We prepare to go to Amahle’s dream: Justin, Joy, Charlie, Master Mind, and me. Suzy refuses to make the jumps from dream to dream. I am still getting used to Master Mind carrying me during those jumps, but I wouldn’t miss it. 

Everyone including me gets jetpacks that Joy has touched and made permanent. 

Justin creates a long, strong rope that Joy touches to make permanent even if Justin wakes up. That rope is tied to her abdomen and to Master Mind’s abdomen even before we leave. 

Justin and Joy arm up: Justin takes a laser pistol and General Hawk’s Falcon with its scabbard worn in an X on his back. Joy takes a laser pistol and a sword for her size, both worn on her belt. And she puts a knife in her shoe. Charlie gets a laser pistol with a holster, not because he wants to, but just in case. Master Mind, as he reminds us often, is a weapon. 

We go to one of the suns of Justin’s dreams, park Bonny’s Revenge at the edge of the tunnel, and cross using the plank. 

Out on the Shroom, we see that Amahle’s dark dream is about 2 meters above us. Everyone flies up to her Shroom. Master Mind holds me and jumps, without using a jetpack. And yet our landing is the softest one. 

“Ready?” Justin asks. Everyone nods. Justin points at Joy, “Responsible!” 

She nods. 

We go into the tunnel. It looks just the same as all other tunnels I’d seen, ugly, round, with small pock marks. And it’s moving slightly. There is just the same light as there is normally. 

I can see Joy is excited and frightened at the same time. Justin had been warning her about this dream for weeks now. He’d been telling her how there’s no light whatsoever inside the dream, how even the suns don’t shine, and therefore we can’t ever find them again, so if Joy goes into that dream, she will never be able to find her way back. And no one will be able to help her.

Me? I’m not scared. But I am reminded of the time I was here with Justin, back when I was his dream and not made permanent by Joy. He summoned me to help him escape the dream. I did. And when he woke up, so did I. It was a tough dream, tougher even than Colin’s nightmare. If Joy ever falls in, she will not get out.

We can now see the edge. Oh, this is unnatural. There is no light, only darkness ahead, like someone put a black cover on the edge of the tunnel. 

“Slowly, slowly,” Justin says. He holds Joy’s hand. “Master Mind, hang back. If she falls, you’re her anchor.” 

Joy holds Justin’s hand and edges closer. 

“That’s close enough,” Justin stops her a couple of steps before the edge. 

Joy looks at the darkness then at Justin. “Where is it?” 

“Where’s what?” he asks. 

“Where’s the darkness?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“You said there was darkness!” 

“Well, there it is!” And he’s right. It’s darker than any night. There isn’t an iota of light anywhere inside it.

“Where?” Joy insists. 

Charlie points outside the tunnel. “Joy, it’s right there!” 

Joy looks at Charlie and Justin. “You’re having me on, right? This is a trick.” 

“No, no,” Justin says. “The darkness isn’t a trick. Amahle is blind from birth. She doesn’t know what light looks like. That’s why you can’t see anything!” 

“Dad! Stop kidding around! That’s a regular dream! It’s not dark!” 

I look at her and at Justin. Is it possible she’s serious? Is it possible she’s not seeing any darkness?!

—Told by Grampa Walt