Hair

Øne

The automobile parked at the bottom of a winding path that led to the cottage; sitting on top of the hill. This would be home until the war ended. A safe place to bring up the children.

Rula opened the back door and shut it carefully, feeling the new ground beneath her feet. The rest jumped over the back of the car and toppled over one another onto the dusty trail.

Elise stayed seated in the car for a minute, looking out at the beautiful green countryside. "Last one there's sleeping on the sofa!" Bethany shouted. They all scrambled to their feet and bolted up towards the house, Freya stopped a few steps in to catch her breath.

Bethany was seven, the oldest. The others all lacked one year less of experience, but that didn't effect them too much. She acted like the boss and often ordered the others around. They never listened, all off in their own world, like children should be.

Rula, Freya, Michaela, Damaris, Sophia and Mercedes all laughing, racing towards the house. Some catching up alongside Bethany.

Elise frowned for a second, looking over at the children, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven..."

She heard a cough from behind her. She turned to see the top of a head in the front passenger seat. "You forgot me." Said Elalya.

Elalya was the youngest, five years old. The others didn't really pay attention to her. Neither did Elise. Nobody ever knew why, she was just... quiet.

Elise opened the door for her and bent down, "Go, catch up with your sisters." She said, nodding in the direction of the house. "I- I can't run too fast." Elalya said. Goat Mom sighed and pushed her along, "Go on then."

Elalya waddled along, looking back a few times before picking up her pace. Elise had forgotten about her a few times; whether that was in shops, in cars, or other's houses. Once she'd been locked out for an entire night.

But that was just sod's law, the survival of the thickest. Life was tough, and if you learnt to accept it you'd become tough. Unless you were Elalya, she had no hope.

The cottage was in the middle of nowhere, trees and hills surrounded the area. But other than that, nothing for miles.

Elise eventually caught up with the kids and pushed the rusty silver key into the door. There was a chicken coop out front, a few bird cages surrounding it.

"What's in here?" Freya shouted, slamming her hands on a door at the top of the stairs. "They keep dead bodies in there." Sophia giggled. "Sure smells like it." Elise said. Something inside fell over and hit the door of the cupboard.

She opened the door to see a mud stained bag had fallen over. There were crates and sacks, all bundled into one cupboard, she gagged, "It smells like shit in there!" Elise quickly closed the door and caught her breath.

"I'll deal with it tomorrow."

----

"I'm taking the master bedroom, so you lot had better sort out between you who's taking which room." Elise said. Mercedes clung onto her leg, "Can I sleep with you? Just for tonight?"

She sighed, "Just for tonight."

Bethany grabbed Sophia and Damaris pulling them towards the room with a small balcony, bunk-bed and pullout mattress. Freya, Michaela and Rula got the room with four beds, one for each wall and an en suit. Rula had a habit of wetting the bed.

"I guess I'll take the sofa." Elalya said to herself, taking out the key and shutting the door behind her. She was used to it by now, she always got last pick.

----

By seven o'clock, Elise had just finished putting Mercedes to bed and went downstairs to pass the time. Elalya was awake, listening to the radio and trying to understand the noises that came out.

It had started to rain outside.

"Why did we move?" Elalya asked, turning the radio volume down a bit. "Because we had to." Said Elise, quite vaguely.

"Was it because we're adopted?"

She laughed, "No, we moved bec-" She turned around fully to face her, "What... what makes you think you're adopted?"

Elalya shrugged, "It's quite obvious really." The five year old explained, "I've always seen 'Goat Mom', but never a 'Goat Dad'."

Elise processed her thoughts, "You don't always need a Goat Dad. Sometimes two Moms can do it just as well. Sometimes you don't even need another person."

Elalya nodded, taking in what she'd just said, "But we're still adopted, right?"

"How do you know?"

"Damaris is black."