‘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.

#106: Water Water Literally Everywhere

It was a harsh day, the events I relayed to you yesterday. Dragon Little had fallen asleep, exhausted and dehydrated. Mary, her nanny, was on the verge of tears most of the time, unable to help her little ward. 

Even I, with all my might, could not help, for I cannot create water. Although I was not really mighty at the time. I was still a scared dragon afraid of her own shadow, for I had just been released from hundreds of years of slavery by Dragon Father and Dragon Little. 

Less than two hours after Dragon Little fell asleep, finally, Dragon Father appeared on Bonny’s Revenge’s deck, ready for adventure. 

Mary explained to him that he should not wake his girl, for she needs her sleep. 

“Pirate Justin,” she said, afraid to speak harshly to him. “We were left without water.”

“What?” Dragon Father seemed shocked. 

“All the bottles were empty. Little Joy was screaming and crying from how much she needed to drink. D’ya understand?”

Dragon Father looked around. “Mary, what are you talking about? Look, there’s water here,” he picked up a bottle of water from the deck near his legs. It had not been there a second ago.

He gave it to her. 

“There’s water behind this barrel here,” he went behind a barrel to discover two six-packs of big bottles full of water. 

“There’s water in her cabin,” he produced another two six-packs from Dragon Little’s small cabin. 

“These were not there before,” Mary said firmly in her soft voice. “There was no water to drink! The lass was thirsty!”

“Mary, you’re being silly. You just need to look better. Everywhere you look there’s water on this ship.”

He was right. But she was also right, for he had just created all the water when she mentioned it. But he did not know that, for he did not seem to know he was in a dream and that he was the dreamer. 

“I am only saying, Pirate Justin,” she stood her ground, not raising her voice, but insisting on her truth, “that when you go away, you must leave the little lass with water.”

Dragon Father looked at her, half confused and half angry. “Leave you? I don’t leave you. I’m always here!” 

With that, he turned his back to her and began to pilot the ship. As I would soon see, he intended on having an adventure without the sleeping Dragon Little. 

Mary made an exasperated face behind his back, then shook her head. She quickly reached down and collected all the bottles one by one. She carried them all, at her own pace, to Dragon Little’s cabin, storing up water. 

As she would soon learn, this act would not help Dragon Little. But I will tell you more about that tomorrow. 

—Told by The Red Dragon

#107: The Mystery of the Disappearing Water

#105: Water Water Everywhere