Remains To Be Seen

Oxygen Fuels

Gilbert
Anne looked at me trying to decide what to do. I then chose to make the decision. She was taking far too long and would probably refuse my kindness.
"I'll draw a bath and leave you some warm extra layers. Leave your dress outside the door and I'll clean it for you," I said helping her from the table.
I handed her the bag of belonging to find her clothes as I drew the bath. I had pulled my restricting layers off and rolled up my sleeves. I dropped some soap in and filled the tub with warm water. I unbuttoned the top button of my shirt as it was still restricting movement of prepping at the moment. I dig through a chest and pulled out some extra layers of what used to be my mothers. May father kept them in hopes of one day being able to put use to them. Without a thought I go to find Anne who had her nose in one of my father's favorite books.
"Huckleberry Finn," I started, making my presence known.
"Oh Gilberrr...t," she stared for a moment. "I didn't mean to disrupt their place I just felt as if I needed to peel it open and read the inked words," she expressed trying to cover the fact of her previous staring spell.
"It was my father's favorite. But yours," I went to the bookcase pulling a book down from up high. "Your favorite book is Jane Eyre."
I opened the book and was surprised at the message written inside. It was a gift to my father from the one and only Marilla Cuthbert.
"Seems Marilla was a fan of Eyre as well," I handed Anne the book.
Anne hugged the book to her chest as she stood wobbling on her sore ankle. She handed Huckleberry Finn back to me.
"How did you know it was my favorite?"
"I've overheard you reciting the lines from it perfectly."
She blushed. I knew she did. She was guilty as charged. She met my eyes once again and I was stuck once again. No words. Nothing. Just happiness beside the tightness of my chest. I looked away this time.
"The bath is ready for you. I'll make a snack and ready a room for you," I said as I cleared my throat.
"Okay," she went limping towards the restroom.
I watched her until she disappeared through the doorway. I then began to clean up the table. Wiping it down of blood and alcohol. Organizing the medical aid kit and storing it away.
I went to the guest room to start it and saw a brown dress folded nicely outside the door. I picked it up and took it to the kitchen. I set it beside the sink as I went to finish making up the guest room.
I walked past the bathroom hearing small mumbles of ouches and insults. I wanted to stay in wait but that wasn't possible due to the alarm. Loud bells rang like no tomorrow. It was a fire. Someone's home had caught fire.
Anne burst open the door "What is that?"
"A fire," I looked out the window seeing a distant light.
I rushed into my own room grabbing a telescope looking into it. It was the Gillis house. One of Anne's closest friends. Ruby.
"Grab all the buckets you can we have to get to the Gillis house," I said sternly.
"Ruby Gillis?"
"Anne lets go!" I grabbed her hand.
We were sprinting through the fields rushing to the Gillis'. I let go of her hand helping prep a ladder climbing up it. Buckets of water being passed to me as I tried to douse the fire.
I then heard loud screaming of Anne's name. I looked back seeing only Diana I tears pointing at the house. Her mother and Ruby with her. I was tossed another bucket and I tossed it onto the flames. They were still raging.
I heard a slam and looked inside the house as I held the next bucket. A figure closed the door laterally to the room I was dousing with water. They turned and I was confused at the sight.
"Anne?"
Her face fell and she slammed the door. I had to keep tossing water. Whatever that impeccable girl was doing was helping. The fires were going out.

