There were bright green trees shading the beautifully manicured green lawn with children playing, reading or talking to each other. They didn't look up but she could feel an attention on her that was unmistakeably curious. The feeling drew her to look down and let out a startled gasp clutching Dr. Young's hand in desperation. The little white and brown dog stared at her with dancing chocolate brown eyes that seemed to churn with several emotions.
'Don't fret child. That is just Nikki, your assigned companion. She was kept especially for you and she's been waiting a while.' The dog in question's tail wagged and her eyes lit up in a way that Sammy could only describe as happiness.
'Hi Sammy.' Sammy turned to look around toward the echo that seemed to bounce around in her head. The dog snuffed to get her attention and when she looked down, she could have sworn the dog smiled.
'I'm sure we'll have lots of fun together.' The echo sounded again and Dr. Young let go of Sammy's hand.
'Nikki will show you around and then take you to your room to get ready for dinner. I'll be going now but if you need any assistance, there's always someone around.' Sammy nodded not really listening. She was distracted by the dog and her wagging tail. The dog spoke to her.
'Of course. I am your companion and you can hear me as well as I can hear you.' The door behind Sammy opened, the swish drowning out her gasp. Though she wanted to back away from the dog, Nikki grabbed her trousers between her teeth and mentally told Sammy to come on.
It turned out that Nikki knew all of the locations for fun, from the bouncy castles to the bubble yard where kids could get into large bubbles and roll down a hill. The green hill seemed to shift and tilt to let the kids continue their time without getting out. It looked like fun but Nikki hadn't finished the tour.
There were large pool rooms with children splashing around, their companions sitting on the side-lines and watching with concentration. Nikki told Sammy that they were responsible for the children's safety. There was an adult dressed in white standing to the side and keeping a close eye on the splashing children.
The flying room, with children dressed in squirrel-like suits, floating on a room blowing air upward held Sammy's interest and she just knew her brother -a lover of airplanes and pilots- would love it. The thought made her heart ache and Nikki rubbed her leg with her furry side in comfort.
'Your brother has a companion too. Would you like to meet him?' Sammy nodded, cheered a little by the prospect that they seemed prepared for her brother's arrival and followed Nikki out through yet another sliding door, down a passage and into a large room with several adults minding more companions. They were all shapes, sizes and colours and everything ranging from ferrets to dogs and even a few birds.
'There he is.' Nikki's voice echoed in her head and Sammy could feel Nikki's excitement but it didn't prepare her for what she saw next.
