‘The Squashbuckler Diaries’ are the daily tales of Joy Shelley’s Life in the Dream. The ‘Lost in Dreams’ books will tell the story of what happens to her at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and so on. The diaries tell us what happens before, after, and between the books.

S02E309 The Mirror, Part 1, A Mystery

Joy is asleep. The Dreamers who appear on Bonny’s Revenge - Justin, Madelyn, Amahle, Charlie - are all awake. The Dreamers who visit - Colin and Yumio - have woken up as well. Master Mind as usual guards Joy on the deck of Bonny’s Revenge, and Suzy and I sit on the porch, talking. 

Suzy sighs and says, “I’m going to take a little nap.” 

That’s unusual. We hardly ever sleep here in the dream. “A nap?” I ask. 

“Just a little one. I’m tired.” 

“Are you all right?” 

“I’m okay. Just tired.” 

Suzy gets up and I look into the horizon. 

Suddenly I hear her shout, “Walt! Walt!” 

My adrenaline’s pumping, as I get up and run towards our bedroom. 

As I run through the living room, Master Mind passes me. 

“What is it?” I come in, panting, looking around for zombies and villains. 

Master Mind is beside me, a laser gun extending from the exoskeleton of his left arm. 

Suzy looks fine. “There!” she points.

I look. The mirror. Our half length body mirror is broken. Most of its pieces lie shattered on the ground. Some broken glass still hangs on the mirror. 

“What the hell?” I say.

“Someone broke the mirror,” Suzy says. 

“Alternatlvely, some thing broke the mirror,” Master Mind says. 

“Yeah, that’s what I meant. Do we remember anything? Anyone who came here?” 

We all think for a second. 

“Nothing,” I say. 

“My level of concern is rising,” Master Mind adds. “I do not recall an incident of a dream coming here, or of one of the Dreamers, nor did I hear the mirror break. I would hear the mirror break even from the deck of the ship.” 

Oh, he’s proven that quite a few times. “Someone broke the mirror so silently that you didn’t hear it?” 

“It takes forethought and planning and ability. You understand now my rising levels of concern.” 

Suzy and I look at each other. It is safe to say our levels of concern are rising, too.

(To be continued…) 




S02E310 The Mirror, Part 2, Panic

S02E308 Thirtieth, Part 8, Babies and Traffic Jam