„Do you like the university?“, Alessia asked me while the donkeys pulled the carriage over the uneven road.

I nodded. „Yes. It’s nice. The town is pleasingly calm and quiet. And the other students are nice.“

„You’re a model, right? Your Mom talked a lot about you and your sisters. She showed me a picture of you three, of course. You looked a bit different in that picture. No purple. No skirt… Well, I love the purple!“

„Thanks…“ Was this a compliment, or not? „I’m well known outside of this town.“

Being a known model can be very tiring. And because of that, I chose a smaller town to study there. (And because the university was one of the best!) I showed videos, reels, of my life on twinklegram. And I loved to show myself in the newest styles, and the most glamorous outfits.

You probably wonder, why I chose to model in female clothes? Well…. Mostly, as I said. Sometimes it was a mix and sometimes I showed expensive suits. Or whatever I just liked to show at twinklegram.

My Mom took me to my first photo shoot when I was nine. I started with boys‘ clothes only. But, one day, when I was eleven, one of the girls was sick. She was supposed to do some important pictures. My Mom looked at me and asked me if I would mind wearing a skirt. I didn’t mind. The poor girl got replaced within seconds.

I came up with the name Queen Lafayette when I was sixteen and made my twinklegram account. And my Mom started to promote me with it. She always said she was my biggest fan. My dad so? He accepted my eccentric self. Since he couldn’t do anything about it. Really. I think he would if he could. But he loved me and supported my decisions anyway.

But now, I was stuck in a carriage on the way to an unknown fate on a farm. I wanted to text my friends, but I had no internet. Nice. Silvan and Maxim probably thought I got kidnapped. I always texted them, when we weren’t together!

We lost our dorm rooms, so I would see them even less. Silvan just moved back in with his parents, they lift in a town nearby. And Maxim? He was one of the lucky ones, that found a room to rent. Both were music students on their way to fame. They asked me once if I wanted to start a band with them. But I can’t sing for sh*t, and the only instrument I can play is the flute. Ok… I can play one song on the flute.

„Do you have rubber boots?“, my mom’s friend asked me suddenly.

„Rubber Boots? No.“

„Oh… You should buy yourself some, I guess. We might have an old pair. Maybe it fits you.“ She smiled brightly at me. „I don’t want you to ruin your shoes. These look expensive.“

„I don’t wear rubber boots!“, I grumbled annoyed at my lack of texting. „Alessia, right? My phone doesn’t find any internet around here…“

„Oh. Yes, there isn’t any internet around here, unless you have w-lan at home.“ Alessia Field looked at my high heels. „Hm… I can see that you like more pretty shoes, Dear. But… You won’t be able to walk in these on the farm. Oh! By the way! My daughter can’t wait to see you!“

„You have a daughter?“

Alessia nodded. „Yes. Lali is twelve. She always wished for an older brother. She says her cousin doesn’t count. Phileas. My sister‘s son. He‘s a good boy. A bit older than you. He produces his own Honey. Do you like bees? They are adorable little fellows.“

„Oh.“ I had no idea how someone produced Honey. „I don’t mind bees.“ Suddenly, one of the donkeys started to make noise. The other one nearly bounced while walking. It looked kind of funny. „What’s going on?“

„Oh! Ferdinand calls his friends. He loves Phileas‘ alpacas!“ Alessia pointed to some animals, that stood on very green grass and were coming closer now. „Lulu, she is his sister, is in a relationship with one. They tried to have a baby recently. It didn’t work, of course! You see the black one?“

„Yes…“ The black alpaca looked like a fat fluff ball.  

„That is Wooly, her boyfriend. A handsome young man. She chose well. Just the wrong species…“

„Handsome?“ That ball? That strangely grinning wool ball? I looked at the other nearing alpacas. Four small and stinky fluff horses. One of these was Wooly.  „Well… If they like each other… Love is Love.“

„Exactly!“ She grinned. „Ok! You see the houses over there?“

„Yes.“ There were four old ruins in front of us…

„Welcome home!“

„What?“ My mouth fell open. „That is your farm? That… That…“ The farm looked like it was haunted.

„It’s nice, I know. Well. We get you settled and after that, we eat dinner! By then, the car should be ready. My husband repairs it right now. You will meet him after dinner. He never gets out of his man cave, when he has a car to repair. Unless for farm stuff! I’m sure Lali will show you around!“

„Oh.“ I nervously played with some strands of my purple hair. I hoped the farm wasn’t haunted… I was 100 % against ghosts where I lived.

The donkey, Lulu, shouted in happiness when she saw her boyfriend. She was very loud. Startled I grabbed onto the old wood of the carriage. Both animals tried to go to the alpacas, right through the fence, instead of going home.

„No! That won’t do!“, my Mom’S friend grumbled. The situation was true chaos. Lulu nudged Wooly, while the carriage nearly broke through the poor fence since Ferdinant kept pulling.

Alessia finally convinced them with two carrots, that she pulled out of a bag. She jumped out of the carriage and lured them away from the alpacas and the fence with it. The donkeys seemed to love carrots more than the alpacas. Poor Wooly.

This was a nightmare!