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I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember. At the tender age of seven, I wrote stories called The Evil Apple, Killer Babysitter, and How I tied my shoe with spaghetti. Sure, the stories were three pages long, full of grammatical errors, and made no sense, but they were proof that I was a natural-born writer.

My inspiration for writing is all in my head, literally. As a child, I suffered from social anxiety. I was shy and kept to myself. There’s no wonder why I didn’t have friends. To fill that void, my mind created friends of its own accord. You can call me crazy, but the best years of my life were when I heard voices in my head. My life got even better when I was able to see them and go into their world. Luckily, I found a few friends who also enjoyed diving into my newly formed world. We had adventures, fought bad guys, and learned to use our magical abilities. Thing is, as I reached adulthood my “imaginary friends” wouldn’t go away. They wanted to keep playing and as a mother of three toddlers, I couldn’t make the time. So, I write. I write about our crazy, weird, or disturbing adventures and compile it all into The Blood of the Imagined book series.

I’ve devoted my life to writing and by the end of this year, I’ll have my Creative Writing for Entertainment Bachelors degree. I’ll use the knowledge I’ve gained to convert my book into many different forms of entertainment from a comic series to a podcast. I’m even working on a videogame script. I’m attempting to make my stories easy for anyone to digest. In a perfect world, I would monetize my passion by selling comic books, novels, video games, stuffies, action figures, erotic toys, cosplay costumes, posters, jewelry, etc. You name it, I’ll do it for my BOTI brand.

Writing just comes so naturally to me. There's nothing like the feeling I get when I complete a description. When I can visualize, taste, smell, and feel what I'm writing about, it gives me shivers. I get so excited that I can't wait to share it. I also go crazy when I can't find a way to share it. Everything is so vivid in my mind that when I look back at a scene, I feel like I watched it in a movie. One day.

Depression is the most common mental disorder now and days. My best friend had it in middle school and by bringing her into my world, she broke through and found happiness. To this day, she interacts with my “friends” and has mini adventures here and there. Everyone needs a mental vacation home when things in this world become too stressful. I welcome anyone and everyone to my world, although I can’t physically bring them in. I invite them to experience it through BOTI. In that way, we’re all family…at least that’s what President Clay would say. (Character in BOTI). Why should others care about BOTI? BOTI is a home. It’s not just a book or a comic or a soon-to-be videogame (I hope), it’s where my friend and I grew up. All are welcome to become a part of our depression butt-kicking family. That sounded weird, but I’m not taking it back.

For any curious people, this is the story of how I met my “friends.”

Spiraling into Insanity

By: Rayna Scott

Rain droplets glide down the misty bus window. Each droplet races to the bottom to escape the raging tempest. The deluge masks the windows and bombards the roof with various attacks. As if not noticing the weather, the other students chat mindlessly. Each bus seat houses three students, all of them packed into the brown leather seating like sardines.

I sit alone in the middle of the bus near the emergency exit. My eyes catch a glimpse of a group of raindrops sliding down my window. The raindrops stream down to the bottom, leaving one raindrop alone. It trails behind them, never seeming to catch up. Before the lone droplet can make it to the bottom, it’s swept away by a gale. My gaze is fixed on the spot where it was blown away.

Suddenly, the bus screeches to a halt. The double doors swing open and the students flow out of the bus. I grip my umbrella and follow the flow of tweens into the storm. I flip open my umbrella and as suddenly as I do, the gale whisks it away. In the distance, it flutters in the breeze toppling on the ground like a tumbleweed. Rain showers over me, drenching me from head to toe in seconds. I stare up at the sky emotionless. I follow the sea of umbrellas and enter Cross Keys Middle School unaware of the warning signs the universe is trying to convey.

I bulldoze my way through the crowd and enter my deserted classroom. The white tile floor seems to glisten from the fluorescent light fixtures above it. Rows of tablet arm desks face the front of the room. Stray marks from the Expo dry erase markers stain the otherwise pure white dry erase, board. Posters making lame English Composition jokes scatter the bulletin board along with color-coded sticky notes. I trudge past the window to get to my desk in the back of the classroom. Rain pours out of the sky in sheets. I slip into the arctic feeling metal chair. The frost settles in on my back and butt as the chair causes chills to ripple up and down my body. After my chills cease, I toss my dripping backpack on the ground beside me. I rip my notebook from the clutches of my backpack and begin sketching buildings.

