“My missiles do not wound the monsters,” Master Mind sounds panicky.  

“They’ve come for you, Joy!” Justin rolls to the weapons cabinet and goes his body to the fetal position. I have never seen him cower in the Dream. 

Joy, on the floor next to the weapons cabinet, launches what looks like a bazooka, but a space bazooka. “Dad! It’s not them!” She aims it at the creatures descending on the ship, and fires at the closest one. 

With a zark! sound Joy’s weapon launches a thick, red ray of energy at the closest creature, and it punches a hole in its body. The dark, bat-like creature that’s the size of the ship falls back and into the ocean, dead. “They’re your dream! Make them go away!” 

The creatures are not long distracted by their dead comrade and come forward. 

“Master Mind, I have to recharge!” Joy yells. 

Master Mind sends a barrage of missiles at the creatures’ center of mass, staggering them. 

Suzy and I cling to the opposite railing, where we had been standing when this began. 

“Jeez,” Suzy covers her head. “Is that what you do when you go out on adventures? It’s horrible.” 

“Dad!” Joy yells at him. “Snap out of it!”

But Justin is just cowering in fear. 

A huge brick wall appears between Bonny’s Revenge and the creatures, from somewhere below the sea to the height of a ten-story building. 

“That will hold them,” Charlie says.

Joy runs to Justin and holds his face, trying to get his attention. “Dad, Dad, Dad!” 

We hear the creatures hit the wall and the wall rattles. It’s going to break, soon. 

“Son!” I try to help, but don’t get up. 

“Justin, snap out of it!” Suzy shouts with panic in her voice, but also doesn’t get up. 

Another ‘boom’ and the wall rattles again. It’s not going to hold for long. Justin is an obsessed dreamer. We have to get him to snap out of it!

Joy slaps her father’s face hard. He just turns away, whispering, “They’re coming for Joy! They’re coming for Joy! Help! I can’t do it on my own!” 

Another ‘boom’ and the wall shatters. Joy spins around in a sea of falling bricks, and fires her weapon at the closest creature. The red energy punctures a big hole in its chest, and it falls backwards, smoking. 

Joy looks aside, “Charlie, it’s up to you!” 

His jaw drops. “Huh?” 

“They’re too powerful! You’re the Dreamer!” she yells as Master Mind is fruitlessly trying lasers on the creatures. “It’s up to you!” 

Charlie looks down. “Ohhhh nooooo,” he says. 

(To be continued…) 

—Told by Grampa Walt