Joy, Charlie, Master Mind and I are still all on the grassy mound in Charlie’s dream. 

Charlie had just tried to summon his father, and even with Joy’s help - I don’t know if that actually helps or not - but in any case, he failed. And then Joy said it was her fault.

“When I met Eddie,” Joy begins to explain, clearly feeling horrible, “we played, and I… I touched him. I wanted to play with him so much! So he became real! And then he died…” 

Charlie shakes his head. He doesn’t understand. 

“It’s what Red told me!” she is almost shouting suddenly. ‘Red’. That’s her friend, The Red Dragon, which I haven’t seen yet but have heard a lot about. “She told me that anyone I love… a dream that I love, if they die, they die forever. She knew! I didn’t want it to be true but she knew!” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“I loved him, so I made him real. And when a dream is real and it dies, it dies forever. You can’t bring him back, Charlie! You can’t ever bring him back!” 

She cries and looks away. 

It is now Charlie’s turn to cry. “I can’t ever see my dad? Not even in my dreams?” 

She’s hiding her face between her palms and shakes it. 

“Not ever? Not even when I’m seventy?” 

She shakes her head again. 

“I miss him! I want my dad! I want my dad!” 

I really wish Suzy had come with us. She’d be much better than this. 

I wish Justin was here. He’s her father. But he’s off in his real world, probably not calling his parents. 

Master Mind says nothing. That’s for the best, I’m sure.

The two kids are balling. Joy is ashamed and Charlie is crying for his dead father. 

Oh, boy. I should do something. 

(To be continued...)

—Told by Grampa Walt