‘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.

#43: I Feel a Song Coming On

Once again, Dragon Father appeared on the stolen pirate ship he calls home, Bonny’s Revenge, and Dragon Little was nowhere to be found.

Dragon Father entered Dragon Little’s cabin. She was asleep in her bed, which was previously the bed of the pirate captain they had stolen the ship from.

“Jooooy!” he said softly. “Time to wake u-u-u-u-p!”

No movement.

“Joy!” He touched her shoulder. “Wake up!”

Nothing.

“Joy!” He raised his voice just a bit.

Joy stirred but turned back around.

“Joy! Time to wake up!”

After another minute, he was certain Dragon Little had woken up enough. No doubt to save time, he went to the deck and prepared her breakfast.

After a few more minutes of waiting, he sighed and went back in to the cabin. Dragon Little was still in bed, half awake and not moving. She was wearing her adventure clothes during the day and at night.

“All right,” he said. “You know, I feel a song coming on.”

“No!” Dragon Little slammed her hands on her ears. “No, Dad, No!”

“I do! I feel it coming on!”

“I can’t hear you!”

And so Dragon Father started the most horrific sound. I do not know what the original tune was, but this seemed mangled intentionally to hurt the ears: “You thought I’m weaaaaaaak, yeah, but I’m stroooooongerrrrrr!”

“Ahhhh!”

“You thought I’d be brrooooooooke, yeah, but I’m richerrrrrrrr!”

“Dad!” She shouted.

It was truly horrible, and it was loud.

“You thought I’d be so saaaaad without yooooou!”

“Dad!” Dragon Little leapt out of bed and jumped at him. Her hands covered her mouth as her legs closed around his torso.

“Mmmmmmmt mmmmmt I luuuuuuffffff morrrrrrrrr!” he continued as much as he could with his mouth open.

“Stop it! Stop it!”

“Mooo fffot ma fooodnt grofff wifffouf you!”

“Dad!”

He raised his hands. “Affight, affight,” he said with his mouth covered. “I suffendef!”

Slowly she removed her hands away from his mouth. “Never! Sing! Again!”

He nodded, smiling.

“I promise.”

She dropped to the floor and started to put on her shoes.

“Well, maybe once a month.”

“No!”

“Once a year?”

“Never!”

“Once every ten years?”

“Daa-a-a-a-ad!”

“We’ll see,” he said, as the two exited the cabin onto the deck.

—Told by The Red Dragon



Watch how I came up with the idea for the post:



#44: Jumping into Ashes

#42: Drink the Boat