Blog — The Lost In Dreams Universe

‘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.

All in Told by Grampa Walt

Jan 20
Jan 20 S02E181 The Children in the Camp, Part 14, The Return of Suzy Shelley

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

“Where is he? Where is he?” I hear Suzy’s voice echo in the tunnel.

Suddenly she stands in front of me. “Oh, my god. Oh my god!” She leans closer to look at the makeshift tourniquet around my shoulder and screams right into my ears: “Oh my god! What did you do?!”

“He got shot, Grandma,” Joy says simply.

“Got shot, huh?!” She clearly knew I was shot before she came here. Master Mind must have told her. “You almost died! Is that what you’re doing hanging around with Justin, going from dream to dream, getting shot?”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Jan 17
Jan 17 S02E180 The Children in the Camp, Part 14, The Hug

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

Joy lands on Sandra’s Shroom and calls us over.

There isn’t a time when Sandra’s name is uttered, that Joy doesn’t make a face or even a noise. But this girl does what’s necessary. She knows there are no doctors in our vicinity, and Sandra is the only medical person we know, even though she’s a Labor Delivery Nurse, and not an expert in bullet wounds.

But when we look down, the dream is empty of its dreamer. Sandra’s home is still there as well as Charlie’s elevator, both having been made permanent that time that Joy ran away from home. But Sandra isn’t here.

“She’s also in Toronto,” I say. I’ve heard she’s Justin’s neighbor, more or less. “It’s going to be a few hours until she or Justin get here.”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Jan 12
Jan 12 S02E179 The Children in the Camp, Part 13, The Freedom of Death

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

Joy is crying into my chest and doesn’t stop. I hug her with one hand, but awkwardly. I don’t know how to comfort a child who feels responsible for two deaths. I don’t know how to comfort a child who survived a slave camp for a day while figuring out how to save the other children.

What did happen there? I wish she would stop. My shoulder still hurts.

“Little Pirate, if you keep crying, you will make me cry,” says Master Mind. “I do not wish to cry at this time.”

[Click on the title to read he entire diary entry!]

Jan 12
Jan 12 S02E178 The Children in the Camp, Part 12, Sorry!

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

“I’m sorry it’s not perfect,” she says. “It’s what we have.”

Master Mind eyes them warily. His weapon is still on his arm. He has not returned it to the inside of his exoskeleton.

“Yeah, you’re good,” Joy goes one by one. “You’re good. You’re okay. Okay!”

“Okay!” One of the boys says.

Joy suddenly grabs his arm. “I’m sorry!”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Jan 2
Jan 2 S02E177 The Children in the Camp, Part 11, Yes, Go!

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

The three children stand together, heads down, bowed as if ready for punishment. Two of them are crying. The dust of their friend is still between us. Their other friend fell off and died.

“Ah, Master Mind, Joy,” I use a gentle tone, sitting on the Shroom, leaning against its stem, feeling the bullet wound in my shoulder. “I don’t think they’re dangerous now.”

“They are armed, scared, and we cannot communicate with them,” says Master Mind.

“No, no,” I shake my head. “They were kidnapped like Joy and trained to be slaves. We killed one of their own. They see us as the enslavers now. They won’t do anything.”

“We are not your enslavers!” Joy says. “We set you free! You’re free!”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Jan 2
Jan 2 S02E176 The Children in the Camp, Part 10, Tragedy

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

“Master Mind!” Joy calls out, halfway through her ‘Noooo!’

Master Mind drops me quickly but softly to the Shroom and activates his jetpack. Looking around, I see he is the only one with the jetpack. Madelyn’s, Charlie’s, and Justin’s jetpacks are all in the tunnel. And mine, too.

Master Mind is in the air above us, about to zoom down, when he stops. “I fear it is too late!”

Joy stands on the edge and leans to look down. So do the other kids.

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 30
Dec 30 S02E175 The Children in the Camp, Part 9, Five Children

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

There are now five armed children in the tunnel, looking around at this strange green gateway from the dream to the sea of Shrooms.

“Look, look,” Joy calls out to the kids happily. “You’re free! We freed you! You don’t ever have to go back!”

