Joy, Charlie, Master Mind, Justin and I have decided to test out a random dream and see who is there. We are all equipped, as usual, with jetpacks and weapons that Joy had made permanent. Suzy, as usual, opts out of going to other dreams. 

We leave the tunnels to stand on Justin’s Shroom. 

This time it’s Charlie’s turn to pick a dream. He surveys the Shrooms and raises a pointing finger. “I… pick… this… Oh!” 

His gaze gets stuck in one place while his finger points to another place. 

I follow his gaze and realize I’m looking down two meters at Madelyn’s Shroom. We’ve been to her dream four times now. But now… Madelyn sits on the shroom, right at the tunnel entrance, her hands holding the ground underneath her tightly.

I have never seen another Dreamer outside their dream!

“Whoa,” Joy says. 

“Oh, my god!” Justin says. 

“That is a first,” Master Mind says. 

“Madelyn!” Joy waves at her. 

Madelyn looks up. 

“Zhoy! Justin! Charlie! Walter! Robot! What are you doing here?! What is this place?!”

“These are…” Joy begins, then thinks better of it. “You’re sitting on a… Before you were in your… This is…” She sighs. “How’d you get there?” she yells. 

“There was an elevator!” Madelyn shouts back. “I went on the elevator.”

Charlie looks down. Joy presses her lips together. Justin sighs. 

Charlie had created an elevator that first time we visited Madelyn’s dream. Joy had made it permanent - it stayed there for every dream Madelyn had and even when she wasn’t dreaming. Apparently, it’s taken time, but she finally noticed it or chose to take it. 

“But when I to enter the tunnel,” Madelyn calls out, “my wheelchair disappear! I walked here on my hands! What is this place? How do I get home? How are you here?” 

Joy smiles. “Don’t move! We’re coming to you!” 

She presses the button and her jetpack began to fire. 

(To be continued…) 

—Told by Grampa Walt