The Orphan's Home

Pt. 3, Prologue - Runaway

Clutching her bag tightly, Anne snuck across the lawn, and into the forest beside Green Gables. Fortunately, the woods had never scared her. Instead, she was fascinated by the eerie moonlight shining through the leaves.

She struggled slowly through the thick trees and bushes for a few minutes, with only a little moonlight to guide her. Branches poked and scratched her, and her long braids got tangled in them. The hem of her dress had been torn on the bushes.

Finally, she reached a small worn footpath. Looking up from untangling the hem of her dress, Anne realized that the moon was near the horizon. Dawn would come soon.

She hurried on. She had to find some sort of shelter before morning.

"Oof."

Her foot had caught on an exposed root, tripping her. Pushing herself up, she noticed a second path to her left.

She sat for a moment, resting her leg, and wondering which path to take.

"That one probably go to town," she decided, "besides, they always choose the second path in books, and it never turns out well."

Her assumption was correct. Only a little farther down the same pathway was a small abandoned shed. It was hidden among thin saplings and a few bushes. The weather worn boards were old and twisted. Some had fallen off completely. The moss covered roof was sagging. But to Anne, it was wonderful. It was finally a place to rest.

She walked around it, looking for the door. It was blocked by two young maple trees. So, instead, she crawled through a hole where a plank was missing, throwing her bag in before her.

The inside was dark and dry. Leaves covered most of the dirt floor. Anne set her bag in the corner, and slumped down beside it. She rested her head against the wall.

"I don't even know where I'm going," she mumbled sleepily. But she was far too tired to think about it, and fell asleep just before dawn.