‘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.

#325: Joy's Fourth Birthday, Part 7: Joy's Solo Adventure

Dragon Little stood in the doorway, little sword in one hand and little laser gun in the other. 

Inside stood a Martian Space Pirate, three times taller than her, a large sword in his scabbard and a big laser gun behind his back. Behind him stood three more Martian Space Pirates. All of them looked at the door as he opened it. 

“Ha ha!” Dragon Little shouted at them. “I win! You lose!” 

Dragon Father, standing beyond the fence, and looking from afar, slapped his forehead. “Never say you win before you win, Joy! We talked about that!” 

The Martian Space Pirates were surprised for an instant. Then they stood up as one and all four armed themselves.

“Prepare to die, Little Pirate!” shouted the one at the door.

Dragon Father drummed his fingers on his lips, worried. 

Simultaneously, the ground beneath them shook and all four pirates fell to the ground. Since Mars in Dragon Father’s dream never has tremors, I have no doubt Dragon Father had created it to protect his daughter. 

Dragon Little kept her balance and leapt on top of the first pirate. She hit his sword with hers and the sword flew out of his hand. With her other hand, she grabbed his gun and pulled it out of his hands while he was still confused. 

“I win! You lose!” She shouted again. 

The other three pirates stood up. “Prepare to die, Little Pirate!” one of them growled. 

The ground shook again. Two pirates fell and hit their heads. But Dragon Little and one pirate remained on their feet. 

The standing Martian Space Pirate charged at Joy “Rarrrrrrrr!” 

Dragon Father gasped as he saw through the window that the Martian Pirate grabbed Dragon Little’s chest with one huge hand and lifted her into the air in front of him as he ran through the door. 

“You are now mine!” The pirate shouted, holding Dragon Little in the air. 

There was a loud whistle sound behind them. The pirate turned his head to look. 

A flaming meteor was falling from the sky and it was already next to them.

It hit the ground a kilometer behind the base and created a shockwave that rocked the ground and caused the Martian Space Pirate to fall down and release Dragon Little. 

Dragon Little looked at the Martian Space Pirate next to her. He was unconscious. 

She looked at their base, damaged from the shockwave. The other three were also unconscious. 

“Ha ha!” she shouted. “I win, you lose!” 

She jumped up and down and then shouted at her father. “See, Dad! I did it all on my own!” 

Dragon Father nodded and raised two thumbs up in her direction. “All on your own!” 

—Told by The Red Dragon

#326: Joy’s Fourth Birthday, Part 8: The Lesson

#324: Joy’s Fourth Birthday, Part 6: The Element of Surprise