This story is told from the perspective of Elijah, one of the residents at Z. Z.’s Sleep-Away Camp for Disordered Dreamers, which is a summer camp intended to treat kids with sleep disorders. The camp has 13 cabins, organized by different sleep problems, like sleep apnea, sleep walking, night terrors, etc.

The story opens with Elijah and Emma in the Thomas Edison Insomnia Balloon, a device invented by camp founder Zorba to “let your thoughts dry out beneath an electric light” as a precursor to sleep (50). Elijah likes Emma and hopes they will be able to drift to sleep together. Emma doesn’t think she can, but Elijah encourages her to trust him and she starts to slowly nod off.

They are interrupted by the arrival of Ogilvy AKA Ogli, Elijah’s best friend at camp. He apologizes for interrupting their sleep and informs them that Annie, Zorba’s wife, has begun her Inspiration Assembly. They arrive late, as Annie is explaining how her “dream contagion has gone into remission, and I’ve been dreaming my own dreams for nearly three years” (53). Elijah and Ogli have been to camp many times and already know this speech.