We Love You, Bunny

Aerius resumes his narrative. He spends months in Ursula’s cottage. She pressures him to write but also to frequently spend time with her and takes a sexual interest in him. Leonard (the famous poet) has been transformed into a rabbit after Aerius killed him and now lives with Ursula and Aerius.

Ursula makes vague promises to help Aerius return to his “Lost Self,” and he is hopeful that she will fulfil these promises. Ursula also asserts that she has ownership over the narrative Aerius is writing because she has created the conditions and inspiration for his creativity. Aerius privately disagrees but does not argue with Ursula.

Ursula is planning to present Aerius’s manuscript at her upcoming showcase, and she explains that this manuscript is intended to revive her stalled literary career. Ursula warily trusts Aerius even though he refuses to show her the work in progress. Aerius confides to the reader that he has misled Ursula about what he is actually writing.

Aerius explains that when Ursula asks him to write “Flashes from the Other World” (390) so that she can resurrect her literary career, he is anxious and afraid.