✔️Hazy [anne with an e]

| CHARRED REMAINS

chapter three: charred remains

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CAROLINE HAD CHOSEN to stay home from school today to run the errands that her father was no longer in the condition to accomplish. Plus, she had a few things she had to finish herself, so it was a win for the both of them. Now, she was sat at the desk in her room, staring at the paper she had used to write down ideas for stories for a couple months now. There were scratched out things all over the paper and revisions scattered around, showing how indecisive she was when it came to her writing.

Gilbert had wanted to be the one to stay back, because in his words 'she needed school more than he did'. This earned him a slap on the back of the head and a shushing from their father's nurse.

It had been days and days since she'd last seen Anne, but she didn't blame her for not wanting to show her face around school yet. The scene between her and Gilbert was filled with tension and it was made worse when she was punished for it. However, it did fill Caroline with hope when she saw Anne walk bravely out of the classroom, despite the consequences that would follow. She was brave. Caroline liked brave.

The door to her room opened slowly, as the nurse poked her head in, "Miss Blythe, I believe it would be best if you were on your way."

Caroline folded away her paper quickly and stuffed it in a drawer below her dusk. She noticed the shawl in the nurse's hands and took it from her while giving her a sincere thank you. The shawl was slipped around her shoulders, her bag was held tightly in her palm and she retrieved her hat from its hanger.  When she walked into the living area, she turned her head to her father's door.

"He's sleeping, Miss Blythe, but I will tell him that you said goodbye when he wakes up.", the nurse placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Thank you very much. I shall be home before Gilbert gets back, so don't worry about preparing dinner. It will be my task tonight.", Caroline opened the front door, the chilling air of autumn hitting her and stinging throughout her exposed lower arms.

Her first task was to go to the general store and pick up more salt, sugar and anything else that she deemed particularly useful at this moment. Caroline's feet moved quickly down the road, wishing for the day she was older and would be able to take her horse around the town instead of gathering blisters on her heels from her old boots.

It had taken her about twenty minutes to make her from her home to the store, with a few stops in between to look at things that were pleasing to her eyes. Now, she was opening the front door, the jingle of the bell a calming sound to her ears as she was waved to by the store owner.