Dude, did I just hallucinate?

Last night, went to bed late.  Had to get up early.  Knew I wouldn't be getting much more than five hours of sleep.  And I really needed more than five hours of sleep, as I'd only had that same amount the night before.

So, of course, it took me forever to fall asleep.  Much tossing, turning, going in and out of the semi-consciousness of dream-land.

Woke with a start.  As if ... as if something about the room I was in had just changed in some significant way.  Looked beside me in bed and saw my cat climb out of the covers next to me and over onto the nightstand.

OK, reality check:  When I went to bed, my door was closed and the cat was on the other side of it.  I think I would've noticed if a cat was in bed with me.  But the evidence was unmistakable.  Covers next to me had that "something was here and now it's not" look to them.  And even though my lights are off, I can see the cat on the nightstand by the light of the alarm clock.

I quickly reach over to move my glasses into the drawer (like I do when I let the cat in in the morning -- so she won't play with them).  I can hear her batting around the cap I had taken off the water bottle, so I stick that in the drawer, too.

Voice inside my head is back on the reality path:  "The cat," it says, "is not there."

"But," say my eyes, "I see her, curled up around the water bottle."  My ears come in with backup, "And I heard her bat around the cap to the water bottle."

I call in my hand to mediate the dispute.  Hand reaches out to where I see the fluffy black tail, and touches only the cold plastic of the TV remote.  Hand touches space where I see little kitty black and white furry head ... and feels air.  Hand suggests eyes take another look at the door, which is still closed tight.  Hand comes in with a final ruling:  There is no cat in this room. 

I sheepishly open the nightstand drawer and replace my eyeglasses and the water bottle cap.  

I realize now that sleep is imperative, and I manage to fall asleep -- although not without a solid attack of the heebies.