A/N: So, it's been really bothering me that Luke's lines as he lay dying in Steven's arms don't apparently reference ANYTHING!? In spite of the fact that they're very particular, and specific, and...I just...everything else means something, but even though the symbolism is obvious, the source isn't...? I don't think?

Correct me if I'm wrong.

In my mind, Luke goes on to become a professor of English at UCLA, and also occasionally writes children's books. The first one being, The World was Play. And this is that book. Read it to your kids, friends!

"Once upon a time, the world was just play, and all that we had - the five of us - was just play..."

- Luke Crain, Silence Lay Steadily

Once upon a time, the whole world was just play,
And all that we had were the hours in the day.

At two, there was Stevie, the stout, and the bold.
He commanded his knights, and we did as were told.
With swords drawn for battle, and the glory it'd bring
Steven was steady, and Steven was king.

At three, Shirley claimed us, kind-hearted and fair.
She'd straighten our collars. She'd comb Nellie's hair.
Her world was a world that was safe and secure,
Where each sadness found comfort, each sickness a cure.

Then at four, Theo came, and she came with a boom,
She'd mark out our spots at the edge of the room.
"Stand there," she would shout, "And when I say jump, JUMP!"
And we'd wiggle, and jiggle, and dance, and we'd bump.

But then right at five, she'd give over the floor,
And all gathered round for what I had in store.
"Davy Jones is a-callin'!" I'd point to the waves,
As our pirate ship sank to its watery grave.

When six o'clock struck, it was now Nellie's turn.
And she'd feel that for being lost at sea we had earned
A moment of rest, and so with great glee,
We five would sit down at her table for tea.

Mountains of cookies, and cakes, and small pies,
And towering jellies that reached to the sky.
We'd have heaps of biscotti, and bundles of breads,
Slathered with butter, and strawberry spread.

There'd be treacle, and custard, and Turkish Delight,
And profiteroles stacked to incredible heights.
A hundred cannolis, a thousand eclairs,
And candy floss floating, spun lighter than air.

Scones, and croissants, and puddings, and tarts,
And endless supplies of fresh fruit a la carte.
A feast that was fit for princes and queens,
Our thirst would be quenched with teas white, black, and green.

At seven o'clock when the porch light would blink,
We'd clean up our plates, we'd finish our drinks.
We'd set off together, for home we'd proceed.
The rest of us followed, and Steven would lead.

By eight we were cuddled up warm in our beds,
Mom bid us goodnight, with a kiss on our heads.
Dad turned out the lights, and wished us sweet dreams,
But once it was dark, things were not as they seemed.

Nine monsters stepped out from behind of our doors,
Ten shadows unpeeled themselves from the floor.
Eleven black hags would moan and would shriek,
Twelve poltergeists showed up with havoc to wreak.

One goblin, two ghouls, three spiders, four trolls,
All entered our rooms, all trembled our souls.
Five harpies, six yetis completed their number,
And far in the distance - the rumble of thunder.

Nellie would scream, while I'd run to hide,
Theo would stare with her eyes open wide,
"They're not here, they're not real," is what Shirley would say,
While Steve turned his head, and would just look away.

But seven protects, and seven defends,
And at seven o'clock I reached out to my friends,
"Remember what Mommy and Dad always say,
That monsters, like storms, must soon pass away.

"If Steven stands stalwart, and Shirley stays fair,
I'm sure they'll persuade the ghosts back to their lairs.
If Theo can show to them just how we feel,
Then maybe they'll listen to all our appeals.

"If Nellie befriends them, and offers them space,
Perhaps we'll agree we can all share the place.
At which point will I, having learned to be brave,
Will greet all the ghosts with a big friendly wave.

And just like we've learned from our Mommy and Dad,
Not all of the ghosts are mean, scary, or bad.
And something spectacular that we will find,
Is if we are honest, and loyal, and kind,

There are fiends that are friendly, and spectres supreme
And the dark isn't really as dark as it seems."
And once we've decided to take hold of our fate,
The sun will come up as the clock strikes on eight.

Nine monsters, ten shadows, eleven black hags,
Will start up a game of tentacle tag!
Twelve poltergeists, a goblin, and all of the others
Will join in the fun with my sisters, and brother.

And when we have learned how to tackle our fear,
How much brighter then, will the future appear!
We'll use every minute, all hours of each day,
To fill up the whole world with the sounds of our play.

I'd like to thank my lovely reviewers who I haven't been able to respond to directly:

Sophia! What a perfect, and serendipitous name. I'm so happy you enjoyed it, and I'm so happy it could speak directly to you in such a fun way. I always love seeing my name in stories, and I'm glad you could have that experience here. Just super touched you enjoyed it enough to say so 3

And to my other anonymous reviewer, thank you, thank you! To say it feels like another episode is massively gratifying, and so wonderful to hear. I wanted that world to continue so badly, I'm happy I could do that to some extent for you, and keeping all the voices coherent and true at the same time. Thank you for enjoying it!