Part 2 of "In The Woods When First We Met"

209. Confinement.

Warning- There's more depression here....my story is not an easy story to read- BUT, we've got TEN chapters left! : ) I'm about to be done with it, and It's incredibly humbling to know that people have wanted to keep reading my story all this time. Thank you so much, everyone. 10 left!!

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Monday over, and getting away from everyone, Anne felt she could breath. It had all become too much. She came home quieter than Matthew, and began her homework.

She wanted to lay down before it was over, and decided she'd try again in the morning; she didn't think she'd have any trouble waking up early to do it, since she felt she couldn't sleep anyway.

But she did fall asleep, finally. And then something hit Anne and changed everything.

Tuesday morning she could not get herself out of bed.

Marilla came to check on her when she did not come downstairs, and found Anne still in bed, curled up in a ball. She was not asleep, but she did not answer when Marilla asked her if she was sick.

"You don't have a fever," Marilla remarked, feeling her forehead.

"I'm sick though, I am. I can't go," Anne finally said, whispering.

"...Well all right," Marilla said. "I suppose you know how you feel. Stay in bed and rest today. I'll bring you up some breakfast."

But when she came back up, Anne was asleep. Marilla left the tray, sure that Anne would be roused from her sleep as the sweet scent of cinnamon tempted her nose.

But when she returned to collect it later, it hadn't been touched.

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The next morning Marilla came up to see what was taking so long, and found Anne in bed again. She shook her head. "Whatever you felt was coming on, it hasn't come. You had a good rest yesterday- sleeping must have prevented it."

Anne begged her, "Please don't make me go. My throat's all scratchy and my head is hot."

"Anne, you don't have a fever."

"It isn't a fever. It's my stomach."

"That doesn't make a bit of sense."

Anne looked at her with desperation in her eyes. "Just give me one more day. I need it."

"...All right."

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Thursday morning Marilla was firm: "Anne, you must go to school. Get up and get ready now. If you're quick, Matthew can get you there before you're late."

"Please, Marilla-"

Marilla stopped herself from being quick to come to frustration, and tried to give Anne a chance: "Anne, has something happened at school that's making you afraid to go?"

"No," Anne said. "Everything's fine now. I just don't feel good. Don't make me go to school when I'm sick."

"But you're not sick, Anne- you're not!" Marilla shook her head, exasperated. She did not know what to do.

Finally Marilla decided she needed to be firm, and let Anne know she meant business. She put on a strict expression and said "Enough is enough, Anne. I don't want any more of this foolishness! There is nothing at all wrong with you and you cannot continue to miss school. Now, you must get up and quickly get rea-"

Anne had been lying there, feigning sickness, but now she sobbed. The minute the first tear fell, she was inconsolable. She cried and cried, harder than Marilla had ever seen.