Zoe woke up and knew instantly that the events of the last night were not a dream. She never remembered her dreams, but she clearly remembered everything that had happened to her, right up until she put down the glass and crawled into bed, dumbstruck.

She had always wondered how crazy people must feel. Now she knew. It was actually quite exhilirating. She hadn't decided who to tell (if anyone) but she was so confident that she wasn't dreaming, that something truly extraordinarily happened, that the mundane details of who would believe her seemed trivial. She didn't yet feel confident enough to deal with the glass object, safely hidden under her shirt on her desk. But she at least felt confident enough in her apparent insanity to face the world.

She got dressed and skipped down the stairs. Halfway down she remembered that she lost her bike. She'd have to catch the bus to school. Oh well, she thought. She could handle it.

Downstairs, her mother was cooking breakfast. Upon further examination, she was cooking breakfast for someone sitting in the breakfast nook, drinking coffee and reading the paper. It was her father.

Zoe

Dad?

He looked up. When had he come home? He wore a ratty bathrobe, but he was clean-shaven for a change.

Dad

What do you want, kiddo? Surprised to see me?

Zoe

Well....

Zoe didn't press the point. Stranger things had happened, after all.

Her mother was completely ignoring her. It was for the best, Zoe decided. Her father didn't give any indication that he cared about her stealing his gin, or talking back to her mother—predictably. He never confronted Zoe about anything.

Dad

Do you have school today?

What a stupid question, Zoe thought. Of course she did, it was Wednesday.

Zoe

Yeah. I have to catch the bus. So—bye.

Dad

Bye.