Time flies by almost in seconds and I find myself surrounded by my fellow students. The instructor is at the board scribbling while she preaches.

Almost like an alarm, a clamorous male voice echoes in my mind drowning out my teacher’s ramblings.

“Hey there, girly,” the voice says.

I look around my classroom at my schoolmates. They all stare intently at the instructor.

Charisse’s eyes catch mine.

“You’re rude,” the voice says.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“Charisse,” Charisse says, her eyes not leaving mine. “I’ve been sitting next to you for months now.”

I glance at her. “I wasn’t speaking to you.”

“Hahaha! She totally thinks you're nuts,” the voice says. “Try thinking what you want to say,”

My eyes review the room once more. “Who are you? Scratch that, what are you doing in my mind?”

“Your mind?” he asks. “Aren’t we conceited?”

“We?”

“You. You’re conceited,” he says.

“What are you doing in my head?” I ask.

“She’s still looking at us,” he says.

My attention turns to Charisse.

Charisse’s wide Hershey kiss-colored eyes concentrate on me.

“Want me to tell her to get lost?” he asks. “She’s creeping me out with those big ‘ole owl eyes.”

“I doubt you have the right to talk about anyone.”

“Yeah, you’re right. We are sociopaths,” he says.

“Speak for yourself.”

“I am yourself. And we’re psycho.”

“I’m not psycho. I’m like everyone else in this classroom.”

“You know, most people who say they’re normal, aren’t,” he says with a purr.

“I’m over talking to voices in my head. Go away!” I say.

He chuckles. “Is that your final answer?”

I ignore him.

A warm, firm hand grips my neck and pulls me inward. I begin to plummet into the darkness of my subconsciousness. My senses connected to my body break and the picture of my class seems to fade away. I gasp for air; the descent sucks the air out of my lungs. My body spirals out of control. I shut my eyes, sensing the bottom of whatever I was plummeting into. I crash face-first into the earth.

My body aches as I heave myself from the ground. Vibrant green grass slithers across my hands as a gentle breeze forces the blades to dance. I review my surroundings. “A meadow?” I ask.

“Sure is. We’re on the outskirts of Sunshine Valley,” the male voice says. A teenage boy with pale skin and lusciously green locks appears before me. His emerald green eyes smile down at me as he gestures to help me up.

I grab his hand and with little effort, he yanks me to my feet.

“Hey there, I’m Clay. Nice to finally meet you in the flesh.” He grins.

“Clay?”

“Yeah. And you must be Iggy,” he says.

“No. Rayna.”

“Try again. Your sister’s name is Rayna, and she lives in Neon.”

“How could…?”

“You’re pretty dense for someone that shares this body with me,” Clay says with a chuckle.

“Dense? How dare you?”

Clay grips my arm and stares into my eyes. His voice is soothing yet terrifying. “You don’t understand people, you’re unfeeling and distant and that’s how you end up alone. Do you want to be alone?”

I shake my head.

“You need to accept that you’re not normal. You’re one of us and that’s even better than normal,” he says. “Wanna know how you can become one with us?”

I nod.

“Good. Let’s go.” He snaps his fingers.

My body tingles. Atom by atom I start to disappear. My screams bend and evaporate into the air. My vision is distorted and slowly a forty-foot gate appears before me. My surroundings change, placing me in another part of their world.

“Remember that city you drew this morning? This is it,” Clay says.

I hold onto the cold metal of the gate and peer through the bars. “Can we go in?”

“You can’t, not until you face your demons.”

“Demons?”

A low growl radiates from behind us.

“Time to prove yourself,” Clay says. He snaps and disappears.

“Wait, Clay!” I say.

A large beast made of darkness towers above me. Its white glowing eyes seemed to study my every move. Its fangs spill out of its mouth. Darkness drips off the creature and stains the once vibrant colored grass.

