Albatross

They were alone.
They knew little of what could be expected to come and remembered sparsely what came before. Like so often is the case of the mysterious and indecipherable bond between two souls that transcends familiarity or acquaintanceship they were a man and a woman. They squinted first at the sun above and then down at the sand upon which they had been lying moments before. About the length of a bus separated them. The endless crashing of the waves before them was the only sound they could hear. The woman called out to the man who was staring at the break.

Hey! The agitation in her voice turned the man's head. What's going on? He looked through her to the palm trees for an answer before he cleared his throat and spoke.

I'm not sure, he called above the crashing waves. The woman twisted her body to look behind her. Something like a memory itched below the surface of her mind as she observed the jungling fauna but only the briefest vision danced behind her eyes and in a moment it was gone. A papaya tree and cool shade and that golden nectar running down his cheek.
She looked back at the man.

Do we know each other? Even as she asked the question she knew what he would say.
I don't know, he called. He rose to his feet and walked toward the woman and smiled at her. The bubbling of uncertainty was somewhere deep within her, but she felt safe as the man offered his hand and said his name was Thomas. She took his hand and introduced herself as Aubrey.

The pair walked the shoreline in search of some reason for their being there. Aubrey wondered would they find some wreckage of a ship or a plane emerging from the sand while Thomas kept his eye on the horizon. The woman looked at the man beside her. He never stopped smiling, but only with his lips. His eyes never smiled, they were imbued with a most curious sorrow and Aubrey thought about this as they walked on.

Where do you think we are? Thomas looked over his shoulder at the jungle before answering.
Fingers crossed it's Bora Bora. Aubrey knew he wanted her to laugh. She stayed on in silence and watched the sky instead.
Have you noticed, her voice was faint. The sun doesn't move. Thomas looked up and back down at the horizon.

I don't think this is a normal kind of place. Aubrey was puzzled by the statement but found she was not surprised.

What kind of place is it? She asked. Thomas stopped walking and she followed suit. He thrust his hands out palms up with the tips of his fingers pointed at Aubrey.

Look at your clothes, he said. Do you remember buying them somewhere? Aubrey felt a familiar kind of bewilderment as she glanced down at herself. She was wearing khaki shorts and a white tank top with yellow horizontal stripes. She was sure she had never seen them before or the sandals on her feet for that matter. She looked at Thomas. His blue shorts and red hawaiian shirt made him look like a parrot. I'd check to see if I have a receipt for these fresh duds, Thomas patted the pockets of his shorts, But I don't seem to have my wallet. Aubrey patted herself down as well. No phone or keys.

Maybe we should go back to where we woke up, she said. Thomas was nodding before she had finished her sentence. She thought about that too as they turned back and followed their footprints in the sand. Thomas whistled while they walked. Aubrey began to worry, but not because of the increasing oddness of the situation unfolding, but because of the haunting absence of dread that she felt should accompany such happenings. In place of dread there was only solemn acceptance, and this confused her more than anything she had encountered so far.
The pair had walked for the better part of an hour by the time they returned to where they had begun the day. She excavated for anything that might belong to her while Thomas stared at the jungle. The sand did yield something. She raised it up with both hands and looked it over. She held it out for Thomas to see.
Look, she said. Thomas smiled down at the clay pot. It was about the size and shape of a gourd. Someone made it, said Aubrey. Thomas knew what she was thinking. We should see if they're still here, she said.
Shall we then? Thomas began walking toward the trees. Aubrey clutched the clay pot to her chest and followed.