Remains to be Seen

Chapter Eight: Memories; new and old

early chapter dedicated to:
the #authorpact ; cuthbert_blythe , lilou0922 , & Yzarra_Bizzara . y'all keep me going on this writing journey ♡

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It had been nearly fifteen minutes of silence and Gilbert could hardly stand it.
"We're nearly there," he looked at Anne who was twirling as she walked.

"I've never been to this section of the forest. All the flora looks like it's been untouched by man for years," Anne smiled at Gilbert.

"That's because it hasn't," Anne stopped in her tracks eyes widening as she was about to ask what he meant, but Gilbert continued, "Now, Anne, close your eyes."

"WHAT?"

"It's okay, I just want the view to be a complete surprise."

Anne gave Gilbert an incredulous look, "but—"

"Anne, I thought you said you trusted me?" Gilbert cut her off.

"That was about you looking at my possibly broken nose!"

"So you don't trust me?" Gilbert played with her, knowing she wouldn't say no, but also wouldn't want to admit she trusted him.

"I didn't say that," Anne groaned as she put her hand over her eyes, "fine, Blythe, now hurry up. I don't like not knowing where I'm walking."

Smiling triumphantly, Gilbert walked behind Anne and placed his hands on her shoulders. A few minutes of walking and a gentle breeze blew Anne's short hair brushing Gilbert's hands as he guided her to a clearing in the midst of the trees.

"Okay, Anne," He let go of her shoulders stepping to the side so her could see her reaction, "you can open your eyes now."

A small, barely audible gasp escaped from Anne's mouth as her hands flew to her face. She couldn't believe her eyes. The trees had dissolved behind her and she stood in the middle of a field, but not any field—it was like one of the fields from her imagination: full of buttercups and daffodils and blue eyed grasses of every variety and foxgloves and Iceland poppies. The vibrant gems of flowers all getting along in one field gently swaying in the breeze.

Anne looked at Gilbert, her blue eyes shining, "pinch me, I feel as though this must be a dream...no wait don't. If this were a dream I wouldn't want to wake up!"

Gilbert laughed; his heart full from the joy on Anne's face. If this were a dream he wouldn't want to wake up either.

In a blink of an eye, Anne took off running; palms down gently grazing the tops of the flowers. The wind blew through her hair as she laughed. Gilbert simply smiled and slowly followed after her. Once Anne got to a thinner part of the field her legs were about to give, so letting out a joyful shriek she collapsed onto the ground.

Gilbert jogged to catch up and lied down on his side next to her, watching her braid a flower crown from flowers she had pulled whilst running.

"Gilbert?"

"Yes, Anne?"

"How did you know this was here? HOW is this here? Actually," she paused and looked at him, "where is here?"

Letting out a sigh and rolling into his back, Gilbert looked up to the dimming sky,
"Here, is part of the Blythe family farm; thus, also how I knew about this field," he looked at her.

Anne was nodding, "but when I said the forest looked like it hadn't been touched for years, you said that was because it hadn't. This field looks quite the same way," Gilbert was nodding, "Why?"