Blog — The Lost In Dreams Universe

‘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.

All in Age: 5.5

Jan 20
Jan 20 #387: The Two Killers, Part 2

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

Dragon Little cried. It gushed out of her like a tidal wave.

I could not see her, since she was in the Infinite Prison in the belly of Bonny’s Revenge.

I wanted to hold her and make it better. But I could not.

As she cried, I heard the rustling of the iron bars of General Hawk’s cell. And then I heard the sound of skin and feathers on human skin: he was not caressing her. He had reached out of the bars with his arm and burnt wing and was holding her as much as he could.

“I killed the Goblin Monster!” she said again, crying.

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Jan 18
Jan 18 #373: Life and Death, Part 6: Back to Killing

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

(Author’s note: This diary entry was supposed to have been published weeks ago as part of the Goblin Monster saga and was omitted for some reason. I publish it here, now, numbered correctly, but out of order.)

The goblin monster was back to chasing the goblin children, ready to kill them as had killed all the goblins strewn in the street.

Dragon Little put the huge rocket launcher back on her shoulder. She aimed it at the goblin monster and breathed.

She placed her finger on the trigger.

She was aiming right at its center.

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Jan 18
Jan 18 #386: The Two Killers, Part 1

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

I have told you of the day when Dragon Father decided to teach Dragon Little that killing ist necessary. I have told you how he created a dream that forced her to kill the Goblin Monster.

I have not told you of the things that happened afterwards, when Dragon Father was away and awake in what dreamers often call ‘the real world’.

After Dragon Father disappeared, Dragon Little walked the deck from side to side for more than an hour. She climbed the mast and sat in the crow’s nest. She sat on the plank and stared at the ocean.

She took Bonny’s Revenge for a flight around the stars and quickly returned to the ocean, having stopped for nothing on the way.

That day, Dragon Little fell asleep in the crow’s nest.

[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]

Dec 28
Dec 28 #377: Life and Death, Part 10: I’m Sorry for Your Loss

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

Dragon Father approached her and put his hand around her shoulder. “You want to tell him you feel bad?”

She nodded.

“Then usually what we say is ‘I’m sorry for your loss’.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, sir!”

The elderly goblin nodded somberly. “You know…” he said in his slow way. “I knew this day would come.”

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Dec 27
Dec 27 #376: Life and Death, Part 9: The Goblin Monster’s Family

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

Dec 22
Dec 22 #375: Life and Death, Part 8: The Goblin Village

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

Dragon Little ran into the village.

Male and female goblins were coming out of huts, looking at what the goblin monster left in his wake. Bodies of dead goblins were strewn all around. Huts were destroyed.

Children ran to their parents. Goblins looked and cried over the bodies of their loved ones.

I have never seen so much devastation and sadness and slaughter in Dragon Father’s dreams.

“Excuse me,” Dragon Little approached a goblin mother hugging her child. “Do you know where the goblin monster came from?”

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Dec 17
Dec 17 #374: Life and Death, Part 7: Empathy

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

“I want to see his family,” Dragon Little said.

Dragon Father stopped and looked at her, confused. “Whose family?”

“The goblin monster’s,” she said. “He has a father, right? Someone brought him up. I killed his son. I want to see him.”

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Dec 12
Dec 12 #372: Life and Death, Part 5: The Goblin Monster Vs. Joy

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

The goblin monster growled at Dragon Little.

“You!” Dragon Little yelled at him. “Don’t! Kill! Goblin! Kids!”

The goblin monster growled more, then, began to turn around.

“Hey!” Dragon Little yelled again. “Don’t ignore me!”

The goblin monster turned at hearing her voice.

With two hands, Dragon Little raised the rocket launcher as high as she could, as it pointed downwards, then slammed it on the goblin monster’s toe.

[Click on the title to read the entire post!]

Dec 11
Dec 11 #371: Life and Death, Part 4: The Danger

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

Dec 9
Dec 9 #370: Life and Death, Part 3: The Goblin Monster

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

Bodies of goblins lay strewn in the street. The huge goblin was stomping the rest.

Dragon Father’s dreams do not usually summon such grim images. I have seen such things before, and it was hard to look at. I have seen a slaughter of dragons so horrible, so terrible…

I will not speak of it. I will only tell you of Dragon Little now.

[Click on the title to read the entire post!]

Dec 8
Dec 8 #369: Life and Death, Part 2: Pain and Worry

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

“I can’t walk,” Dragon Father said. “You go on without me. Save the goblins!”

“I’m not going without you!” she tried to push him forward with her small body. There was deep concern in her voice.

“Joy! There are goblin kids being attacked now in the village over there! You have to save them!”

