At Charley’s question, Joy’s expression becomes serious.
“Where is Red, Dad?”
I’ve been here long enough to hear about Joy’s legendary friend, the Red Dragon. She hadn’t been heard of or seen since Suzy and I were summoned, since Joy first left Justin’s dream.
“I don’t know,” he shrugs. Then his expression turns more serious as well. “Why would you think I know?”
“I just realized,” Joy says. “That in all the adventures I had with her, in all the times I rode her, there is no way I wouldn’t have made her real. Red didn’t just disappear because you woke up, Dad. Red is permanent. No one killed her. So she’s still alive. Where did she go?”
Justin shakes his head. “I have no idea. She said she went off to save her sister dragons.”
“Where’s that adventure? Where’s the adventure about saving her sisters?” It’s becoming more and more like an accusation.
Justin just shakes his head all the time. “I don’t think I planned one.”
“You’re not getting what I meant,” Charlie says. “How’d a big dragon get out of a dream?”
Joy’s face shoots Charlie a look and finally his point seems to land. “Is Red not in your dream, Dad? Did I make her permanent and then she left?”
“How could she have left? She’s huge and the tunnels are small. I can’t even stand straight here!”
“Is there another way out?” Joy whispers.
“How would I know? Never seen one.”
“Maybe a way that leads somewhere else?”
“Joy. Seriously. I don’t know. I know as much as you know.”
“Nope,” Charlie says again. “I still didn’t make my point, I guess. Listen.” They look at him silently. He points to where the yellow dragon had been, amongst the Shrooms. “If the yellow dragon is outside dreams, that means that someone made it real.” Oh, that is a good point! That kid is sharp! But I see Joy and Justin still don’t get it. “That someone is not you!” he points to Joy.
Joy’s jaw drops and then Justin’s does as well. “Oh!” she says, and steps outside to the Shroom into the light of the Dream.
We follow her as she looks at the millions of Shrooms all around us, each at a different height. “There’s someone else out there, Dad. Someone else like me!”
We all stand there looking at the Shrooms. Is there somewhere out there another girl, another boy, a teenager or an adult, perhaps, who is just like Joy?
—Told by Grampa Walt