Where do the odd socks go?

I've just done the laundry. The washing basket is empty, but still I have an odd sock!

Where do the partners to odd socks go? I've scoured the house from top to bottom and I still can't find them.

Sometimes I can have an odd sock in the basket for months. Nobody seems to know where it's partner is.

They look in all of the usual places, such as down the back of the linen bin, under the bed, inside the duvet cover (yes, they do sometimes hide there) but no, it is nowhere to be seen.

And then suddenly, out of the blue, it reappears, but nobody seems to know where from.

Is there a hidden world somewhere that they visit for a while, like some sort of sock holiday resort? Do they get abducted by aliens? Can they make themselves invisible?

I don't think that this conundrum will ever be solved. But in the meantime, my poor lonely sock will wait patiently in the linen basket until it's mate re-appears.