Superficial MARCIA SIEGEL longs to meet the man of her dreams—which, in her case, means someone who is fabulously wealthy. When she and her friend ANN attend a company function one evening and real estate mogul CLIFFORD FARNSWORTH flirts with her, it looks as if her dreams are one step closer to coming true. Meanwhile, across town, geeky BILL CALDWELL also longs for a relationship, but is too insecure to even strike up a conversation with a woman, despite goading from his friend DOUG. But that night, Marcia and Bill meet each other in a dream. They both dream that they are the only two people in the city of Los Angeles—except for a penguin who happens to sing in the voice of Bing Crosby.

As months go by, Marcia and Clifford’s relationship turns more serious. Despite the fact that he seems to be an arrogant boor, he’s really the man she’s always wanted—isn’t he? Meanwhile, Marcia and Bill are learning more and more about each other as their shared dreams continue. Bill meets Marcia in grade school, an overweight little girl with braces who’s teased by the other children, and we begin to understand why she’s grown into a woman who is so focused on her appearance. Marcia sees Bill in high school during his moment of greatest humiliation, and the source of his insecurity becomes apparent. In their waking moments, both profess confusion about these dreams, but their friends Ann and Doug explain them away. Even when they catch a glimpse of each other in real life—Marcia riding on a bus, Bill standing on a street corner—they continue to doubt each other’s existence.

When Marcia accepts Farnsworth’s marriage proposal and begins preparing for the big day, the dreams become more intense and begin revealing events that haven’t yet happened—a long night in which Marcia and Bill try to get their new baby to sleep, the death of Marcia’s mother, even the wedding of their daughter. But suddenly the dreams take a sinister turn, as Marcia and Bill find themselves trapped in a terrifying nightmare in which they both find themselves engulfed in flames. They both awaken convinced that something horrible is going to happen the following night at 8 PM—and that, if their dream mate really does exist, they are in danger.

With Ann and Doug as their skeptical sidekicks, Marcia and Bill race wildly about the city in a desperate attempt to find each other. Having no clues to go on other than what they remember about each other from their dreams, Bill and Doug go to Marcia’s old elementary school and then to a chic dance club that she frequents, while Marcia and Ann try to figure out which high school Bill attended and finally end up at a sci-fi convention. They finally both come to the conclusion that the only way to contact each other is for both of them to go to sleep and hopefully have another shared dream. Unfortunately, both them suddenly experience bouts of insomnia—which, at their friends’ prompting, they attempt to relieve through a variety of dubious means. When they finally do fall asleep and see each other again—in the most bizarre dream they’ve had yet—they both awaken with a distinct image in their minds: a caged white rabbit sitting in a tree.

Convinced that if they can just decipher this clue it will lead them to each other, Marcia and Ann search the city for white rabbits, while Bill and Doug visit their old college psychology professor in hopes he might be able to interpret the dream. Finally, exhausted, they both give up as the fatal hour approaches. But all at once Marcia deciphers the clue, which leads her to a an elderly woman trapped in a burning building. Bill finally makes the same connection and, just as the clock is striking eight, rushes into the burning building to save both of them. Marcia and Bill are united at last.

Copyright 2006 Jeffrey Seeman
All Rights Reserved