I was wandering through the empty building listening to the girlish yelps in my mind. It was full of memories but no bodies.

I thought at that moment that I heard the gates squeal like a pupil in the stocks, but put it down to another memory emerging. I jumped a little when the knocker on the front door sounded out, booming through the corridors like minx when she'd learned that her Aunt's parcel of white chocolate had arrived.

I strolled to the entrance and unbolted the door. I opened it. There stood a vision in pink. The flustered-looking girl standing there bobbed from foot to foot looking uncomfortable. I was put in mind of a flamingo, except this one spoke:

"Hello Sir-I am moptop. I need to...to...go!"

"Hello" I replied, unoriginally, "But you've only just arrived! Why not stay for a cup of tea before returning to the lake?"

The flamingo image had permeated my brain by this point.

She looked at me. To my intense surprise, she grinned. "You have me wrong, Sir! I'm more of a fluffy kitten!"

I stepped back to let the flamingo/kitten hybrid into the hall.