It’s been a few weeks since Joy’s seventh birthday and Justin appears on the deck of Bonnie’s Revenge. 

Joy is on the island with Suzy and me. Master Mind is on the ship. 

“Justin!” Suzy calls out to him. “We need your advice on something.” 

Justin goes to the ship’s wheel as if he hadn’t heard his mother. 

Land appears in front of the island and, in its center and not too far away from us, sits a grey castle. 

Master Mind, always fully alert, steps in front of Joy. No doubt he’s protecting her from gunfire, should there be any.  

Figures appear at the top of the castle. They’re too far for my aging eyes to make out. 

“Monsters,” Master Mind says. “Humans.” 

“No,” Joy corrects him. “They’re zombies. Dad showed me a dead zombie body on some planet a while ago. I never fought one, though.” 

“Zombies?” Suzy whispered. 

“Oh, boy,” I say and grab Joy’s hand. “Let’s go into the house and let your dad deal with this.” 

Joy moves her hand with such force that I can’t help but let go. “Like hell. I’m helping!” 

Justin is with his back to us, as if he doesn’t know we’re there. A rifle appears in his hands and he aims it at the castle. Thousands of zombies suddenly pour out over the edge of the castle. 

“I am at a supreme disadvantage,” Master Mind complains. “What is a zombie? How do I kill them?” 

The zombies who landed begin to walk towards us. I can see their faces now, crazy and full of blood. 

“Zombies can’t die unless you shoot them in the head,” Joy tells Master Mind. “And if they bite you, you turn into one.” 

“That’s right,” I grab her hand again. “That’s why it’s too dangerous for us. We gotta go!” 

“Like hell,” Suzy says and walks forward. “Justin! What the hell are you playing at?” she yells at him. He doesn’t seem to hear. “Zombies are too dangerous for Joy! Make them disappear!” 

“Shoot them in the head, yes?” asks Master Mind, and I see he already has rocket launchers on his arms, pulled from the inside of his skeleton. 

“Justin!” Suzy yells at him. 

“You won’t get me!” Justin yells at the zombies. “You’ll never get me!” 

Joy shakes my arm again, and I release it. She looks at her father’s back and her expression changes. “Master Mind,” she takes Master Mind’s hand and speaks in a low voice. “He’s obsessed. He doesn’t know we’re here. This is not a good adventure. We’re not safe.”

Master Mind’s rocket launchers go back into his arms. Without words, he leaps onto the deck of the ship. 

“Grampa, Grandma,” Joy turns to us. “We’re all going to go and hide until it’s over.” 

Justin moves Bonnie’s Revenge up and away from us, hovering just above the land. I can see Master Mind on the deck, ignored by Justin, taking something which is currently hidden from my view by the railing. 

“What do you mean?” Suzy asks. “Where would we hide in the dream that the zombies can’t go?” 

Joy points up at the two suns. “Where the dreams can’t follow.” 

(To be continued...)

—Told by Grampa Walt