on all the way, his curls were wind swept and he was shaking his head at Anne as he tried to catch his breath.

"Anne. What on earth are you doing?" He demanded incredulously.

"I might ask the same of you."

"Coming after you, of course," said Gilbert.

"I think I know where Carrie is," said Anne. "I need to go find her — and quickly."

"Sam was just talking about getting a search party. We should wait for them."

"No, we can't," insisted Anne. "She's gone to the willow by Alden Cote's abandoned house. Gilbert, I'm frightened she'd fallen in the old well. If we don't hurry, it might be to late."

In the lantern light, Gilbert could see how the true terror in Anne's face and he hated to see it there.

After a moment Gilbert nodded. "You're right. We should hurry. Hopefully we'll meet up with the search party along the way."

"W-what do you mean 'we'" said Anne.

"I'm coming with you," said Gilbert. He held up a hand. "And please, don't even bother arguing. You are stuck with me."

The matter was too urgent for Anne to put up a fight. She gave a sharp nod of acceptance.

"Alright." Gilbert pulled his coat on tighter against the cold wind. "Which way?"

The lantern which guided them was both reassuring and frightening at the same time. While it lit the footsteps ahead, it made the surrounding darkness  which the light could not reach far enough to touch so much darker so it felt like they were surrounded by the unknown. However Anne refused to show any sign of fear in front of Gilbert Blythe.

They walked swiftly as their hands and faces became numb from cold.

"How far is it?" asked Gilbert, his voice hoarse.

"A good distance," admitted Anne, not slowing her step.

A crash came from the surrounding darkness.

Anne stopped in her tracks and grabbed hold of Gilbert's shirt sleeve.

She looked over at the boy, eyes wide. "What was that?"