Chocolate Box-My Imaginary Friend

" Here " Kincross says from behind my right shoulder, " let me take a look at what you're writing. Is it about me? "

Kincross is quiet for a second, which surprises me because my Werewolf has never been the quiet type. This can't be a good sign, especially when the second turns into a minute and I hear her growl " an imaginary friend? Write a dialog with an imaginary friend? "

" That's what it says Kincross " I tell her.

" I'm not imaginary and I'm not part of your subconscious either " she says quickly.

" If only." I snap " You're TOO pushy and noisy to be imaginary. Go on, go howl at the moon or something, I have work to do "

" I want my story told. " she says darkly.

" I want to be six inches taller and fifty pounds lighter but it ain't gonna happen in the next half hour.So get lost, go kill a Vampire or something I have to get this exercise done right now. "

" Okay. I'm sorry Anita. " she says with feeling.

" That's alright. "

I can hear her talking to my cat, and then I can hear the chair at my husband's work desk, the one on wheels, coasting from one end of the room to the other. I can hear Darwin my cat chasing something around and I'm guessing Kincross and Darwin are racing each other.

" Anita? " she stage whispers. I use the word whispers very lightly. You could probably hear her over the end of the world right now but she IS whispering. And she won't stop she sounds like some weird primitive cave woman chanting my name AnitaAnitaAnitaAnitaAniiiiittttAnittta "

" WHAT? WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW? DO YOU WANT TO BE TALLER IN THE NEXT STORY? YOUNGER? OR IS IT BLOND AND SKINNY? WHAT DO YOU WANT? "

" The phone is ringing. "

" OUT! Get out NOW! " I yell.

" You shouldn't talk out loud like that, people are going to start thinking your mental or something. " Kincross says, her voice dripping with concern and honey. Neither of which is in her nature.

" Is so in my nature...hey, what the heck are you saying about me there? "

" Are you watching? " I ask.

I look back and her eyes are narrowing, " Yes. "

" Once upon a time a self absorbed Werewolf got hit by a bus loaded with silver bullets and she died and never bothered her Author again. The end. "

" Oh very funny. "

I turn back to my keyboard and start to write and two seconds go by. Then a minute. No Kincross. I look out my door, under my desk. It's quiet it's actually...

" Go on, you missed me " my Werewolf says as she jumps down from the top of my bookshelf. She looks very pleased with herself and she sounds pleased as well.

" I really want to finish this. " I tell her.

" Oh, alright, but I'm not going anywhere...you know that right? "

I sure do.

Kincross is whistling, something I wish I could do and she looks over my shoulder again.

" I'd end there if I were you. "

" I look back and she actually pulls away. " FINE I'll just go sit until her Majesty is ready. "

And as I type away we both start snickering, " imaginary friend " we both say at the same time.

" Hey that's fun " Kincross says " let's do another one of these exercise things. "

"GET OUT KINCROSS"

And she actually does...for about two minutes.

What a record.

THE NEXT DAY:

Kincross is standing next to my computer tapping her foot and whistling " Ode To Joy"
when I walked into my work room this morning. I ignored her so she went into a loud shrill rousing rendition of " We are the Champions. "

I wish she had air in her lungs, then she'd have passed out by now and I wouldn't have to listen to her love herself anymore.

" Nasty nasty thing to wish on your friend " she says as I start to write. " nasty thing to say about your friend who was a big hit up at the Abbey. "

" Oh, it's about to get nastier because I have to post a note about our rehearsal and all I have to report is... " while I worked very hard on our project and actually cared about it my imaginary friend goofed off, chased my cat around the room and bugged me the entire time and actively tried to scuttle our project? "

She looks up in remembrance and nods, " yes, that's exactly what happened only you forgot about the part where your nasty temper got the best of you and you kept screaming at me like a little baby. "

She watches the letters fill up the screen and nods. " Yep, that looks right. "

Wonderful silence...wonderful qui....

" Oh Anitttaaaaaahhhhh ? " Kincross says in a ghostly voice.

" What? "

" Can I ask you a question?"

" What? " I stop everything I'm doing and look at her, I'm hoping if I pay attention to her for few minutes in return I may get a few minutes of peace and quiet.

" That was it, hahahah. "

" God! go AWAY! "

" No really, who are all these strangers in my town...why are they in Duwamish. " she asks primly, back straight with her hands behind her back. She rocking back and forth on her heels and looking up at the ceiling like she's reading something that's written up there.

" They're visiting Kincross. "

" That's nice, when are they leaving? "

" When they feel like it Kincross. "

" Duwamish doesn't work that way you know. "

I look at her and she looks at me and I have to say, " I know. "

" Good place to end this? " I ask.

Kincross nods and for once I agree.


© anita marie moscoso 2005-text