The sweet, pungent aroma of incense sticks and patchouli oil (a favourite combination of Rose’s) filled her senses. The smell of the ambulance welcomed her home.
Harmony opened her eyes and found herself wrapped up in several blankets on Rose's bunk. Much like a caterpillar spins a cocoon she was bound from head to toe with just her face exposed.
Rose sat on the edge of the bunk. She was worriedly hovering over Harmony’s. A forced-smile painted her mouth, though no amount of pretence could hide the worry she was withholding.
Rose lifted the damp cloth from a small table next to the bed and placed it across Harmony's forehead. The cool, soothing flannel instantly began quenching the fiery pain that galloped like a herd of wild horses across her skull.
“Hello there, my love. I’m glad to have you back in the land of the living. How you feeling?” she asked, removing the cloth and refreshing it in a bowl of water.
“My head hurts! What on earth happened?” Harmony asked. She sat up and instantly regretted the decision. Agony erupted like a volcano in her mind, making her feel sick and more than a little dizzy. She lay down again and Rose placed the cloth back across her brow.
Rose looked at Harmony and adopted her stern-parent face. It was the expression she adopted on the rare occasion Harmony was caught doing something naughty.
“You weren't wearing your seatbelt, young lady. When I saw that rabbit dart out into the road I hit the brakes. You flew forward and bumped your head and it's lucky that's all that happened. It could have been a lot worse if...”
“How did you see a rabbit in all that fog?” Harmony interrupted, choosing to ignore Rose's hypocritical lecture on road safety. Her reasons for removing the safety belt were justifiable.
“Erm...what fog?” Rose replied looking confused. She placed a hand on Harmony's arm and gripped a little too hard, a concerned look in her eyes.
“The last thing I remember was reading the letter and asking you who Meme the Oak was. Then you went all weird and started driving along the dirt road,” Harmony paused looking for some spark of recognition in Rose's wide, disbelieving eyes. “Then it got really foggy. You were in a trance and you wouldn't answer me. Then you slammed on the brakes and then...then...well, nothing.”
“I don't remember being in a trance, love,” Rose replied a little condescendingly.
“Well you wouldn't would you,” Harmony retorted, irritated at her mother's tone. “I’m not making it up.”
“I think I should take you to hospital. Maybe that bump on the head gave you a concussion,” Rose suggested. “I didn't see any fog, just a rabbit. And as for Meme. Well...that's the name of a tree I played in as a child. I’d forgotten all about it. I’ve not been here since I was around your age,” Rose continued, disquiet still clearly visible on her face.
“No. I don't need to be in a hospital. I feel fine now. I’m just a bit sore I... Hang on, what do you mean here?” Harmony said, breaking free of the blanket-cocoon. She peered through the window into the black of night. Alas she couldn’t see anything beyond the reflection of her eyes.
“We arrived just after you bumped your head, but you had already climbed into my bed and were fast asleep. I thought you must have been having a good dream because you kept laughing so I didn't want wake you. It's close to midnight now. Are you hungry?” she said, standing up and turning to face their kitchen.
The word kitchen may have been stretching the truth a bit. In all honesty it was little more than a few shelves above a tiny counter top that housed a small electric oven and a two-cup kettle. Each shelf was crammed with packets and boxes; thin strips of elastic preventing them from crashing to the floor as Rose inevitably rounded a corner too fast.
“Don't avoid the question, mother,” Harmony began. “Where are we?”
“I'm not avoiding anything, Harmony. Stop being so rude. We are in the Lake District. Near to the town of Bellflower,” Rose replied abruptly.
“The Lake District!” Harmony exclaimed. “How can we be? It's so far from Cornwall. How long was I asleep for?”
“Oh. I really should take you to see a doctor. You seem very confused,” Rose fretted. Her worry was mounting again.
“No. I don't need to see a doctor. I’m fine,” Harmony reassured. “Actually, I'm starving. How about tea and toast?” she continued. She snuggled back down into Rose's bed hoping that her mother would forget about seeing a physician.
“Coming right up,” Rose replied. She flicked the switch on the kettle and retrieved some slices of bread from the misshapen loaf that had been stuffed onto one of the crowded shelves.
“Who is this great aunt Nova? And why have you never mentioned her before? And how did she know me if I’ve never met her? And why would she leave her house to me?” Harmony reeled off the questions as Rose removed a blowtorch from a drawer and lit it with a flaming matchstick.
She remained silent. This was a normal response for her when bombarded with questions. Rose contemplated her response as she stabbed the slice of bread with a large fork and held it up to the blue flame of the torch.
“Well. Nova was really old when I was a child and, ashamed as I am to admit it, I thought she’d have died a long time ago,” Rose confessed guiltily. “It's hard to believe she kept going for so long on her own, out here I mean. There’s no electricity or phone line, and the house is in a pretty bad way. That must have been the ‘burden’ she mentioned. As for how she knew you or why she left the house to you, I have absolutely no idea.”
Rose finished speaking just in time to rescue the burning bread from the torch’s flame. She quickly proceeded to smear butter on the cremated slice and finish brewing the cups tea. Harmony silently pondered over all the information buzzing around her throbbing head.
First there was the non-existent fog and the trance-like state that her mother had no memory of. That was weird enough but the feeble story of a rabbit darting out made the entire explanation implausible. That being said it wasn’t as odd as the distance they had travelled in such a short space of time.
Secondly there was the dream that had seemed so real, difficult though it was to recall now. Memories of the weeping woman and the clockwork gate were fading with each moment that passed.
Her mind became bogged down with questions. She pondered the unknowable riddle of her ancient hermit-relative. It was creepy that she’d been watching her from afar. If this was The Universe’s attempt to communicate with her then she wished it would just mind its own business and leave her alone.
Harmony took a bite of the warm, buttery toast and tried hard to believe that everything happens for a reason. Following her mother’s advice she attempted to look at the bigger picture. She could understand, though perhaps not accept, fate's plan was unclear to her. She swallowed her toast and focused on one belief. This all had to mean something…