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All things considered, it was a most unusual world I stepped into when I came up from the basement.

The guardian sits and protects the treasure chest. It’s an odd sort of treasure chest. One typically conjures an image of an old strap-style chest with metal patches on the corners for reinforcement and a large lock taking some kind of special key. But not this treasure chest. It has no straps or locks or metal patches. It is perfectly smooth with no lid and it is a translucent lime-green color.

As unusual as the treasure chest is, so to is it’s protector. He is wearing a suit of armor. As with the treasure chest, this is not a normal suit of armor. The first striking thing is its color- dark green. The markings on it give its wearer the appearance of enormous muscles in the chest and arms. The bottoms look like a tattered pair of pants, as though they were bursting at the seams because the wearer was so large. He is armed with a gun and fires off the occasional shot to ward off the enemy. POP!

Inside the treasure chest is a solitary item. A battered magic wand, black with colorful streamers flowing from its starry tip. It belongs to the huntress and she is out fighting the forces of darkness.

She has her trusty gun. POP! POP! POP! She blasts away at her foes. She is wearing a blue gown, more suited to going to the ball than fighting beasties. Upon her head rests a matching tiara. She navigates through a landscape filled with giant trees(but not bigger than a giant) with volcanoes and mountains. The volcanoes must be destroyed so they don’t explode.

And what are they protecting the treasure from?

Bad animals.

More specifically, all animals except African Greys, lizards and one elephant. Everything else is bad. The lizards are their allies. They change color and sneak up on the bad elephants, climbing onto their backs and scratching them.

But now the huntress has returned from her patrol. She seems perplexed- something is bothering her. She and the guardian begin an intense conversation about the elephants. She does not think they are bad, but he is not convinced. Finally, he relents and nows agrees that all elephants are good, except for the one dark one. The huntress resumes here hunt for a brief time.

Abruptly, she sits down. She’s tired of the hunt. So to, I notice, is the guardian, who hasn’t moved from his seat next to the treasure chest nor has he fired a shot in some time. There are a few moments of silence and stillness and then the lass gets up and takes off her tiara and her gown declaring “I don’t want to do this anymore.” The boy’s silence speaks his agreement.

The lass comes over and sits next to me on the couch. I feel as though my intrusion disturbed their world. That, had I not come in and sat down, they would still be defending the magic wand in that other world. There’s a slight nagging guilt and I hope that if I’m quiet and still their world will return. But once left, there is no going back.

And then we’re sitting in the family room. An ordinary family room.