Harmony

Companionship

Pixie motioned back towards the machines, which gave the impression they were proud of themselves. She pushed that thought aside. "They have one of these over in the house I stayed in last night too."

"Oh... really? That's good. You slept in one of the houses?"

"Yes."

"The residents don't... I mean, you said this was a resort?"

"Yes, I think so. There's no-one here, though. When I first got here, I called and called. No-one came out to meet me. I haven't been to any of the other houses besides the two middle ones, but I doubt anyone is staying here or living here. There is no office or reception, and there are no roads, so I don't know how people get here. You didn't see any roads down in your part of the valley, did you?"

Suria shook her head. "Only the stream that I followed up here by walking on the path next to it from the spot I woke up at."

Pixie thought for a moment. "What was farther down the valley, opposite to the way you came?"

"Nothing that I could see. I walked down that way for a while and the path just kept going, until it disappeared into a forest." At Suria's words, Pixie remembered her end of the path, and how it originated in the forest close to the village.

Suria continued. "I don't know why, but I got the feeling that I didn't need or want to go into the forest. That there was nothing there worth seeing. The thought popped into my head that I should turn around and go up the mountain. It made no sense initially, but when I did turn around, I saw this village – resort I mean." Suria waited for Pixie to confirm her correction.

Pixie shrugged. It didn't matter.

"So that made my decision of what to do next easy. Now that I'm here, there is clearly food and shelter. How did you go, sleeping in the house? Which one, if I may ask?"

"One of the middle two behind us. How did I go? I felt like an intruder, so I slept on the couch."

"Intruder? Really?" Suria raised her eyebrows slightly at this, as if finding it unlikely. Pixie liked her reaction: it was confidence rather than fear or worry. This left the impression that Suria could deal with any kind of adversity through nothing more than total belief that good things would eventually happen. Pixie greatly admired this quality and was fortunate to have found someone who had it. Suria was going to make this period of lost memories, however long it lasted, easier to bear.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm pretty sure I don't live here. But you know the funny thing was: there wasn't anything in that house that implied that anyone else does either. You know, like photographs, or personal decorations, or paperwork or whatever."

"Ok, so not somebody's house."

Pixie shook her head. "No, which is why I suspect it's a resort. I really don't know, though. I wish there was a bit more evidence to help me figure this all out. I suppose we won't know for sure until we search the other houses."

"You said you searched the two middle houses?"

"Well, I went into the first one only for a few seconds. When I went into the second one it was exactly the same. I figured the other four could be inspected later for that reason. I suppose we should check and confirm this, though."

Suria nodded.

"Then there is this place; this community centre. I had a good look through here this morning."

"Did you find anything?" Suria asked.

"No, nothing. No telephones either, which I found strange. This village, or resort or whatever, is a total mystery to me." Pixie was still completely at a loss to what this place was, and why it offered no help to her memory loss problem. She thought for a moment longer before speaking again.