Once an Orphan... Not Always an Orphan

Chapter 1

"Girls! This is Kara. She's new here: be nice to her!" Mrs K, as all the 20 girls called the head of the little 'home for lost ones' where they lived, wisely left the girl to make friends on her own.

Kara stood at the door awkwardly, not sure what to do, twisting a piece of her copper hair round a finger. One of the five girls in the bedroom came forward. She had long straight black hair and a small face. Deep dark blue eyes smiled kindly on the new girl. "Hi! I'm Larqua. I know it's an odd name - I don't know why my parents gave it to me. I won't ever." Her bright smile dimmed as she thought of the event that had brought her to this place and linked them all. It sprung back. "You've got a nice name though. Come and meet the others. I guess you'll be sharing our room. We wondered about the spare bed. Come on!"

Larqua pulled Kara willingly over to the first of the other four, who were spread about the room. This one was cross-legged on the floor painting a pretty landscape. She had looked up when Kara entered and now stood, grinning encouragingly. Kara admired her dark curls, but was surprised to see that they actually looked rather purple... "It's nice to meet you Kara. I love your hair - there's so much of it and in such a gorgeous colour! I'm Lilis by the way." She talked quickly in a high, sweet voice. You couldn't help but like her straight away. Next was "Neve. I'm Neve." Kara gazed up at the towering figure laughing good-naturedly down at her. "I'm very tall too, in case you hadn't noticed!" With another good-natured laugh and grin, Neve settled herself down again to drawing in an odd spirally fashion in glitter pens on her hands. Larqua hissed in Kara's ear, "Don't worry - you get used to it. The height, I mean. Hey that's my flannel, Myrinne!" The last was exclaimed indignantly at the next girl, who was perched on a chest of drawers cleaning her clarinet with the offending cloth.

Obviously not put off by Larqua's death glare, the offender tucked the cloth out of sight and attempted to distract her, by introducing herself to the interested onlooker. "I'm Myrinne. You can call me My, Rinn, Rinne, Myrinne or even Jeff if you like. I'm the joker and as small as Neve over there is massive. Very pleased to meet you Kara!" Larqua snorted rudely, told Kara to ignore 'the little child' and shot a look that told Myrinne that the distraction hasn't worked. She continued with her job as hostess though, and moved onto the last girl in the room, who was sitting slightly separated from the others and clearly deep in a book. Her long brown hair was accentuated with gold and ginger highlights. It was wilder then any of the other girls', and she had a loose little plait down the front left hand side, that she was fiddling with. The thing that stood out to Kara, though, was an odd shaped brown mark that covered the right side of her face from the lower eyelid to in line with her top lip. It's shape was not unlike Africa crossed with a lightening bolt. None of the others seemed to notice it though; they must have got used to it over time she supposed.

Larqua sighed. "Here we go again; trying to bring Silva back to the real world. Hey; Silv: meet Kara." The head rose slowly, reluctantly as Silva came back from the book world. Kara noted her profile: a firm determined chin, and brown eyes that were biting and hard, though at the moment distant and a bit dreamy. "Hi..." Her words were almost slurred. Silva frowned. "So... You're new here?" Kara nodded. Larqua suddenly stiffened beside her, her grip on Kara's arm tightening. Though Silva was remarkable at picking up moods, she could be very insensitive and tactless. Larqua's suspicions proved right.

"So what brought you here, Kara? I mean, how did it happen with you?" Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing. Myrinne, Neve and Lilis shared a look. Larqua thought, as she quite often did, that she could quite happily shake Silva at that point in time.

As always, Silva picked up the atmosphere. She was at once apologetic, waking up out of her daze, her face sheepish and guilt stricken. "I say, I am sorry. I do that sort of thing a lot - I never notice until too late! Do forgive me. But, we are wondering, and I'm sure you'd have told us sooner or later. Of course, my behaviour cannot be excused." She paused, while the others looked an anxiously to Kara to see her reaction. Her face was giving little away. Silva spoke again. "Here, let me tell you my tale. It's not much, but it might help." Silva settled herself more comfortably on her bed, back up against the wall. The others came round, and settled themselves on the bed next to Silva's (Myrinne's). Kara sat too, on the edge.