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4. the forest incident

Shortly before the fire started in the offices next door, Anne had already  found herself in trouble.

It was late one afternoon and the library wasn't busy but Anne still needed the money so there she was at work. She was in a bad mood as it had just been her time of the month and although she was coming off it, she was always left feeling sad and begrudged. The sky was darkening outside with a storm and everyone was in a hurry to get home.

Anne was carefully lighting all of the candles in the lamps and thinking about the lovely blue colour in the centre of the flames and how in illustrations people never seem to include it, opting for a standard, unoriginal orange or yellow flame.

All of a sudden the door burst open with a jingle of the bell and Anne dropped the lamp she was holding.

The hot wax spilt all over the freshly cleaned floorboards. They had been so shiny you could see your face in them. Anne had been very proud of her work and felt a rush of frustration. The wax began to dry quickly and she pictured herself scrubbing away for the rest of the evening.

Anne looked up to chastise whoever had startled her into the accident.

It was Joseph Bines!

"Anne! Thank goodness you're here--" He gasped.

He was in a state, his golden hair bedraggled and his eyes wild. His clothes were torn and his breath was heavy and quick.

"Something terrible has happened! I need your help urgently."

"What is it? What's happened?" Anne implored, forgetting all about the lamp and the wax.

"My father's valuables were being brought in today from the docks in a wagon. Someone has stolen the wagon and taken off with it!" He explained in a rush. "I saw your horse outside - please I need your help!"

"No, Joseph we must go to the police!" Anne protested.

Joseph grasped Anne's hands tightly.

"There's no time! They're going to get away!" He cried. Terrible worry showed in his eyes. "It's everything we have..."

Anne felt torn in that moment. The right thing to do was go to the police, but Anne knew what it was like to be stolen from and lose everything... She didn't want Joseph to go through it too.

Their time was running out.

Anne made a rash decision. She snatched up her shawl and followed Joseph out the back door in chase of the thieves.

...

They mounted Anne's horse quickly. Joseph insisted on sitting in front and steering the horse. Anne felt a bad feeling that she should go back and run for help, for someone to get the police, but she ignored the feeling and clambered onto the back of her horse. She held on tight.

"They rode towards the main road." Joseph told her. "We must hurry."

Joseph spurred on the horse and they took off into the night. They sped on faster and faster. The storm was churning the dark sky above them. Anne was very afraid that something bad was going to happen and she couldn't shake the feeling. They soon reached the main road with the tall dark trees either side and they saw the wagon up ahead.

"I'm gonna ride up front and spook the horses so they throw off the blasted thieves." Joseph told Anne.

He rode up and they both saw that the wagon was driven by two large men on horses. They saw Joseph coming closer and closer and were shocked. Anne thought it was strange that they didn't recognise the person they had stolen from.

She suddenly had another feeling that something was wrong.

Suddenly, Joseph leapt off of their horse and onto the thieves' horse. Anne gasped in shock and grasped onto the reins of her frightened horse. Anne had never ridden so fast before, her hands trembled.

Joseph struggled with the rider. The horses were afraid. The rider tumbled off the horse and rolled away across the dirt gravel path with a cry of pain. This was terrible.

The wagon was veering along the road as Joseph bashed against the second rider. There were shouts. The rider was yelling but Anne couldn't make it out. Anne's heart lit up with fear. What was Joseph doing?

The first rider was disappearing on the path behind them. Anne wondered if he was badly injured.

Anne looked up into the darkness. Thunder rumbled through the night and the clouds were rolling with lightning. Anne felt like she was in a bad dream. She took a deep breath. She was afraid. Rain splattered down on her face. She was shaking and her hands were bitterly cold and slipping from the reins.

Joseph was wrestling with the second rider, trying to push him off of the horse. There was a flash of silver as moonlight caught on a blade. Anne screamed for Joseph to stop, to forget the wagon and ride away.

Abruptly, a body fell off the horse and crumpled onto the road. Anne couldn't make out who had fallen. Before she could cry do anything, there was a flash and she felt searing pain in her stomach. She reached down and felt the knife wedged in her side, wet with blood. She felt numb.

Anne looked up and suddenly the wagon veered off the path, hurtling into a large tree and crashing. Gold and wood splintered across the forest. Anne felt dizzy, she ducked to avoid the wood flying through the air but her hands wet with blood slipped on the reins and her horse bolted, frightened from the crash. She was thrown out of the saddle and flew across the clearing.

The last thing she remembered was the split second of agonising pain of hitting her head on a rock before everything went dark.

A/N it might seem like everything has gone dramatic super quickly but it's all planned out dw! Let me know what you think of what's going on x vote and comment 💜