I am surrounded by darkness. I’ve been here before, in Amahle’s dream, a dozen times at least. But it doesn’t get easier. And it doesn’t get less spooky that there isn’t even a little bit of light, so your eyes never get adjusted. We are right next to the sun in her dream, and yet there isn’t a photon to be found.

But then, that’s not the only change. As soon as I walk into Charlie’s elevator in Amahle’s dream, there is music. I don’t recognize many of the instruments. But I do recognize the voice. There usually isn’t a voice when Amahle’s music is played outside her head in the Dream. But now… She’s singing. Without any words, just singing… 

“The music is making the hair on my hand stand,” Charlie says. 

“It’s beautiful,” Justin says. 

“Not connecting to it,” I say. “Give me some Beatles any day.” 

“Dad, you’re officially old!”

I’m stung by this. But he doesn’t understand the experience of growing up with the Beatles as a child. Nothing could compare to that.

I feel the elevator stop, and I hear the door open. 

“Hold hands everyone. No one lose her place.”

“I’m the only one who can see, Dad! You don’t lose your place!” 

We hold hands. I’m holding hands with Justin in front of me and Master Mind behind me. 

“Joy, you came to visit!” I hear Amahle’s voice even as her singing continues all around me. “I hear Walter and Charlie. Who else is here?” 

“Me and Master Mind,” Justin says. “Amahle, this music is beautiful.” 

“Thank you for saying so. I’m trying to find music for the color blue. Something perfect for it.” 

“It’s beautiful,” Justin says. “I’ve never heard anything like it.” 

“It’s giving me goose bumps,” Charlie says. 

“I just wish it would stop.” 

“Joy!” Justin says. 

“You need to stop this infernal music,” Master Mind says in his robotic voice. 

“Master Mind, I won’t stop just because Joy wants me to. She’s free to leave my dream at any time.” 

“You must stop the music, Sunless One. You are endangering me!” 

“Endangering you?” Justin asks, his adventure voice on. “Explain, Master Mind!” 

“Her music touches my paper heart. I feel it is tearing through my emotional defenses. It is destroying my walls of logic and filling me with the emotion of the dread I feel toward the Little Pirate. It is making me… It is making me… It is making me CRY!” And with that, I suddenly hear him bawl his, well, heart out. He just straight out cries like a child. “I love you so much, Little Pirate,” he says through his sobbing. “I cannot lose you!” 

The killer robot cries and cries and as I hear Joy saying she’s hugging him, I am trying very hard not to laugh and at the same time not to cry at the wrenching heartache.

After a few seconds, I turn my face away, even though I cannot be seen, and I cry for the losses and pain in my own life. 

—Told by Grampa Walt