‘The Squashbuckler Diaries’ are the daily tales of Joy Shelley’s Life in the Dream. The ‘Lost in Dreams’ books will tell the story of what happens to her at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and so on. The diaries tell us what happens before, after, and between the books.

#55: We're Busy Here (In Prison, Part 3)

Dragon Father played with Dragon Little for more than hour, teaching her games they can play with each other.

Every time he stopped to think, Dragon Little would say, “Come on! Play with me!”

It was sad for me to see that. She clearly needed games, needed to play so much more than he has allowed her to play in her dreams. It made me sad for myself, as well, for I was never allowed any childhood. I was enslaved within seconds of my birth, tortured, and forced into labor. I never played, not that I can remember.

It seemed that Dragon Father, as much as he was enjoying himself, was also saddened by this. Every time she said, “Come on! Play with me!” he made a disappointed face.

After an hour, a pirate prison guard came to their prison cell.

“You are hereby summoned to see the dreaded Dead Pirate!”

Dragon Father looked up and said, “Nope. Sorry. Busy.”

The guard’s face contorted. “You are summoned,” he repeated in a higher voice. “To see the dreaded Dead Pirate!”

Dragon Father glanced in his direction. “Sorry. We’re staying here.”

The guard began to yell, “YOU ARE SUMMONED! TO!”

Dragon Father sighed and returned to Dragon Little. The guard vanished. Dragon Father possibly subconsciously chose to not dream of the pirates anymore. From my hiding place high above, I could see that half the pirates on Dead Skull Island disappeared as well.

Dragon Father wanted to keep on playing in the cell, and that ist what his dream now showed.

Dragon Father and Dragon Little continued to play. But, as you will see tomorrow, their ideal time together would not last.

—Told by The Red Dragon


See how I came up with the idea for this post:

#56: Alone In Prison, Part 4

#54: What Am I Doing? (In Prison, Part 2)