Emma gazed up at the dream catcher hanging above her bed. It was a gift from her grandmother, handmade with a willow hoop, feathers, and beads. She had given it to Emma on her 6th birthday, telling her that it would catch all her bad dreams and only let the good ones through.
At first, Emma was skeptical. How could some string and feathers stop nightmares? But as the years went by, she came to treasure the dream catcher, believing it really did have mystical powers over her slumber.
Now 17, Emma was packing for college. She had decided to leave the childish dream catcher behind, though it pained her to part with it. Running her fingers over the soft feathers, she remembered all the nights it had guarded her sleep. With a sigh, she took it down from above her bed.
That night, Emma had a terrible nightmare, the first in many years. Dark shadowy figures chased her through an abandoned house as she searched fruitlessly for an exit. She woke with a scream, heart pounding. Glancing above her bed, she realized her mistake. The dream catcher was gone, and the nightmares had returned.
The next night was even worse. Emma dreamt she was lost in a deep, misty forest, stumbling blindly as unseen beasts stalked her. Again she woke in a panic, sheets soaked with sweat. She desperately wished she had brought her dream catcher to college.
The third night, Emma had the most terrifying nightmare yet.She clawed at the cave walls, hoping to break free from the closing space. She inhaled sharply and came to, feeling panicked. She realized she couldn’t survive like this. She needed to recover her dream catcher.
Emma called her grandma the next morning and tearfully explained what had happened. “Oh sweetie,” her grandma soothed. “The dream catcher isn’t magical. It only works when you believe in it.” She promised to send the dream catcher right away.
The day it arrived, Emma hung the dream catcher in her dorm room with reverence. That night as she drifted off, she stared at its familiar feathers and let her belief sink in. “You can do it,” she whispered. “Keep the nightmares away.”
In her dreams, Emma found herself back in the misty forest, heart pounding as the unseen beasts crept closer. But suddenly the dream catcher was there too, floating before her, its feathers glowing. The creatures recoiled from its light as Emma gazed at it unafraid.
With the dream catcher leading the way, the forest around her changed. The mist faded away and exposed lovely green meadows full of flowers. The sun shone warmly overhead as birds sang in the trees. Emma laughed joyfully and ran through the peaceful land, the dark nightmares banished.
When she woke, sunlight was streaming through her dorm window. The dream catcher hung silently above her bed. Emma knew now its power came not from magic, but belief. As long as she trusted in it, it would guard her dreams. She smiled up at its feathers. “Thank you,” she whispered.
