Sadie: Can we go explore?
Atlas: Sure. Don’t go too far.
Simon: We won’t!
Sadie: What do you think happened to Barbie?
Simon: I don’t know. Maybe she just got sick of you.
Sadie: Don’t be mean.
Sadie: What if something bad happened? Maybe she needs my help.
Simon: Are you going to try to find her?
Sadie: Would you tell on me if I did?
Simon: No. I don’t know. What if something bad happens to you too?
Sadie: You could come with me.
Simon: Just wait a little while longer, okay?
Sadie: Ugh. But I’m tired of being alone. Can I visit you then?
Simon: Not yet.
Sadie: Why?
Simon: I told you. My world’s not ready yet.
Sadie: But it’s been forever. I just want to see it. I won’t touch anything, I promise.
Simon: No.
Sadie: Why?
Simon: …It’s a secret.
Sadie: You can tell me. I won’t tell anyone.
Simon: I won’t either.
Sadie: I have a secret too.
Simon: What is it?
Sadie: I’ll tell you if you tell me yours.
Simon: You first.
Sadie: Papa was in my dream.
Simon: Why is that a secret?
Sadie: He doesn’t know.
Simon: Duh. It wasn’t really him. He can’t do that.
Sadie: It WAS him!
Simon: How do you know?
Sadie: The same way I know when it’s really you. And you know it’s really me. The same way I know Barbie is real.
Simon: Are you sure?
Sadie: [nods] But he doesn’t remember.
Simon: I still don’t know why it’s a secret. We should tell him.
Sadie: No!
Simon: Why?
Sadie: I was scared and I wanted him there and then he was. What if it was my fault and he gets mad?
Simon: He won’t get mad. Just tell him.
Sadie: Fine. But not while we’re on vacation. We’ll wait until we go home. And only if you tell me your secret first
Asher: Atlas?
Atlas: I don’t know. Maybe. There’s no part of you that thinks it might be?
Asher: It’s probably just a game they play. I mean, our most popular game is about a character who travels in their dreams. Clearly, they picked it up from us and let their imaginations run with it.
Atlas: [nods] That makes sense.
Asher: But?
Atlas: But there’s one thing still nagging me.
Asher: What’s that?
Atlas: Selvadorada.
Atlas: When we left for Selvadorada, we had no intention of ever having kids. When we got home, it became our priority not just to have kids, but to bring these two, Sadie and Simon, into the world. Why?
Asher: [sighs] Our dreams.
Atlas: It was Simon in your dream, right? OUR Simon.
Asher: Yes. I knew the day he was born; the first time I held him.
Atlas: It was the same for me with Sadie.
Asher: You believe it was all real then?
Atlas: I don’t know how much of it was real, but I know we wouldn’t have made it out of there without them. They saved us.
Asher: How? They couldn’t have been more than ten years old.
Atlas: I don’t know.
Asher: So, do you think… When they’re older…
Atlas: They’ll travel to the dreams of some younger versions of us that are lost in the jungle and save them from an ancient curse?
Asher: Being a parent is hard enough. How do we deal with something like this on top of it?
Atlas: I have no idea. We can’t exactly call your mom for advice on this, can we?
Asher: I don’t think so.
Alas: I think the best we can do is be open-minded. If it is just imaginary play, and we’re reading too much into it, then we’ll find out soon enough and have a good laugh. But if it’s not, then I at least want them to feel comfortable talking to us about it. The more we know, the better.
Asher: Right. That’s a good point. I suppose in any situation, the best we can do is love and support them.
Asher: They’re our gremlins. We’ll always have their backs.
Atlas: [nods] No matter what.
Simon: What is this place supposed to be?
Sadie: A planet.
Simon: Which one?
Sadie: One that’s far away, where aliens live.
Simon: Aliens aren’t real.
Sadie: Yeah-huh. Papa told me so.
Simon: Did not.
Sadie: Did so!
Simon: Whatever. I’m gonna go back to my world before it’s time to wake up.
Sadie: Can I come?
Simon: No. I told you, not until it’s ready.
Sadie: When will that be?
Simon: I don’t kn- [*squeaking noises*] -What’s that?
Simon: Are those bats?
Sadie: Yep.
Simon: Why did you put bats on an alien planet?
Sadie: [shrugs] Bats are cool.
…
Sadie: Wait! They need friends!
Simon: What?
Sadie: Come here.
Simon: What’s in there?
Sadie: Frogs!
Simon: Bats can’t be friends with frogs.
Sadie: Why not?
Simon: It doesn’t make sense.
Sadie: Duh, it’s a dream. It doesn’t have to make sense.
Simon: I guess.
Sadie: Does your world make sense?
Simon: … Not yet.
Simon: If it’s supposed to be a whole planet, why is it so small?
Sadie: I can’t make it as big as a real planet.
Simon: Why not?
Sadie: That’s too big.
Simon: No, it’s not. It can be as big as you want. It’s a dream, remember?
Sadie: How big is yours?
Simon: As big as the universe.
Sadie: That’s like a million-bajillion miles!
Simon: More like infinity.
Sadie: That doesn’t make sense.
Simon: Maybe if yours was bigger it would be more fun.
Sadie: It IS fun!
Simon: Not really.
Sadie: Don’t be mean.
Simon: I’m not. I like the crystals, and the water, but there’s nothing to do. It’s kind of… boring.
Sadie: Well, how about I make a giant sea monster to come and eat you?!
Simon: How? Your lake isn’t even deep enough to swim in. It’s like a giant puddle.
Sadie: Then maybe I’ll turn the water into acid and push you in.
[the lake starts to bubble behind Simon]
Simon: Don’t.
Sadie: It’ll burn your feet off.
Simon: Stop it!
Sadie: Do you think you’ll still have feet when you wake up?
Simon: STOP!!
[everything goes black]
[simon wakes up in bed and checks his feet]
[he breathes a sigh of relief when both feet hit the floor]