The kids look at her without understanding. I don’t expect it will work, but I try again, “Do you speak English? Parlez-vous français?”

The same kid that answered before answers now. “Français non.”

A girl asks something.

Joy says, “This is the Dream. You were in a dream. You don’t have to go back. Out there is freedom!”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 30
Dec 30 S02E174 The Children in the Camp, Part 8: Joy’s Return

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

I crawl back to give Master Mind room to land.

In a few seconds, I see the bottom of his leg beyond the top of the tunnel, slowly descending. Sitting on it is Joy.

“Joy!” She’s alive! Thank goodness, she’s alive!

She leaps off Master Mind’s foot and looks at me. “Grampa! You’ve been shot! Are you okay?”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 28
Dec 28 S02E173 The Children in the Camp, Part 7: Where Is Joy

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

After a couple of minutes just resting, lying on my side on the ground of the tunnel, I decide that I’m not going to die. It doesn’t look like I’m going to lose consciousness if I keep resting.

That’s good. I haven’t lost that much blood.

I wonder if I should take off my jetpack, which is making it hard to lie down.

No. I should wear it. Just in case.

I decide I’m good enough to crawl to the tunnel entrance and peek down.

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 28
Dec 28 S02E172 The Children in the Camp, Part 6: All Alone

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

I’ve been shot. I’m in pain. I’m bleeding. I’m woozy from the loss of blood. And Charlie’s tourniquet disappeared with him.

I’m just a dream, I keep thinking. It’s okay if I die!

But it’s not. I don’t want to die here. I feel just like I did in the waking world. I am Walter Shelley! I don’t feel like a dream. I don’t feel like a made-up thing, like dragons, or space pirates. I feel like myself.

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 24
Dec 24 S02E171 The Children in the Camp, Part 5: A Team Destroyed

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

I’m lying on the slimy tunnel ground of this strange dream, the jetpack still on my back. My shoulder is in unbelievable pain. I can see there’s blood coming out of it from the corner of my eye. And Joy’s been taken!

I’m just a dream, I tell myself. It’s okay if I die!

I look behind me. I see only Charlie and Master Mind. “Where are they?” I say.

“They were shot!” Charlie says. “They disappeared! You’re bleeding! I have to save Joy! You’re bleeding!”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 24
Dec 24 S02E170 The Children in the Camp, Part 4: Aftermath

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

I find that I’m breathing hard. This was scary for me. I try to sort myself out. Everyone is.

We’re all here in this small tunnel, where Justin, Master Mind and I can’t even stand up straight. Madelyn keeps touching Joy’s shoulders to see that she is fine.

Charlie jumps up and down, and occasionally laughs to himself. I think he completely panicked.

Justin exhales. All he’s worried about is that Joy got out safely.

Joy recovers the fastest. She goes to the edge of the tunnel and looks down. “What was happening there? Why were there all those kids with--”

Then, out of nowhere, the adult dreamer appears from the outside, below the tunnel’s exit, his arms grab Joy inside the tunnel, and scoop her towards him.

[Click on the title to read the full diary entry!]

Dec 22
Dec 22 S02E169 The Children in the Camp, Part 3: Children with Guns

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

Justin raises his hands. “Hey there, hey there,” he says in a calm voice. “We come in peace.”

Three of the children are aiming their guns at us over their breakfast table, here in the desert. The other children look at us with fear in their eyes.

“Everybody, keep your guns down,” Justin instructs everyone in a calm tone. “Master Mind, step in front of her.”

The three kids all point their guns at Justin.

“You’re not going to shoot me, are you going to shoot me?” he says in a very calm voice, his arms still raised, as Master Mind places himself between Joy and the children. “Do you understand English? Parlez vous Francais? Dreamers, prepare something that will protect us from bullets,” he says that last sentence in the same tone as if speaking to the children.

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 22
Dec 22 S02E168 The Children in the Camp, Part 2: The Camp

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

We take turns peeking out of the tunnel and looking down at this dream that Charlie had found.

When it’s my turn, I see that we are in the middle of the desert. The desert is rocky with sparse green bushes I’ve never seen before.

