Travis Karbowski could not handle so-called  reality anymore. He wrote a desperate letter to his sister in Arizona. Travis lived in the Siberian weather of North Chicago.

His sister, Alana Karbowksi, who was deeply influenced by “Astral Travel Meditation” sent him a CD from a famous hypnotist- shaman-guru from the South West.

Travis at this point in his life was ready to quit his job as a security guard, he could not deal with the stress of a regular job. He wished someone could send him to a clinic where he could rest and be drugged up in his waking hours and sleeping hours as well.

He gave his two-week notice at work. He also called in sick for the day. He had not slept for several nights and felt he was losing his sanity.

Travis decided to run a warm bath with salt water. He was going to play the meditation CD his sister had sent but he forgot to put it on as he submerged himself into the salted bath.

After the bath he lay down on his bed trying to sleep but he could not fall asleep. Damn it!

He decided that maybe he needed a six-pack of Mickey’s Malt Liquor to do the sleep job. He got in his car and saw the CD of the Hypnotist-Shaman next to him. He played the CD on his way to get booze.

Somewhere in the middle of that trip to get beer he fell under the hypnosis of the guru speaking through the car speakers. There was a warning in the voice-over not to play this CD while driving a car but it was too late.

The guru spoke about going down deeper and deeper down the stairs of your mind. The guru mentioned every level as one would go under, level ONE! level TWO! level THREE!  All the way down to “astral-travel-projection”.

Travis ended up driving down to a home supply store. The same chain corporation that he worked for. He went into the store and stole several items and was jumped by three undercover security guards.

They realized he was a fellow undercover security guard from the other store across town. The guards called the other store.

“ Does Travis Karbowski still work with you guys?”

“ Yes, he does. He is sick today. He couldn’t make it to work”

“ Well, I am sorry to tell you, that we caught him at our store  stealing some high-priced items”.

There was shock and silence at the other end of the line.

The store called the police and they came to get him. While Travis waited in the back of the cop-car, he did not know where he was or why he was there. It was a black-out.

The cop tried talking to Travis as he drove away but Travis was far, far away. There was no response. Finally, the cop said something that could register with Travis.

“Son, I know who you are. You were a student at that college. You saved all those kids. Don’t steal again! I am sure you are going through a hard stage”.

The cop drove Travis to his home.

“Hey buddy, please take care. Get some help. All my co-workers are proud of what you did”.

Travis waves good-bye out of instinct to the cop and goes into his home. The haunted home. He reaches his bedroom and stands there for a long time until he drops to the floor.

He whispers to himself; “ This is only a nightmare. I have to wake up. I may be under hypnosis or under some kind of spell. I have to wake up”.

The floor swallows him up and he lands in the desert of Arizona.