Chapter Text
Puppet I
The curtains open, a puppet stand in the stage alone, his arms and body move as he begins to talk “This story happened to me when I was seven years old, back them my powers were beginning to develop and I had little control over them, it was a cold morning, we were camping near a forest, my family was busy with preparing for the show that night, I was playing around with Mirtala, I remember that Dion said something mean to me, like I was being lazy for not help like him and Frazzie because they didn’t had time to play around when they were my age, I remember being angry, then a pebble flew off the ground and hitted Dion right behind his head, I didn’t want to do that, well part of me did, but I didn’t really throw that with my hands, Dion looked back at me with anger, I was scared so I ran, into the forest, and there I got lost.
Mind I
Lili had a secret, and secrets are meant to be shared, not with everyone, just the persons that we trust, no one can hold a secret forever, it devours someone sooner or later, so the secret needs to be passed on, and the only person she trusts is her boyfriend, Raz. While Morris was suggesting to go alone in today's survey, Lili dragged Raz around the back of the house.
“What’s so important that you need to tell me here and not inside” Raz asked.
“Shut up, listen, I’m gonna tell you something and if you make fun of me or tell any one I will kill you” Lili said with a serious look in face.
“Okay” Raz responded.
“Promises to not laugh”
“Promises”
Lili took a deep breath, the wind started to blow, she got close to Raz, like she wanted to whisper something in his ear.
“I been hearing something since I got here” Raz reacted like any one would, perplexed.
“That’s crazy”
“I’m know, but I hearing it, since the moment I step out of the van, I been hearing something like someone calling to me, in my mind”
“Someone trying to play a psychic prank you perhaps”
“Shut up Raz and listen, I thought that as well, but then it just got more and more clear, yesterday I found out who it was”
Raz remained silent, Lili gave him a look to ask her the question “Who was it ?”
“It was the forest” Lili said trying to hold a excited smile. Raz look at her like she was truly crazy.
“Lili that is literally impossible, plants can’t think, they don’t have a mind of their on”
“So let me show you then” Lili grabbed the back of Raz head and pressed her own forehead into his, linking their minds together, Lili could feel the slight worry and fear that Raz was feeling at the moment “Focus Raz” She said, transmitting her thoughts to him. Lili was trying to transmit something she got yesterday during her walk in the forest, there she heard clear, the words of the forest.
“HELP HER”
Raz jumped backwards, he heard the words as well, it’s not words, more like a feeling, a sensation, something outwardly and unexplainable, he never heard of it, with all the knowledge of his adventures and his collection of True Psychic Tales comic he never seen anything like that “What was that ?”
“That was the forest” Lili said plainly.
“That is impossible”
“I know” Lili had a smile in her face “Never a psychic was able to communicate with plants before but, right at this moment, me Lili Zannoto, might be the first ever to have establish a psychic link with a whole forest”
“I’m sure you are excited about that, but what about this ‘voice’ said, who is he talking about ?”
“Oh, I thought about, and I can only think that is the ghost”
“That even crazier Lili, ghosts don’t exist”
“And yet the forest is talking to me in my head, there is a lot of things we don’t know about and can’t explain, these is one of them, the forest feels her pain and it’s asking to help her”
“How ?”
“I don’t know” Lili shrug “Guess they are asking for us to find a way to send her to the other side or something”
“Okay so let’s do it then, we tell the others…” Lili jumped and held Raz’s arm to stop him.
“No way, we are not telling this to anyone else, they are gonna think I’m crazy”
“Okay, so just us them, we go together to survey and then we go in the forest and…”
“Nooo” Lili interrupted Raz “We go tonight”
“Why ?”
“Because the ghost only appears at night dummy” Lili made that face of mockery that Raz was so familiar with.
