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chapter thirteen

|ghost and gold|

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i told you already, there are no such things as a ghost!" millie cries as they are walking in an unsettling side of the forest.

anne keep repeating the words: 'there's no such thing as ghosts.', which made millie annoy to anne. they can hear birds chirp and howling in a distance to them.

"there's no such thing as ghost," anne repeated, her voice becomes shaky as she looked around, her other arm was clinging to millie as her other arm was on her new bought slate and her basket.

"a-anne, i-i'm sure it is n-nothing," millie said in a shaky voice. she was rather terrified to the forest's creepy atmosphere. the birds are squawking as their breath becomes heavy.

when a branch hits their back, they both let out a shriek as they ran towards their clubhouse.

"we just survived the most harrowing experience. i believe a terrifying evil curse has befallen avonlea. it pervades every alcove and crevice, every tree and flower. all the spirits are stirring. i'm nearly certain i saw a ghostly white lady by the brook," anne said as millie just sat down, catching her breath.

"what does she want?" ruby, who seems terrified, asked.

"us!" anne said as ruby gasped, "oh, you couldn't just die of fright?"

ruby's become teary as she nodded.

"it's not real, ruby." diana comforted her friend, ruby. "right, anne, millie?" she asked, her voice become suddenly unsure.

anne started to smile, "thank you, ruby. i take your tears as the highest compliment. i call my story 'the haunted dell: a most shuddersome tale'."

diana and ruby start to pack their things as they stood up. "what is wrong?" millie asked.

"nothing, millie. you know how i admire your imagination, anne, but i just remembered i'm due to home." diana excused.

"i better get home, too. it's getting dark," ruby added as she walked out of the clubhouse.

"but you haven't heard the ending yet. i haven't thought of it, but it promises to be very sinister."

"uh, tomorrow maybe, on the way to school. a little further away from twilight. bye. be careful home!" diana quickly said as she exited to the clubhouse.

anne looked at millie who was sitting in a log. millie quickly stood up, "um, anne? i'm going to head home, too. maybe, um, marilla needs assistance. see you later!" she rather said as like diana, quickly.

they were terrified of anne's story and wants to go home quickly to escape the dark atmosphere in the forest.

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"please take us with you, " anne pleaded as marilla, matthew, nate, and mister dunlop are going to barry's party for gold.

"no, thank you. you can take anne," millie said.

"you've proven yourselves old enough to stay home tonight," marilla said.

"not afraid of the dark, are you?" nate said as millie rolled her eyes.

"of course not," millie retorted.

"mildred, take care of yourself and your sister. i trust you in this because you are the oldest one," marilla said.

"yes, marilla."

"i-i'm not really afraid," anne said in a shaky voice. millie looked at her in a concerned look.

matthew reached to them as he patted both girl's shoulder, "you were fine the night we went to the town-hall meeting, anne," matthew said.

"my, my, you must've written a bang-up story ending for your story," mister dunlop said.

"oh, anne..."

"the skeleton trees captured the girl and then indentured her to the white lady, queen of the ghost, and..." anne dramatically narrated.

"ghosts. fiddlesticks. you two stay here and nothing untoward will happen. that should cure you of imagining danger into this house," marilla said.

"i will take care of it, marilla, don't worry about, "millie reassured them. " bye! enjoy the party!"

when the adults left she turned to anne, "now, what are we going to do?"

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"no, i don't want to talk about a girl," ben said as his brother gave him a pleading look. they are currently taking a rest in their hammocks.

"bash, do you want to talk about it? bash. i know you're not asleep. your eyes are open. sebastian?"

"your born name is sebastian? sounds like you should own this boat. and here i thought bash meant you like to rough a feller up. good to know," the man in a hammock said.

"you have ruined my reputation. i could hit you two tap myself," bash said.

"there was this girl back in avonlea," gilbert began.

"anne, isn't it?" ben teased.

"shut up, ben! but, yes, it is anne." he said as he turned to bash, "one time i called her 'carrots' and she whacked me over the head."

"yes, it was very funny, though. anne even refused his apple," ben said as he laughed at the memory.

"i give her a right on that," bash said.

"she's a redhead. fiery temper."

"she should've done more than whack you, though," ben said. "admit it, gil, you like her."

"i-i don't. you just wish anne had an older sister for you to flirt!" gilbert shot back as his brother only laughed.

"wonder if I'll ever see her again."

"how long you two plannin' to say on this ship?" bash asked as he still laid on his hammock.

"i don't really know. i want to fulfill our dad's dreams, that we'll go wherever the spirit moves us." ben answered and gilbert nodded in agreement.

"i feel like we'll be crackin' coal forever. like them pistons in the engine, always going and going and going nowhere. i'm trapped here."

"it's just... i felt trapped in avonlea. if we go back, we may never be able to leave again," ben said as he stared in the ceiling of the room.

the man in the hammock spoke as the blythe brothers turned their heads to the man.

"you call that a problem? some of us ain't have no home."