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first question you have for me? Where are my shoes?”
    “You look funny without shoes,” I said. “You’ve just got little paws.”
    The rabbit looked down at his brown paws. There were a couple little white spots near the toes, but other than that he was mostly brown except for the white fur around his mouth. His left ear slumped a little and his right stood straight up like it had been starched.
    “Ma’am,” said the rabbit, “I hardly think that’s what we ought to discuss right here and now.”
    “I’m sorry,” I told him. “You’re right. Gawd, what’s happening? I’ve gone crazy. I’m hallucinating.”
    The rabbit said nothing, watching me clutch my head, pacing back and forth.
    “There’s a gas leak down here,” I told him. At this, his little black nose twitched. “I’ve got to get out of the basement.”
    The rabbit stuck his paws in the pockets of his pants. “Now you just wait for one moment, young lady. I’ve been waiting a long time to talk to you and the least you can do is listen to what I have to say.”
    I opened my mouth, then shut it. No. No, Alice, you’re not responding to an imaginary rabbit. That’s crazy. I walked past the hallucination to the staircase, climbing it two steps at a time, not glancing over my shoulder.
    Back at the check-out desk, Mary raised one eyebrow, setting down the stack of books she was checking in. “Find something interesting down there?”
    “What?” I asked, eyes wide. “What do you mean? How did you know?”
    Mary laughed quietly behind closed lips. “Oh, I’ve found dozens of books down there that gave me pause. Only a true booklover sees beauty in those old tomes.”
    “Yeah …” I turned, glancing at the door leading to the staircase. It was closed. Somewhere on the first floor, someone was leafing through rough pages of paper and the sound reminded me of the snake, causing my head to feel light for a moment. I turned back to Mary and nearly cried out.
    “We really need to talk,” said the rabbit. He was sitting atop Mary’s metal filing cabinet. Right behind her!
    Mary caught my eye and turned, glancing in the direction of the rabbit. She turned back to me. “What is it, dear?”
    “I …”
    “She can’t see me,” the rabbit said. “Not unless I want her to.” The rabbit started laughing, slapping his leg. “Hoo-boy, would that be a hoot! Should I do it?”
    “No!” I said, a little too loud. I lowered my voice and said, “Mary, can I go home? I have a lot of chores to do around the house this weekend.”
    Mary smiled. “Of course, dear. I’ll see you on Monday, right?”
    I nodded, forcing a smile. “Definitely. Thank you.”
    Outside, the clouds had parted and the sun’s rays kissed my skin. Back to reality, I thought. A warm sun. A nice day. Almost summer vacation. Whatever had just happened …
    “Ahem!”
    “I’m not looking,” I said, walking down the sidewalk. The library was located in the center of town, just a mile away from my parents’ house. The sidewalk took me up Mooreland Avenue, a busy street lined with restaurants and a little cream-colored strip mall with a nail salon.
    “You need to go back and get that pen,” said the rabbit. He’d caught up with me even though I was moving at a brisk pace. He was walking more or less like a human being would. I was surprised he wasn’t hopping. Rabbits hop. So clearly this was a hallucination.
    “I don’t need to do anything,” I said, “except take two Tylenol and go to bed.”
    “Good gracious, young lady, I’m trying to help you!”
    I stopped and turned to him, jabbing a finger at his face. His whiskers twitched fiercely. “You don’t exist!”
    “I’m afraid I do,” said the rabbit. “That’s the problem.”
    “That’s one of them,” I muttered, starting forward again. Just five more blocks, a quick right down Augden Drive, then three more blocks. I needed a nap. That was the problem here. The science exam had taken a lot out of me.