“I don’t recognize this place,” I tell them.

Fortunately, Madelyn is next. “This is Guban Desert,” she says. “I have been here once. We are in Somalia.”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 21
Dec 21 S02E167 The Children in the Camp, Part 1: Charlie’s Discovery

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

Charlie flies into the dream with a jetpack on his back and hovers next to Madelyn, looking at Joy and Justin.

“Guys, guys!” He's super excited. “I’ve found a dream! A dream with kids!”

“What!” Joy opens her mouth in surprise and seems unable to close it.

“There’s not just one kid - there are like ten kids. Boys and girls. They’re eating breakfast. It must be the Dreamer and his friends or her friends. And there are no demons anywhere! Just a camp!”.

Justin’s eyebrow furrows. “Are you sure, Charlie? No demons?”

“I’m sure. Double sure. Triple sure.”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 21
Dec 21 S02E166 The Temporary Base, Part 3: Where Are All the Children?

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

“Absolutely not!” Justin says adamantly to Joy’s fiftieth request.

We’ve been living on top of Justin’s Shroom and in the tunnels without going to any dream for three days now, which are three of Justin’s nights. Justin has not appeared once dreaming of those terrible demons, and so everyone including Justin agreed we could go back to Bonny’s Revenge.

But instead of returning, Joy wants to go look for all the missing Dreamer children. Charlie can’t be the only child around, and everyone we’ve met so far is around Justin’s age.

“There aren’t going to be any demons!” Joy insists. “You dreamed them up!”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 20
Dec 20 S02E165 The Temporary Base, Part 2: Upside-Down Girl

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

“Before we do anything, Joy has to brush her teeth,” Justin shows her the toothbrush and toothpaste that usually hang on the sabretooth’s teeth in her cabin. In his other hand he produces one of the many bottles of water made permanent on Bonny’s Revenge.

Joy, still groggy from sleep, makes a face, but takes the toothbrush.

“Zhoy sleeps in her, uh, clothes?” Madelyn says, forgetting for a moment a word in English then remembering it.

Joy looks around, confused, holding the toothbrush and the toothpaste in her hands.

“Joy, what’s the matter?” Charlie says.

“This is just… strange. How can I brush my teeth without a plank?”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 20
Dec 20 S02E164 The Temporary Base, Part 1: The Fairy Flies

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

This is our first day staying in what Joy has named our ‘temporary base’: The tunnels into and out of Justin’s dream, and the Shroom outside.

We are still afraid that Justin will appear dreaming about those horrible demons. Which is also why we’re not going to Charlie’s dream. A dream’s a dream, regardless of the dreamer.

So here we are, those who stay behind when the Dreamers are awake: Master Mind, Suzy and I, and Joy.

Suzy is sitting on one of the two lawn chairs that Justin summoned, leaning outside the tunnel, and that Joy touched and made real. Suzy has put it on top of Justin’s Shroom, and is sitting on it like she’s on the beach. Except that she’s looking at countess Shrooms in every direction, stretching down past our ability to see, stretching up so high in the sky that we can’t discern their origin.

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 20
Dec 20 S02E163 The Children, Part 10: The End of the Battle

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

The sky where the aerial battle had been between the condors and the demons is now different. One demon holds Justin’s limp body in the air, while another holds Charlie by the neck. There are no other creatures left.

Charlie screams in horror and Suzy’s nails dig into my back.

“Master Mind!” Joy says.

“It will not help!” Master Mind says. “The Pirate is in control of his dream.”

“Do it!”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 18
Dec 18 S02E162 The Children, Part 9: Condors Vs. Demons!

Age: 7.5, Told by Grampa Walt

Charlie’s fleet of 11 condors flies towards the army of what must be a thousand dark demons.

Justin is dangling limply from the talons of one of the demons, but it’s his nightmare that’s bringing about the demons.

Charlie raises his hand and the sky fills with clouds.

“I’ve never seen him like this!” I whisper.

“He wants to be like me,” Joy says matter-of-factly.

I look at her for a second. “How do you know?”

She shrugs. “He tells me all the time.”

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]