“So… you wanna sneak into the forest tonight, so we can find a ghost that the forest is telling in your head for us to help”
“Yes that’s exactly what I want to do”
“This is crazy Lili”
“Ah come on Raz, live a little, if we didn’t do stuff like this you would never be a Psychonauts in the first place”
Raz thought that she had a point, if he never did run away from home, he would never be where he is, and never meet Lili, and never had learned that…
“You would never have me in your head” Galochio whispered in his mind. The point was, sometimes you have to be daring if you wanna achieve something, even if it sounds crazy. Raz let out a sigh.
“Alright, let’s do it” He said, not really enthusiastic about it.
“Great, tonight we wait for everyone to fall asleep and then we sneak out, got it, don’t fall asleep on me, or I will make you regret it” Lili gave him a little punch in the shoulder.
“Ouch, okay, okay I won’t”
“Let’s go back before they come looking for us, I bet Lizzie is gonna say something like ‘Do you guys are done kissing each other in private’ Urgh I like Lizzie, but sometimes she can such a drag” Lili said entering the house.
“Look at that someone is sharing secrets while someone else is here hiding then, I do wonder how this is gonna end” Galochio said.
“Shut up” Raz said to his other self.
As they walked down the streets trying to talk to strangers, Lili looked at Raz, trying not to remember what happened in the last mission, but the memory was still vivid in her head.
Flashback: The Re-Awakening
They went through the secret door that Sam had discovered, follow down a staircase downstair, there they found a laboratory, stretching far and wide through the underground, there they found Harland Gaines wearing what it look like a fancy party mask that covered the top of his face, he them started to make his villain speech, to each Lili didn’t pay much attention too, he was too silly to be taken serious, he then revealed a small controller, he said when he pushed the that button he would kill everyone that was upstairs, poison gas was gonna fill the party room and there will be no way to escape, she thought it was a bluff, but then he just pressed the button without even thinking about it, perhaps Lili had misjudged the man, they thought they had really lost there, a bunch of people dead on their hands, Adam was furious, Lizzie was doubtful, Sam knew nothing bad had really happen because the others were upstair, Lili felt nothing, it was weird, like she could not really care for what tragedy had just happen, Raz broke down, he falled to his knees. This is the part where Lili keeps playing in her head over and over again.
Raz was hunched in the floor, Sam was the first one to notice “Guys, there is something wrong with Raz” She said, everyone look at him, bubbles of water were forming around him while he had his head pressing against the ground, grunting in pain, he put his hands over his head and let out a terrible scream, a shockwave pushed everyone away from him, Sam end up hitting her head against a wall knocking her unconscious, water had manifest in the place, a small lake had form in the floor, Harland took this chance to run away, scared and confused, Lili saw him running, then looked at the others Lizzie and Adam were trying to make Sam wake up, Raz as nowhere to be seen. Harland made to exit, the doors open revealing Galochio on the other side, he raised his left arm at Harland, a portion of water flew from the thin air into Harland's head, covering it like a bubble, making him drown in it.
“I don’t know what is happening or where I’m, or who you are, but at the moment I really hate you, So I’m gonna kill you” Galochio said.
“No” Lili shouted firing a volley of psi-blasts, one burst the water bubble, Harland fell unconscious on the floor, the other were deflected by Galochio psychic shield.
“Ah yes, the girlfriend” Galochio said looking at Lili “My friends, how long has it been ? last time I saw you all, I was about to kill all of you” Galochio started to float above the ground, water surrounding him as he moved forward.
“What’s going on with Raz… wait is that his Maligula, that Galochio guy ?” Adam asked “Not now of all times”
“Pooter you have to get back in control this instant” Lizzie said.
Lili look at Galochio, shocked in her expression.
“Where is the rest of your group, there is only Lamppost, scarecrow, squirrel girl and the girlfriend, ah no matter, let’s pick up where we left off” The water of the ground move itself, surrounding them like a wall, it was like a storm as happening in that room.
“If we need to, we will beat you” Lili said.
