I’ll never forget that day I’d been hired by an eccentric millionaire to be his house sitter. Admittedly, the job description entailed more than simply watering plants and keeping burglars at bay. With a mansion the size of a small city, complete with robotic butlers and a fully automated personal gym, my primary job was to spend the majority of my time in the VR room - to enjoy the retired billionaire’s priciest toy.

His collection of VR games was extensive, ranging from adrenaline-pumping high-speed car races through urban jungles to serene farming simulators set in lush valleys. But one particular game caught my attention. This game, titled ‘House Chore Simulator,’ involved maintaining a virtual household, doing chores like laundry, cooking, even cat-sitting. And speaking of cats…

I wasn’t alone in that sprawling mansion; I was accompanied by a horde of kittens. Yes, kittens - dozens of them. Surprisingly chubby kittens, waddling about like little balls of fur and spunk. Maybe it was the automated feeding system that was too generous with servings or simply the millionaire’s love for well-fed felines.

Anyhow, back on my adventures in the ‘House Chore Simulator.’ With virtual mop in my hands and housemaid apron strapped on securely, I began my day in simulated domesticity. But the monotony of virtual chores made me yearn for a detour.

So, I commanded my in-game avatar to board an Uber, headed for a surprise destination. As the virtual sedan pulled over, I stepped in, and off we went, heading north into the mountains.

The roads were treacherously narrow, winding, and, to my surprise, slick with virtual rain. The driver demonstrated exceptional skill, effortlessly drifting the car through hairpin bends. But wasn’t this a detour from my usual day job?

Four hours of virtual time whizzed by, and we seemed no closer to my mysterious destination. I should’ve been at work, but this glitch in the matrix had sent me off on a tangent. My heart pounded in my virtual chest as I pondered my next steps.

Choices -aren’t they the cornerstone of every great adventure? Should I request the Uber to turn back? Should I book a hotel room and stay the ‘night’? I decided to leave a virtual voicemail to inform my virtual boss of my absence.

Suddenly, a strange sensation coursed through my virtual self. The headset felt too real … too tangible. “Oh no, this isn’t a dream, is it?” I thought. Hastily, I removed the VR headset, only to realize I had indeed been house-sitting the entire time. The game was so immersive that I’d unthinkingly conflated virtual reality with my reality. Now that’s what I call an error in dreaming!

Suddenly, my medical device, a CPAP machine I’ve been using for sleep apnea, beeped menacingly, indicating a malfunction. “Diagnostics required,” it droned in an annoyingly robotic monotone.

And so my day ended on a rather surreal note. Caught in a whirl of reality, virtual reality, and dreams, I ultimately realized the importance of distinguishing between them. In the end, this unnerving escapade in virtual reality made my job as a VR house sitter all the more intriguing.