₁.₀ SUPERCUT; gilbert blythe ✔

004.

Marianne still feels a little dizzy as she walks downstairs this morning and yet she notices something is wrong the moment she sets her foot in the kitchen.

She walks to the table, setting a plate from yesterday's supper on the top. "Marilla?" she calls out, very surprised not to be given any response. "Anne?"

This silence is making her uneasy. How come no one is preparing breakfast this late? They can't still be asleep, that's certain.

"Ma..." She stops suddenly, catching a glimpse of a lone figure standing on the porch through the kitchen door. Marianne goes out to join her, looking at Marilla with concern. "What are you doing out here? Where's Anne, isn't she up yet?"

And then she follows Marilla's gaze. Past Matthew, onto the cart and the too familiar person sitting at the back of it.

"Anne," she gasps, a frown already forming on her forehead. "What's happening?"

"She is being sent back to the asylum."

Marianne turns to Marilla, only to find her already going back inside. Allowing herself to cast last look at the redhead girl before she follows her, she asks, "What do you mean? How can she be sent away?"

"She lied. She took the broach and didn't want to confess to doing so." Marilla doesn't even turn to look at her. In fact, she is moving around the kitchen, avoiding doing so at all costs

"Then how can you know that's what happened?"

"Well, she did confess at last."

Marilla sounds bitter and Marianne doesn't like it at all.

"But she wanted to stay so much, Marilla. I know she's... not what we're used to here, in Avonlea. She's not what most people are like, in Charlottetown as well. And she seems lost in her imagination and a little reckless, and tends to speak before thinking it through too. But she did want do stay, it was a dream of hers. It's just not logical. Why would she risk it all by lying to you?"

"I will not talk any more about it," cuts Marilla. "Now, help me with setting up the table."

And Marianne does, even though she cannot imagine being less hungry than she is now. The absence of Anne - of her ceaseless chatter or humming while doing her chores - suddenly becomes very visible. It's strange how she was at Green Gables for just a few days and the house already seems so still and quiet without her, ridden of joy and laughter. Ridden of life, one could say.

This is what it looked like before Anne came, Marianne realises. How come it never bothered any of them before to live that way?

Though, as she thinks some time later during breakfast, maybe they didn't live at all. Maybe it's just a mere existence, day by day and into the eternity, until the end... She wasn't always that way and seeing how much she's changed ever since that day makes Marianne's heart ache.

None of them speaks during the meal; everyone being busy with their own thoughts. Maybe silence is better now or maybe something could be done if they talked to each other. Marianne doesn't know which to choose so she does nothing, even though she can already feel shame.

Seems like this little time spent with Anne wasn't enough for a permanent change to be made on her.

There is some part of Marianne that wishes they had longer. And maybe it does sound selfish, but it's just not fair. For the first time since her moving here she was actually growing to be fond of someone, only for the person to be taken away from her. No, not fair at all.

It's her turn to clean up after breakfast and Marianne does it with even less pleasure than usual. She can't help watching Marilla with the corner of her eye while doing it, curious to see how will she act. At least, until she trips, letting out a small yelp; the sound instantly catching Marilla's attention.