[Click on the title to read the entire post!]

Dec 6
Dec 6 #368: Life and Death, Part 1

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

Dragon Little was getting older. It was almost her sixth birthday and I knew that sooner or later, in the next year or two, she will find out the truth about where she ist and that there ist a way out of her father’s dream. And then… Anything may happen. And sooner or later, she will die. Or, worse, she will be found by those who look for her.

I do not know how it ist that Dragon Father came to have Dragon Little, for she does come of his dream. I do not know how much Dragon Father knows of what there ist outside his dream. I do not know how much Dragon Father knows of those who search for his daughter, those awful monsters who enslave dragons.

And yet…

Something in me believed that he did know that he would have to prepare Dragon Little for a life far harsher than a simple life of daily adventure.

[Click on the title to read the entire post!]

Oct 3
Oct 3 #341: Outside Justin's Dream, Part 3

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

I have heard a fellow dragons fly far away. I have heard the monsters.

And now… I listened farther.

I listened to those the missing voices.

Ah. There it was: The silence. There was no dust in the winds!

I smiled to myself happily. Oh, my my, how disappointed the monsters must be!

I listened more.

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Oct 1
Oct 1 #340: Outside Justin’s Dream, Part 2

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

I stood on the edge of the path out of the dream. Another small dragons step, and I would be out and flying among the dreams - something I haven’t done in four years.

But I didn’t dare move closer. They might be out there.

I realized now that with my supremely good hearing I have concentrated over the last four years on the inside of the dream rather than on the outside. Fear, perhaps, of learning that they are waiting for me just outside.

But now…

Now I was ready to at least listen.

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Sep 30
Sep 30 #339: Outside Justin’s Dream

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

My wings needed stretching and, for a change, I decided to stretch them.

My hiding place felt my need and expanded.

I looked behind me. He outside of the dream was there. Just there. With all its dangers. With all its possibilities. With all its dreams.

Do I dare? Just take a few more steps and then… And then use my sharp dragon’s ears and listen?

[Click on the title to read the entire post!]

Sep 25
Sep 25 #336: Bored, Part 3

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

“Go away!” she yelled at him from inside.

He stepped in. “Don’t yell at me,” he was immediately angry again. “I’m your father. That’s disrespectful.”

“You’re disrespectful!”

“Joy. Stop. Yelling. At me. I’m trying to talk.”

“You’re disrespectful! Disrespectful! DISRESPECTFULLLLLLL!” the last one she yelled as loud as she could.

[Click on the title to read the entire post!]

Sep 24
Sep 24 #335: Bored, Part 2

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

Suddenly, he turned around and shouted at Dragon Little: “You do NOT appreciate WHAT you HAVE!”

Dragon Little, lying down on the plank, sat up, already hurt at the tone.

“You have adventures!” Dragon Father yelled. “Every! Single! Day! Every single day you have adventures! Do you understand how much fun that is?”

Dragon Little stood up on the plank. “It’s boring!” She shouted back at him. “You’re boring!”

[Click on the title to read the entire post!]

Sep 22
Sep 22 #334: Bored, Part 1

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

Dragon Little woke up in a strange mood one day, nearing her sixth birthday.

Dragon Father appeared on the deck of Bonny’s Revenge and Dragon Little was already awake, lying on the plank, staring at the moon hanging high in the sky.

“Oh, you’re up!” Justin had arrived in a good morning. “Whatcher doing?”

“Noooooooothing,” she said very slowly.

Justin looked at her for a second, considered something, then said. “Okay. Shall we eat breakfast and get started?”

“Noooooooooo,” she said slowly again.

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Sep 15
Sep 15 #328: The Red Dragon’s Wail, Part 2

I listened to his voice as he wailed back.

It was wordless. It was an animalistic wail, except that it was not made by an animal. It was not a human cry, for he was not human, either. It was not a dragon cry, for he was not a dragon.

It was the cry of my friend.

I have not seen him in three and a half years.

I wailed back, a dragon’s wail. My wail told him how I missed his voice, his eyes, his love… our talks.

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Sep 14
Sep 14 #327: The Red Dragon’s Wail

Age: 5.5, Told by The Red Dragon

My name is not The Red Dragon. I have never met my parents and they never named me. They had never spoken my name to me.

I had been born into slavery and only my slavers gave me a name. That name will not be repeated by me for as long as I live.

I have been named The Red Dragon by the 2-year-old Joy Shelley when I met her and when she and her father rescued me from my enslavers. Now she calls me ‘Red’ and I call her ‘Dragon Little’.

The Red Dragon is the name I love. It is the name I use. But it is not my real name.

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