Galochio laughed “Just the three of you, you are underestimating the situation you are in” Galochio raised his hand in the air, he would descend it and unleash the full force of his power on them, but what happen was that he let out a grunt, his body trashed in the air, like he was fighting something else “Get out” He said grunting at the nothing, “No it’s mine” he also said while trashing in the air, the other watched this surreal display confused to what was happening, suddenly Galochio let out a scream of anger, water surrounded him like a vortex and disappear into the thin air. Galochio slowly floated down to the ground and his limp body fell over unconscious in the ground. Raz and Sam were carried outside, to all of them surprise everyone was safe thanks to Morris, later ambulances arrived and the two young children were put in one, Raz woke up a few moments after Sam, he had no memory of what had happened. Later he found out his powers were gone.
Body I
Raz had fallen to his knees, the event has shocked him to his core, not shocked, shatter, the sound of shattering coming from inside of him, the globe, was shatter,water was coming out of it and so the deluge, his head was lowered to the ground as he felt the inside of his head burn and then nothing, he felt nothing, just eternal blackness, he been here once, when Galochio took over him, it felt like a eternity back then, before Lili woke him up, Lili… Lili was there with him, in the basement and so were his friends, he could not be here, he could not just let the dark take him, he needed to go back, get in control. The dark dissipated given place to the core of his mind, the circus stage, Galochio was under the light of the holofort that gave him control over Raz’s body, Raz rushed at him, trying to push him out of the light, Galochio fought back, the both of them struggle against each other grips, then the light flicker and flicker until it got brighter and gone,just the dark again. Raz then woke up in an ambulance outside of the mansion, everyone looked worried and sad.
Later examinations, when then got back to the Motherlobe, found nothing left of Galochio, he had just disappeared from Raz mind, but also his powers were not functioning at all, Otto was marveled by the occurrence and frustrated for not knowing how it happen and how to get them back, Raz on the other hand seem more calm them anyone would expect, if Galochio as gone them that would be good for everyone, even if it took his powers with. But then it happened.
Raz woke up in his bed, like any other day, it was a few minutes before his alarm clock would go off, but he was used to it, he rouse his body out of the bed, feeling a wierd sensation when his feet touch the floor, he didn’t know what it was but he would notice after he gave two steps away from his bed, there was no friction, his bare feet was touching the floor but he could not feel it, the sensation of the contact of his skin with the cold floor was not there, in fact he could not feel anything, the air in his room, the sensation of space, the weight of the clothes on his body, a desire of more sleep, the hunger for breakfast, it was not there, he tried to say anything but no sound came out, he try pinching himself but there was no sensation when his fingers touch the skin of his arm, it was terrifing, it got even worse when he saw himself still laying in bed, it was wierd seeing himself from his own point of view, he knew he was not astral projecting out of his body, there a sensation of conection between his physcal body and his astral form, no at the moment, Raz was completely separeted from his body.
Raz saw his own eyes open, the shock made him let out a soundless scream, his body look at him , or past him and to the rest of the room before rising up, he looked at his hands, somewhat marveld by the fact that he had hands, he trace his fingers on his face and bit the tip of his indicator finger of the right hand, he winced from the slight pain, seeing that his vocal cords worked he started to make other sounds “ Ah, ah, aha haha, aaaaaaahhhhh ma, pa, pe que t, re paparelilotitu… ha ha ha ha hahahahahaha” His body laughed hysterically, flinched forward and rolled out of the bed wincing from the fall still laughing, while Raz watched horrified “I got it” his body said with tears in his eyes from all the laughter.
“So” Galochio said, lifting his gaze to Raz “What is like to be outside of your own body ?” He asked him with a grin while rising up to his feet.
“You, what have you done ? give me back my body” Raz said angrily.
“Your body, no no, this is my body now” Galochio with a laugh, he gave a step forward towards Raz and stumble on his feet, awkwardly, his feet dance around the floor, Galochio was trying to get a hold of the technique of walking “Whoa, whoa there, this is more difficult than it seems” He said stumping against the wall.