“Oh God,” I murmur.

Clay appears on the top of the gate. He and two others watch me.

“Clay! Please help me!”

“He can’t!” an emo boy says. “If you want to live, and trust me you can die here, you need to fight.”

The beast charges me and rams me into the gate. As I smack into the metal bars I hear a gong and a bright light flashes in my eyes. I drop to the ground. In a daze, I stare up at the creature.

The beast towers above me again, this time on its hind legs. It pounds its claws down onto my tiny frame, trampling me. Its three-inch claws rip at my skin, tearing skin from flesh and flesh from bone. A stabbing and stinging sensation rages over me like a storm.

“Clay!” I screech.

Clay’s solemn eyes gaze at me. “You need to let go. Just let it go!”

I close my eyes and force myself into the fetal position.

The beast sinks its dagger-like teeth into my side. My eyes shoot open as I cry out in agony. “This isn’t real!”

“Yes, Iggy. It is. This is real for us!” a blonde boy says.

“Just let it go!” Clay shouts.

“I’m normal!” I scream.

The beast chomps into my side.

I clench up, unable to cry anymore. I watch as my crimson blood pools around the beast’s paws. A chill runs through my veins. My vision blurs and the area seems to spin around me. My once tense body loosens, and I stare into the eyes of the beast as it feasts on my flesh. It tears open my abdomen from the side, its head tilts up and down as it slurps up my entrails. My nerves go numb, only feeling a slight tug when it takes a bite. Blood sprinkles over my toneless face, reminding me of the lone rain droplet. “I know something’s wrong with me,” I whimper.

The beast pauses.

“I’m socially awkward and I don’t have any friends. I doubt anyone would even remember me when I’m gone.” Warm tears seep out of my eyes and trail down my cheeks. “I’m all alone, Clay.”

Clay’s eyes glisten with tears. “Oh, here comes the feels.” He waves his hand in front of his face.

“I’m a sociopath, a pessimist, and apparently I hear voices, but if you can look past all my flaws, I’d love to be your friend,” I say.

The smoky beast disappears.

Clay and his brothers, Trey and Devin, appear next to me.

Clay wipes his tears away and smiles. He snaps and my wounds heal themselves.

My flesh crawls across bone, my skin stretches over my flesh, and my blood pours back into my body.

Clay helps me to my feet. “Of course we can be friends. Trust me, I have way more problems.”

Trey nods. “Way more. Disturbing crap too.”

Clay glares at Trey. “Okay, she gets it!”

I giggle to myself.

Clay yanks me into an embrace.

A warmth caresses me and wraps around me like a shroud. “Thank you.”

Clay blushes and shakes me off. “For what?”

“Bringing me here,” I say. “Can I go to the city now?”

“Sure thing,” he says.

The large metal gates open.

“But someone needs to phase into the body; class is over,” Clay says.

“We can do that?” I ask.

“Cool huh?” Clay says with a smirk. “Devin!”

“I’m on it,” Devin says. “It was really nice meeting you, Iggy. Enjoy your tour of Sunshine Valley okay?” He turns and waves.

“I will,” I say.

Devin snaps and disappears.

We reopen our eyes. The fluorescent lights flood our vision. After a few seconds, sherds of the classroom reveal themselves. We feel Charisse’s gaze. We glance back at her and smile.

She smiles in return and stands up. “Would you like to eat lunch with me?” she asks.

“You bet,” Devin says, his voice comes out of my lips.

She looks startled for a moment then she smiles. “Come on.” She gathers her belongs and signals to the door.

We glance out of the window. Raindrops trickle from the roof and plop on the moist ground. A single raindrop trails down the windowsill. It splits into five other raindrops and they scale the window together. A rainbow stretches over the periwinkle sky. We smile.

It went something like that. One day I went to school, and I heard voices. Do you know how terrifying it was to hear different voices in your head? I thought I was going to be a serial killer! I've grown so much as a person since then. I owe all my progress to my "friends." Anywho, that was the start of my true passion. I have a story that only I can tell, and I can't wait to share it!