Valentine Cole's Journal

Entry #9

March 28, 1893
I was quiet. Who was I? Who was the man? Where was I? Where was home? Too many questions, no answers. There was a man on the floor. Who was he? And oh no, there was a man on the floor. Is he dead? I wanted to give up. Then, I heard something. It changed everything. 'Vally. Val? Val, that you?' said the man. Wait. Man? He isn't a man! He was Pa! Suddenly, a flood of memories hit me all at once. I relished the fact I knew where I was. I knew myself. I knew my family. I knew Pearl, Pa and the Arcade. I was home. I was always home. 'You were sick,' I explained to Pa. 'But we saved you. You're not sick any more.' I reunited with my family, and just in time for Easter. The Book Arcade reopened, and we went around and looked at all of the features again. They were all just as I remembered that Wonder Land was opened. Lolly Land was full of customers, and the Symphonion was playing beautifully in the Tea Salon. Everything was right again just the way I wanted it. As I met with with my siblings, we all thought about Ruby. She had passed on peacefully, due to Ma's seances on the dead. She wasn't here in spirit, or body, but here in our heads. We would always remember her. As I gazed around, I saw the splendid rainbows of the Arcade. The games was finished.