Justin, Madelyn, and the kids are in full adventure mode. I stay on Bonny’s Revenge. Suzy has chosen to remain at home.
Here’s the adventure so far: We are in Justin’s dream, but the adventure is Madelyn’s.
I am watching the adventure from afar. Artemis, the Greek goddess and huntress, has rebelled against Olympus and taken Zeus’ lightning bolt. This takes place in what Justin calls a “neutral arena”, which means that he created a Planet Olympus, which is far in outer space and not anywhere near our home. Joy, however, halfway through the adventure, had made the place glow, and so the planet will remain forever in Justin’s dream.
Artemis and her team of huntresses were hiding somewhere in a high mountain behind Olympus. And Joy, Justin, Madelyn, Charlie, and Master Mind have been tasked with finding her and bringing back Zeus’ lightning bolt.
They have gone through quite a few feats of adventure in the mountains, including a zip-line, a snow avalanche, and two attacks by the huntress’ people. They have now cornered Artemis and four of her archers in a single place atop the mountain. And they are all now climbing as they are being shot at with arrows.
I watch from afar, but I have been assured numerous times and on many adventures, that the adventures are under control and that Joy is not in any real danger.
An arrow hits Madelyn’s flying super wheelchair. The chair begins to fizzle out. In desperation, she aims it at the sheer wall. She holds on to it with her hands,just as the wheelchair explodes behind her and falls. Madelyn is now clinging to the cliff with only her hands, without legs and without a wheelchair.
“It is all right,” she shouts in her French accent. “I will climb without the chair!”
Joy, who is a hundred meters above her, nods. Justin and Master Mind are climbing the cliff right next to Joy. Charlie is trying to climb, but, since he is tied to Master Mind, he is basically being dragged up by the robot.
Another volley of arrows comes from the huntresses’ hiding place above. Master Mind is unharmed by them. Joy and Justin use their swords to fend off the arrows. Charlie, hanging in the air under Master Mind, ignores them and so they’re harmless to him. The arrows completely miss Madelyn.
I watch as another volley of arrows come. The pattern repeats. Except that a single arrow deflected by Justin flies at Joy and pierces her leg through and through! One side is stuck on one side of her leg and another on the other side.
She yells in pain.
Oh my god!
“Joy!” Justin yells in shock and lets go of the cliff, trying to reach for her. He vanishes.
“Zhoy!” Madelyn yells from below. Joy’s blood begins to flow from her leg. A lot of blood. The wind blows it sideways and it all falls on Madelyn’s face. “Ghar!” she says and vanishes as well.
With the two gone, there are no more arrows and villains in Olympus, but Olympus itself remains behind.
“Little Pirate, you are in mortal danger!” Master Mind calls. “I will reach yo within--Oh, my--The sight of your blood creates a vertigo within my circuits--I am--I am losing--conscious--” And with that, his body goes limp, and he falls backwards and into the abyss below.
Charlie, tied to him, falls with him: “Jooooyyyyyyyyy!”
Everyone is gone, and Joy is hanging on to the cliff with all her strength, even as blood continues to pour profusely from her leg! Oh my god!
(To be continued!)
—Told by Grampa Walt