Mary Anderson never enjoyed traveling to distant places preferring the security of home and the comforts of habit to the unknown and uncertain. The Dream Catcher changed all that. It all began when she and her equally lonely unadventurous friends met for lunch at their favorite curbside café.

“Last night I went on an African safari,” Kayla gushed telling about her new Dream Catcher. Dream Catchers were the new rage. “It was awesome! I strolled the savannah among elephants, giraffes, tigers, and lions. They were so close I could touch them.”

Kayla’s listeners gasped appreciatively. “I want one!” Selma shouted.

“How does the Dream Catcher work?” Mary asked timidly.

“It’s simple. You wear this soft comfortable skull cap, you don’t even know you have it on, and program the control box for the dream experience you want. The connection is wireless,” Kayla explained.

“But is it safe? What if something bad happens to you in the dream?” Mary asked.

“Nothing can happen to you, silly,” Selma offered. “You are safely sleeping in your bed.”

A week later when the three friends met for lunch, Selma gushed ebulliently over her new Dream Catcher. “So far I’ve toured four cities, climbed Mt. Denali, and explored the ocean floor. I even took a nap yesterday so I could dream some more.”

“I hiked the Grand Tetons, the Redwood Forest, and the Smoky Mountains, and went spelunking in the depths of Mammoth Caves,” Kayla bragged.

Her friends became so involved sharing their Dream Catcher adventures, Mary was left out the conversation entirely. “You really should get one, Mary,” Kayla said when her friends finally exhausted their detailed sharing.

Mary had been skeptical, but her friends were changing her mind. “I think I will,” she decided.

Mary went shopping that very afternoon. She had to go to five stores before she found one in stock at a high-end electronic outlet. It cost more than she had planned to spend, but she succumbed to the principle of demand.

“Last one,” the store clerk reassured her. “We can’t keep them in stock the demand is so high.” The clerk’s comment helped ease the pain of paying the exorbitant price.

Mary read the information pamphlet and instructions carefully including some warnings her friends had never mentioned. The pamphlet explained how electrodes in the night cap stimulates the brain with a series of images. Your brain creates the dream and very dream is uniquely different.

Mary could hardly wait to go to bed that night, but as bedtime loomed closer she began to have some doubts. She picked up the Dream Catcher instruction pamphlet again and reread the warnings. There were two.

Warning! This device is not recommended for children under 16 years of age. Young minds have greater difficulty separating dreams from reality.

Mary ignored the first warning. It was the second one that bothered her.

Warning! This device is not recommended for people diagnosed with bi-polar or other mental disorders. May cause emotional disturbances.

Mary worried about letting a device tickle her brain. She reread the disturbing warning again. In the end she took a deep breath and decided to try it. Looking at the available menu, she picked the Caribbean cruise. Mary had always wanted to go on a cruise, but had been too timidly afraid to do so.

With some trepidation, she placed the skull cap on her head and settled down for a good night sleep . . . and sweet dreams she hoped. The Dream Catcher actually helps lull you to sleep the brochure claimed. True or not, Mary quickly fell into a comfortable rest and before long reached REM sleep where dreaming begins.

The cruise was a great success. The ocean sunsets were beautiful, the ports of call delightful, the entertainment exquisite, and she met the most wonderful gentleman named George who treated her like a queen. It was the best time she could remember having in ages.

As REM sleep faded and waking consciousness seeped in, Mary rolled over and woke up smiling. She knew she would return to the cruise again tonight.

By the third night Mary realized the deceptive emptiness of the experience. There was no flesh and blood person waiting for her and there never would be unless she did something.

On the market scene, burgeoning high demand and an extraordinary lack of availability of the Dream Catcher drove prices to extremes. Even a slightly used one was worth many times its original market price. Mary thought long and hard and finally made her decision. She repacked the Dream Catcher in its original box and sold it on line that very day.

On Sunday Mary joined her friends at the café. The conversation ranged as usual from dull to mundane. When talk turned to the Dream Catcher Mary spoke up.

“I have an announcement to make,” Mary said gaining their quizzical attention. “I will be gone for the next three weeks.”

“Going? Going where?” Kayla asked.

“I’m going on a Caribbean cruise.”

“No!” Kayla and Selma barked in disbelief. “A real cruise?” Selma asked.

Mary’s face beamed with self-affirming pride. “Yes, a real cruise,” she confirmed. “It will be a dream come true.”