In the Woods When First We Met

6. Aftershock

Gilbert watched him go, then turned back to Anne, who was still sitting on the ground, not moving.

She wanted to scramble up and grab her books and get away from there- get away from these woods- get away from this new boy- get away from everyone.

But she couldn't move, she could barely think to function.

"You all right, Miss?" Gilbert asked, looking concerned.

Anne stared at him a brief moment, not registering what he was saying, the events of the moments before reeling in her mind. Her voice caught in her throat and she couldn't answer him.

She felt the ground behind her for her hat.

"Here, allow me," he said, reaching behind her to retrieve her hat.

He brushed the leaves off the thin straw hat, and handed it to her.

Then he began gathering up her school things for her and putting them back into her bookstrap.

Anne could have said thank you but didn't say a word. She was trying to figure out how to stand up without letting the ripped part of her petticoat hang out from underneath her dress.

She moved slowly, realizing now that even if she wanted to stand up quickly, she couldn't. She ached all over.

Her back and behind hurt from being shoved to the ground.

Her shoulders, elbows, and knees hurt from pushing and struggling so hard against Billy.

She hurt in her most intimate area. That scared her more than anything.

And her wrist. Her wrist was definitely injured.

As she stood up, she felt as if suddenly the earth was spinning too fast around her and she was afraid she might pass out. She tried to balance.

Gilbert noticed, dropped her bookstrap on the ground, and quickly reached toward her. "Here, maybe- maybe you should sit down,"

"I'm ok- Really, I'm-"

"Just for a minute," he insisted. He guided her, wobbly, to an overturned log a few steps away. She sat down gingerly.

Finally she spoke, "I'm just...I'm fine. I'm fine." She tried to keep herself from vomiting. She closed her eyes painfully.

Just then she heard the school bell. "School," she remembered, opening her eyes with a start. "I'm late."

"Then I'm late, too," Gilbert said, acting as if it didn't matter. He stared at Anne.

"I have to go," Anne said, beginning to stand again, being careful to hold the ripped part of her petticoat up underneath her dress, her hand tight around the wad of fabric.

"You sure you're all right?" He looked doubtfully at her.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," She tried to sound more confident than she felt.

Gilbert stared at her a second, unconvinced. But, as it wasn't his choice to make, he just kind of shook his head to himself.

He reached for her bookstrap and picked it up from the ground.

Arm outstretched, he handed it to her.

Anne reached out to take it from him, but, by natural instinct she reached for the books with her dominant hand- the same hand that Billy had grabbed and twisted.

So, the second that Gilbert let go, the bookstrap plunged from Anne's hand, and with a sharp cry of "Oh," she was kneeling on the ground.