Phillipa Cobb – age nine


"Phillipa!" My mom shouted into the phone, interrupting my dream. "Phillipa, how many times do i have to tell you? Never, ever go into a dream like this alone. I'm going to give you the Kick right now." I sighed. Ariadne came up with what she and Mummy call the Brilliant Plan. Usually, there is a music player installed that plays in the dream to warn dreamers about Kicks. Ariadne customized a machine, and put a phone where that should be. Now, people can interrupt my dreams, talk to me in them. It will help us soon, though, because she's going to put one in Daddy's dream. Soon, I'd be able to talk to my father for the first time since I was three.

Suddenly, I fell off the top of Ariadne's staircase. When I should have hit the ground, though, I found myself staring up at two very angry ladies from my own bed at home. My little brother, James, was also there, but he didn't look mad at all. He looked scared, and I knew he was. It was for a good reason, too. "James!" I raised my fist to the seven-year-old. "I told you not to tell! You promised! Yeah, that's right, get your sorry little butt out of my room!" he bolted for the door.

"Phillipa, I don't even know where to start." Mummy sank onto my mattress. Ariadne followed, all anger drained from her face. She pulled me into her lap, and I allowed for it. Mummy watched carefully as Ariadne removed the little needle from my arm. She had become very much like a big sister to me. "What if you'd gotten hurt, Phillipa?" Mom asked me.

"Well, then I would have been hurt. And I'd have stayed there until my time was up." Obviously. Just going into a dream to practice building, how dangerous was that? It would be nearly impossible to fall to Limbo that way. I didn't see any issues with it. But Mummy had been very over-protective when it comes to dreams, ever since Daddy ... left.

"Mal, I know it's really not my place," Ariadne spoke up for me. "but there really aren't many dangers in this sort of dream. As long as she was using a maze I already tested. You were, right, Philly?" Ariadne hugged me a little. I nodded, I really had. We'd tested it together earlier today, but I wanted to spend some more time at the staircase. Alone. The staircases were always my favorite parts of the mazes. You would walk up the staircases, but they kept moving around so that you would walk in a square until you figured it out and made them let you down. They're very good for thinking on.

Mummy smiled a very small smile. "I guess you're right, Ariadne. But there is no excuse for yelling at your brother like that." I sighed. I'd hoped she'd forget about that part. "I think your brother will get to choose the television show for the rest of the day today." My jaw dropped.

"But Mummy!" I flapped my arms to emphasize. "The Hannah Montana season finale is on tonight!" she nodded her head in a way that very clearly said, 'exactly.' I frowned angrily at her.

"Phillipa, it's alright, I just might have something even better to entertain you tonight." Ariadne smiled broadly. I gasped. "Yes, today is the day we go under again. I have to go now, actually." She hugged both my mom and I. "We'll be back at ten o'clock. Mal, could you give us our last kick at ten? But play the music at nine fifty."

"Of course, Ariadne. Thank you all so much for what you are doing. I know it's dangerous, you all could end up like ... like Dom." Mummy whispers brokenly. I hoped they would bring my Daddy back tonight. We could be a family again. What a wish, for a nine year old girl. To wish for her father.