Anne with an e- a new version of the story

Chapter 67 - A little souvenir box

ANNE

Anne finished packing her suitcase, and sighed. She loved to travel, but she definitely hated packing. It was a tedious process, and the worst part was choosing each item carefully, paying attention to every detail, or she would end up with a suitcase too big and too heavy for her delicate body to carry.

Anne took a good look at herself in the mirror, and realized how much her body had changed. Her previously slender build now showed numerous curves that drew attention to her elegant figure, giving her a more grown-up look, although her face still showed its odious freckles, and the hair that now reached her waist was as red as it had been the day she arrived in Green Gables.

Gilbert used to say she was beautiful, but Anne didn't think it would come to that. She secretly still coveted the black color of Diana's hair, although she had come to terms with the idea that her hair would never be any other shade than the red that seemed to set the world on fire when exposed to the sun.

Anne finished putting the last item in her suitcase and went downstairs, placing the hat full of ribbons on her head. They would take one last trip, this time for graduation, before Gilbert and Muddy left for college. This time it was Anne who had chosen the destination that would take them to the mountains beyond the limits of Avonlea, and that promised to be another relic to keep in her box of souvenirs.

Muddy and Josie would accompany them, and Anne was eager to see all the different and interesting places possible. Her taste for adventure was still immense, and she seemed to have within herself an inexhaustible source of curiosity, in addition to her ever-fertile imagination that always took her to places she wanted to go, even if she had never been there before.

She loved to compare the idealized image of things with the reality that presented itself before her. Sometimes she was disappointed, sometimes not, but she always ended up finding a positive point for everything.

When she had mentioned that she thought the mountains were an excellent place to spend a few days, Josie had looked at her as if she were out of her mind.

- The mountains, Anne, are you sure? Why can't we go to the beach or to a farm? I think it would be more fun than meeting bears along the way.

'- We don't have bears around Avonlea,' Anne had answered.

- All right, but what if we meet a snake, a jaguar, or even a mountain lion? I don't know about you, but I still want to live a good few years.

- Gee, Josie. I thought my imagination was fertile, but you've just outdone me," Anne said smiling, then calmed the girl who seemed to really believe what she was saying.

- Don't worry. Gilbert has made all the arrangements. He has found a cozy inn in a picturesque town, where we can have our meals, sleep, life, swim and many other interesting things. I think this is a good opportunity to do something like this together for the last time. We won't have another opportunity like this so soon.

- That's fine. You have convinced me. I'm sorry for my initial panic, now I feel like an idiot.

- But where did you think we were going? - Anne asked puzzled.

- I thought we were going to go camping in the mountains. I didn't know there was such an interesting town to visit near here.

- There are many other places to visit, we should just see the opportunities when they present themselves," Anne said while looking at Josie who seemed to be more relieved by the redhead's words.

- You really like an adventure, don't you Anne?

- Life is a great adventure, Josie, you just have to use your imagination in a positive way.