“What are you even doing ?”
“Getting a hold of my body” Galochio gave a step forward, followed by another step forward, and another one, a turn and a step forward, there, he had mastered the process to move his legs in conjunction with one another “And now to something a little more interesting” Galochio press his forehead with his fingers and concentrate, he flinch forward a little, and nothing happen, he let out a grunt and nothing, follow by a serie of another grunts.
“What are you doing now ?” Raz asked, truly confused.
“I’m trying to fire a psy-blast at you, but nothing is coming out” Galochio lurched his left arm into the air, nothing happened he let out a grunt of frustration ”What have you done with my powers, why are they not working ?”
“I would ask you the same, what did you do ?”
“No, what did you do ? this is what you're doing, ins’t ?”
“No this is your work, what have done to my powers” Both of them realized, they had no idea of what had happened with themselfs.
“What’s the point of having this body if I can’t use it ?” Galochio groaned in frustration “Well it’s mine now so…” He looked at Raz and started to walk towards him.
“What are you planing, I will stop you” Raz jumped at Galochio, his non tangential body fall past him and hit the floor behind him.
Galochio let out a laugh “Good luck with that” He said looking back at Raz on the floor, he moved forward and open the door of his room, the flint light of the junior agents communal room blinded Galochio for a second, before he could notice someone was in front of him.
“Morning Pooter” Said Lizzie, still on the state of sleep.
“Morning” Galochio said, sounding jovial, he awkwardly walked past her going straight out of the dorms.
“Lizzie you got to stop him, that’s not me it’s Galochio, Lizzie” Raz said, desperately, in vain, she didn’t react to anything that he said.
“Guys, guys, can you hear me ? you got stop me” He said to the others in the room, Sam, Morris and Adam, they didn’t even see him there, it was like he was a ghost, worse, like he didn’t even exist. Raz then found himself in the elevator next to Galochio, he had no idea how he ended up there, one second he was in the dorms, now he is on the elevator going up “What are you planning ?” Raz asked.
“You will see” Galochio said, a grin on his face and worry in Raz. The elevator stop and the door opened, Galochio passed through them, stumbling around a little as he walk, he didn’t still manage the art of walking, his feet stumble in the direction of the cafeteria, he pick up a trail with a plate and filled with what he could put in it, mostly pancakes and bacon, he picked a cup filled with orange juice and sat in one the tables, just before he used his hand to eat he remember of the cutlery, he went off his table and grab a pair, clumsily he hold the fork in one hand and the knife in other, then use it to cut the pancakes piled in front of him, forked it, and guide it to his mouth, the moment he started to chew it, Galochio let out a loud blea moan while he chew his food and swallow it, he proceed to furious stuff more food into his mouth.
Raz watched the scene mouth agape, not only him but everyone else in the cafeteria was watching Galochio savor himself into his breakfast thanks to all the noise he was making. “Could you at least not make so much noise while you eat ?” Raz said.
“This stuff is delicious, taste is wonderful, I always wonder what it would be like” Galochio said out loud, while chewing his food.
“Swallow your food before you speak, and don’t talk to me like that, people are gonna think that I’m crazy” Raz reprended him.
“So what, that’s their problem”
“Raz, what are you doing ?” Said Lili, who was standing right in front of Galochio on the other side of the table.
“Oh hi… uhm” Galochio tried to remember her name.
“Lili” Raz said worriedly, “Lili, can you see me ? That’s not me, that’s Galochio”
“Lili, care to join me for breakfast ?”
“No, I’m really not hungry right now, but you look like you are starving” Lili looks at Galochio face covered with grease and other juices, like he was a baby just trying to eat on his own.
“Clean your face right now” Raz hissed through his teeth pointing out to the napkins on the table, if he wasn’t intangible in the moment he would do it himself.