Anne
I hadn't felt my ankle throb quite like it did. Until I was sprinting towards Ruby's home. The home that was engulfed in flames. What I thought would be a good night's sleep is now a nightmare come true. I found Diana and we watched in horror. But the fires were not slowing but raging. I looked closely at the house. The doors and windows were open. Oxygen feeds fire. Cut off the Oxygen it'll slow.
I had to go inside. Everything else was irrelevant. I went running inside despite my bosom friends screams of my name. I started on the bottom. Shutting all the windows and doors. The smoke began to build up but I had to do the upstairs or it would be for nothing.
I ran up the stairs slamming each door getting to the end. I pulled one of the last two doors shut. I turned being faced with Gilbert. He had a pail of water in his hands and he recognized me. I saw the look Ruby would always talk about spread across his face.
"Anne?"
I grabbed the scorching door handle and slammed the door shut. I seethed realizing I'd just burnt my hand. I held my palm close to my chest as I stumbled down the steps. It was getting hard to breathe. I pushed my aching foot forward but collapsed to the ground. I coughed and coughed dragging myself closer to the door I had run through.
"Get up Anne!" I grumbled at myself. "You're not dying here after saving the day. We have to see the look on their faces," I laughed between coughs.
I pulled myself up painfully dredging out the door shutting it as the fresh air went into my lungs. The burning smoke in the back of my throat felt like fire as the ice cold air slithered down it. I couldn't ask for a better sensation to remind me I was alive. Matthew and Jerry were pumping water and Marilla watching fearfully. I then heard Diana's squeal of my name.
"Anne! You're okay!" She hugged me tightly.
"Did it slow down?" I asked looking at the flames that seemed to be now mere sparks.
Someone shouted that the flames were going out. Dianna smiled largely hugging me. She squealed that I did it. But I wasn't so excited. I was going to have to explain myself to the Cuthberts and Gilbert. He saw me in there. And I'm staying at his lovely home. I guess that owes an explanation.
We waited the fires out. Marilla took an exhausted Matthew home. Jerry went along with them as I waited for Gilbert. Dianna has left and Ruby's family was dispersed until their home was rebuilt. I was clearly the only female left here. I decided to put myself to use. I stepped back inside the house and started to move burnt wood and belongings. As I dragged a piece of wood out I heard a familiar voice.
"What ever happened?"
"Anne saved the house," Gilbert's voice spoke.
I turned around dropping what I was holding. Gilbert motioned for me to join him. I stepped over by his side and his arm draped over my shoulders.
"What did you do inside the burning house. You could've gotten yourself killed girl!" The man Gilbert was speaking to urged.
"Well umm- fire needs oxygen to keep aflame. So I went inside and closed all the doors and windows in a way suffocating the fire causing the flames to burnout because there was no oxygen left for it to burn with," I explained.
"Really? Hmmm." The man was in deep thought.
"Anyway, I would love to continue to assist in the rebuilding of the Gillis' residence immediately, but we must get home and rest after the long night," Gilbert excused both of us.
He arm was still across my shoulders. I didn't mind so much. But that feeling again bubbled into my chest. Eventually as we sauntered through the golden fields his arm fell off my shoulder. But in doing so his fingers laced between mine like Josephine Berry's grapevines. I loved the feeling. Until he went to squeeze it and I recoiled. I clutched it to my chest. I forgot I had scorched it on the metal handle of the door earlier.
"I'm sorry Anne," he said. "I thought-"
"Not your fault Gil," I revealed my hand. "I may have burned it when I saved the day."
Gilbert pulled me to him as he inspected my hand carefully.
"You keep getting hurt on my watch," he whispered sadly almost as if to himself.
"Luckily I have you, an aspiring doctor at my side to patch me all up," I smiled up at him.
He smiled softly. It matched the softness of his hair. Only I could imagine because who would ever think to touch a single strand of hair on his head. His perfect little curls bouncing as he moves. Complimenting the small freckles sprinkled across his nose I didn't ever notice before. I've been noticing a lot of things I haven't before. I notice how his eyebrows would furrow every time I'd say something negative about myself. How his eyes would turn glazed and sad when I'd ignore him or refuse his help. How his pupils dilated every time my eyes met his. But I have no idea what any of it means.
He stepped to the other side of me grabbing my other hand and walking it with him. I followed closely by his side.
I thought back to the fact about fire. That oxygen fuels a fire. Is it the same with a person? Like when breathing the same air with the person you may or may not have feelings for fueling the fire in your heart? Would that be a rational feeling? Like the one I'm having now. Breathing in the fiery scent from Gilbert's coat and feeling this burn of desperation heavy in my heart.
Does being with someone become the fuel of love just like oxygen is with fire? The fire unknowingly blazing with the contact of oxygen kissing it's flames.

Would love ignite like that?