Introductions #1

My name is Raye and I live inside a writer's head. It's not exactly ideal but I've pretty much gotten used to it. It's not like I go where I'm put. I give Mia only what I feel like and never a jot more.  So when she decided to follow us around for her introductions post I basically blew her off with something about how I was washing my hair that day and probably every day for the next two years.

After that I decided to forget about the whole thing. I figured that was that. It really was not. And now she's standing outside my newly washed car wearing nothing but PJs, a blue jacket, and some worn out slippers that have bunnies on them. Zombie bunnies, that is. I swear she dresses like that just to annoy me.

"I thought you were focussing on your other story?" I narrow my eyes as I lean around her and unlock the driver's door. "You know, the one with the kid who gets sent to Azkaban and is all whiney."

"It's not Azkaban," she bristles and folds her arms. "It's in the future. And I told you we need to do this character piece. We have a deadline."

"Whatever."

I manage to scoot around her and slide into the car. She lets me, which is surprising, but I soon find out why. The passenger door wafts in a cool breeze as she hops in beside me. I didn't even see her run around the car. It must be good to control the physics of the world inside your head.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" I say as I fiddle with my key chain. She grins in that goofy way that she does. I tilt my head and hope that she'll get lost in the way a few autumn leaves blow by or something. Writers sometimes do that.

"You might as well just drive, you know," a voice says from behind me."She will leave us eventually."

I glance into the rear-view mirror and see Tyler sitting there, looking aged in his resignation. We spend enough time together in the same novel without having to do stuff like this. Even aged he looks good though, blonde hair and green eyes that sparkle like jewels. If I didn't know he was a very old zombie I'd guess he was 18 maybe.

"Not until the post," Mia chips in. She waves her pen around before scribbling something down. I roll my eyes at her but she's too busy muttering and staring intensely at her notebook.

"I have a suggestion," another voice calls from my backseat. 

This time I swivel round to find out what exactly is going on and why my car is so populated. There was nobody in here when I left for a pee break. The face I'm met by is unfamiliar. He grins as I glance beside him and see Braelyn, Mia's next big main character in that stupid other book. You know, the one with Azkaban or whatever.

"Anyway." The grinning face clears his throat, he coughs up a beetle.  "Why don't we just drive and see what happens? Now that we're all here that could be fun."

"Just who are you?" I say and try not to stare at his nose. It's greener than the rest of his grey face. Judging from the way he smells I'd say he was an older zombie, one that rots.

"Adam." He smiles and reveals a set of perfect teeth. Disturbing when put next to his black lips. "Please excuse the costume. Mia didn't give me time to change. I moonlight as an extra in her other things."

"Costume?" Tyler leans forward and says. "It's incredibly convincing. It even smells real."

"Thank you." Adam bows his head. " I make them all myself."

"Oh really?" Tyler smiles politely. "So pleasant to meet somebody interested in the textile industry. Tell me, is it-"

"Can we go?" that stupid Braelyn kid butts in. I can call her that because a) she's a full year my junior at sixteen and b) this is my car and she's got to be stupid to think I'll actually continue to let her exist in it. "Only the evil undead minions are almost here and I don't like being eaten."

"What minions?" I say, forgetting how stupid I think she is just momentarily.  Out of the corner of my eye I see Mia claps her hands.

"Just the ones I sent." She laughs. "Brae's right, we should go before they eat us. Also, I gave them a car. I hope you don’t mind."

"Why did you do that? Can they even reach the peddles?" I scowl. 

"I thought it would change up the dynamics nicely." She shrugs. "Plus if we go now we might still make it in time for a late night viewing of the latest Twilight and I just know how much you guys want to see that."

There's this collective groan in answer to her remark as I finally rev the engine to life and pull out into the road. The car that speeds behind us doesn't get any further away as I drive but at least it doesn't advance either. Apparently Mia will go to extraordinary lengths to make this post happen.

So, hi. I'm Raye and currently I'm a little busy trying not to get eaten.