Minutes later, Charlotte was atop of a chestnut mare, galloping behind Matthew out of Green Gables. Once the two rode towards the fire, Charlotte's jaw dropped. Flames engulfed the top floor of the Gillis' house, bright orange and yellow beasts crept out of the windows, attacking anyone that came remotely close to them. The previously white paint was now stained black, due to the smoke.
"Charlotte, help gather buckets," Matthew ordered.
She nodded, just as Marilla and Anne arrived. Charlotte, alongside the two, grabbed buckets overflowing with water, bringing them to the line of men throwing the liquid into the flames.
"Anne, Charlotte," Diana yelled, rushing over to the two, jumping onto Anne. "I've missed you so much."
The two jumped apart as a window of the house shattered.
"Is everyone out?" Anne asked.
"Yeah," Diana replied.
"Why are the doors and the windows opened?" Anne questioned.
Charlotte watched as Anne ran to the side, grabbing wet towels, before charging into the house set ablaze.
"No, Anne!" Diana screamed, grabbing onto Charlotte's arm in shock. Several of the woman nearby, caught onto Diana's cries, moving over to the two girls.
"Where's Anne?" Marilla asked.
"It's Anne!" Diana screamed in fear, pointing into the house. "She ran inside."
"What?" Marilla began to step towards the house when Rachel held her back. "I need to get Anne."
"No, Marilla you stay," Charlotte glanced over at her. Her gut twisted at the thought of Anne inside the house alone. She shook her head, mentally cursing herself for the decision she knew she was about to make, whether she could stop it or not.
As Charlotte broke free from the crowd, the woman screamed. Unlike when Anne ran inside, several of the men saw, shouting at her to turn back. Charlotte ran straight through the crowd, unknowingly allowing everyone to see her sprint headfirst into the raging flames. Several of the woman screamed out for her to turn back, children crying, fire roaring at her, luring her in.
The moment Charlotte stepped inside, she knew she had made the stupidest decision she could have made in her life. Charlotte didn't think before she ran inside, like she didn't think about half the things she did in life before the action was already done. The smoke attacked her airways in minutes, stinging in her eyes.
She ran through the house, covering her mouth from the deadly smoke that wafted around her head, calling Anne's name. As she got to the top level, she spotted Anne at the very edge of the hallway.
"Close that door," Anne yelled at her.
Charlotte stepped towards the door closest to her, locking eyes with Gilbert as he was perched at the window, attempting to set the fire out with several buckets. "Charlotte?"
The door slammed shut before she could reply. Charlotte glanced around, Anne was nowhere to be seen. Flames and black smoke were the only things she could see, no more doors, no exits.
Ash got onto her white pants as she lay under the smoke, crawling on her knees. She could feel herself fading, with every breath more of the toxic smoke invading her lungs. She looked up, beginning to crawl towards the only exit she could see. She felt her vision become slow as the house continued to burn around her. Exhaustion hit her, she couldn't find the energy to crawl anymore as she lay there numbly on the second story level where the fire was at highest risk. She needed to get down the stairs, knew she had to get to the bottom level of the house. The energy she needed wasn't there, gone alone with the fresh air in the house.
Her chest was heaving as she held her breath for several seconds at a time. As the yelling from outside of the house continued to ring in her head, the people screaming out her name into the night air. With the last of her strength, she moved shakily towards the door she had just closed, having not even made it down the stairs. Each cough felt like her throat was being stabbed, pain bursting with each breath.
As much as it killed her to admit it, Gilbert was on the other side of the door just moments ago, she needed him to be on the other side this time. She needed to get out of the house, and if Gilbert was the only person close enough, she would accept the risk of him thinking she constantly needed his help. Her pride and dignity would be crushed, but it was better than death.
As she opened the door slowly, mentally cursing herself for even deciding to run into the fire in the first place, a feeling of relief washed over her, as she saw him in the same position he was when she closed the door him his face, perched on the window ledge, throwing water at the raging flames.
Only this time, the fire was now small baby flames dancing in the wind, no longer a roaring monster.
As soon as he laid eyes on her, the tight feeling in his gut evaporated. The worry he had for the girl since he first saw here dissolved the slightest. It came back quickly as he saw the state of her, no strength to even stand, ash covering her face. He yelled down to Matthew, letting him know she was here before jumping through the window, placing one arm around her shoulder to support her as the two walked towards the window.
"So no dragons needed slaying, but I did save you from a burning house if that counts," he muttered towards her. Through all the dirt and ash on her face, he could still make out the pink shade her nose turned.
"You're so annoying," she wheezed out, her eyes barley open as she stumbled towards the window, all her weight being forced onto Gilbert. He held her up easily, having carried things that were twice as heavy.
As soon as her feet touched the solid ground, she was barreled over by Diana and Anne, both engulfing her in the largest hug Charlotte had ever experienced.
The breeze of the night was comforting, after being inside a burning building, a freezing night was a blessing.
"What on earth were you thinking running in?" Diana immediately wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. "You could have died."
"That's twice I've had to chase after you," Charlotte mumbled to Anne.
"Let's not make it three," Anne chuckled, wrapping herself around the girl again. "But thank you for always being there for me."
—
27/11/2023
Actually love them so much.
Also, guys, I've been seeing so many Rafe Cameron edits on my fyp and it's been giving me serious motivation to write a fic on him. Thoughts?
ESTÀS LLEGINT
𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 ᵍⁱˡᵇᵉʳᵗ ᵇˡʸᵗʰᵉ
Aleatòriament"I was enchanted to meet you." She finds him insufferable, he enjoys winding her up. She's quick-tempered, he's calm. She's impulsive, he's cautious. He smiles, she glares back. She was freefall, he caught her before she hit the ground. Opposites a...
