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[fantasies]

[Guess who's a pro at this journal thing by now? That's right, Henry is. Magic 1 "Real World" 0.]

Sooo... is that normal? The changing worlds thing. Because it didn't seem like you guys were that surprised by it, but I always thought it was a big deal to go between worlds like that.

I mean, I didn't mind. Summer camp is great! I wish I got to go more often.

[And by "more often" he means "ever."

There's a pause, then hurriedly, like he forgot:]

Oh, yeah! And is there a lost and found somewhere? I'm looking for something.

Comments

[sometimesbeth]

There's magic where you come from, huh?

[fantasies]

Uh, sort of. [He's starting to figure out that this is complicated to explain.] But not really. My world doesn't, anyway.

[sometimesbeth]

That doesn't make any sense.

[fantasies]

[Yeah, okay. Let's try again.]

My world doesn't have magic, but I've read a lot about one that does.

[sometimesbeth]

So you know of other worlds? [ Huh, that's pretty cool! ] I never heard of other ones till here.

[fantasies]

I only knew about one other than mine. I didn't think there were so many.

[sometimesbeth]

I know, right? [ A pause. ] Especially the ones with monsters or places I've never heard of.

[fantasies]

Yeah! I actually think it's pretty cool.

[sometimesbeth]

As long as you don't have to deal with them.

[fantasies]

I guess so. Do we go to worlds like that sometimes?

[sometimesbeth]

My first summer here we did. It was this weird world full of demons.

[fantasies]

Oh. [He's quiet for a second. Then, uncertainly:] Did people get hurt?

[sometimesbeth]

[ She's quiet, too. ]

People died here. They came back... but it was still bad.

[fantasies]

They came back to life? And they're okay?

[Nobody's told him THAT.]

[sometimesbeth]

I guess... nobody stays dead here.

[fantasies]

[Wow, this is... kind of upsetting.]

I... I guess that's a good thing? It is, right? But they still died....

[sometimesbeth]

I don't think people bother them about it.

[fantasies]

Yeah, but they.... [A pause.] Do they remember? Dying?

[sometimesbeth]

I guess? I don't ask them. People can end up with PTSD from something like that.

[ She knows about this because she's lived on a few bases. She's heard some stories of soldiers becoming depressed or mentally sick from war. ]

[fantasies]

Oh. [beat] Yeah. [beat] I guess that's not really something you're supposed to talk to people about, huh.

[sometimesbeth]

You'd probably get in trouble, too.

[fantasies]

Yeah, it--... I know. Sorry.

[sometimesbeth]

You don't have to say you're sorry to me.

[fantasies]

I guess not.

But I still feel bad.

[sometimesbeth]

What's your name, anyway?