Master Mind grabs Suzy and me and activates his permanent jetpack. He flies us to Colin’s Shroom, next-door to Justin’s Shroom. Joy had already landed and gone into the tunnel, and Charlie, flying on his own, is right behind her.
We follow her in, Master Mind rushing forward.
“Dad!” I hear her yell. “Dad!”
As I go around the tunne’s bend, I see her standing on the edge of the tunnel. “He can’t hear me!” she tells Charlie. “Dad! Dad!”
Now that she sees him fighting Colin’s nightmares below, she starts crying again.
“He can’t hear–” Charlie begins as Joy jumps out of the tunnel and into Colin’s nightmare.
“Joy!” I shout.
“No!” Suzy shouts.
“Little Pirate!” Master Mind runs to the edge and looks out. “Come back! You are giving me a paper heart attack!”
“Oh no no no!” Charlie jumps out of the tunnel. Master Mind stands at the edge and hesitates.
If he goes in, he will likely die. If Charlie protects her, he probably won’t protect Master Mind. If Master Mind doesn’t go in, Joy may die.
“Little Pirate, I need a stronger heart,” he says and jumps into Colin’s dream.
“Jesus,” Suzy says.
“Joy, Joy, Joy,” I whisper. Suzy and I stand at the edge of the tunnel and look down.
The spooky, dark London is still there, which means Colin is still asleep. The tentacle monster, now fully revealed as an octopus-like being with a hundred tentacles and the size of Buckingham Palace, literally sits on top of the palace while its tentacles attack Justin and Colin who are on the roof of Big Ben, firing laser guns at the tentacles approaching them.
Joy lands a couple of streets to the side of Big Ben, alone in the road, almost directly underneath us, and she’s crying.
“Dad!” she shouts. “Dad!”
I have never seen her so helpless, so desperate, so not in tune with the dangers around her.
Charlie lands beside her and looks around nervously.
“Dad! Dad!”
Master Mind flies well above the fray. He fires a rocket launcher, and it takes me a split second to realize he’s not firing at the monster.
His rocket hits Justin and explodes.
I catch my breath. My son was just hit by a rocket. Then I remember I’m in the Dream, and he can’t be hurt, much less feel pain unless he’s aware of the danger and accepts it. The smoke clears and Justin is simply standing there, looking around.
He sees Master Mind above him and something in me feels relief. He knows they’re there now!
(To be continued…)
—Told by Grampa Walt