Lili picked some napkins, she approached Galochio and cleaned his face with “Your face is all dirty, you are eating like a baby” She said.
“I’m sorry, is that I’m famished, and this food is just too delicious”
“I see that you didn’t even change, you are still in your pajamas and you are barefoot” Lili pointed out, a look of worry in her face. “Raz, is there something going on ?”
“Yes, I’m being possessed by my other evil self” Raz shouted vainly.
“No, I’m just very hungry, I will go change when I’m done here” Galochio said, trying to hide a smile on his face.
Lili looked at Galochio, puzzle by his behavior “Okay, see you later then”
“See you later” Galochio said, giving a smug smile at Raz.
“Someone is gonna notice at some point” Raz said
(Not if I can still act like you, and there is nothing you can do) Galochio said psychically with a smug smile while getting back to eat his breakfast.
After finishing his meal, Galochio went back to Raz room, still having trouble to walk on the way, there he put on Raz’s clothes, guided by Raz on how to not put then on backwards, now fully dressed he made his way to the outside of the Motherlobe, Raz followed him unwilling, or more like he could not be far away from him, everytime Galochio distance himself from him, Raz would just be teleported near him, it’s really uncomfortable even if he has no sense of anything at the moment. Outside Galochio basked in the sensation of the warm light of the sun and the gentle breeze of the wind, it was weird for Raz to watch himself be entertained by such minimal things. Galochio made his way to the parking lot of the Lumberstack Diner, he did stumble and fall to the ground multiple times in his way there, scraping his legs a bunch of times, the slight sensation of pain seem to have a big effect to him, what it was a small wound on his knee felt like a burning ache, Raz remember having to deal with that when he was a little kid and seeing the same in his younger siblings. In the parking lot, Galochio run around the place, laughing in the while just like a little kid, time passes and Galochio later is trying to do cartwheels, failing every time and falling on his back, wincing from the pain and getting up to try again, Raz looked at that nearly frustrated on how easy it would be for him to do it, he could tell Galochio how to properly do it, but why would he help him with that. Then Galochio managed to do a perfect cartwheel, and another and another.
“How are you doing that ?” Raz said, perplexed by the sudden agility gained by Galochio.
“Well, I have your body” he did a cartwheel “and your body is slowly adapting to me” he did another cartwheel “or I’m adapting to it” He did another cartwheel “so anything you can do, so can I” he said looking breathless at Raz “I’m done” Galochio laid on the grass feeling the gentle warn of the sun on him “I gonna have a nap and later decide how to use this body of mine”
Galochio seem to slowly fall asleep, so did Raz as well, without even wanting, his eyes close and he felt the darkness surround him, then he open his eyes and saw the blinding light of the sun, he was back to his body, he was happy to be back to feel everything surround him again even if it felt slightly underwhelming when all the pain from Galochio’s falls hitted a second later, he get up and heard a scream of anger, Galochio run at him and jumped past him landing on the ground behind him.
“It will be mine again, just you wait” Galochio said before disappearing, he sounded frustrated, almost crying. Raz went back to The Motherlobe and proceed with his normal day, dreading the thought of Galochio replacing him again, he did not saw him again during the day, but at night, in the darkness of his room he saw his own silhouet there, like he was taunting Raz, because he knew what would trigger the switch, sleep, if Raz would sleep at any moment he would wake outside his body, so he spend the night of that day completely awake, morning of the next day come and Galochio was not there anymore, during the rest of that day he tried the best that he could not fall asleep, but at one moment he blink a moment to long and he was looking at his own body again, smiling smugly at him.
Puppet II
I ran as far as I could, I was scared, Dion looked angry and did not know what he would do to me if he catched me, so I kept running, and when I noticed, I didn’t know where I was, everything looked the same, all the trees look the same, the ground was just the same, I didn’t know the way I came from, I continue to walk completely lost, like the child that I was, I started to cry, confused and alone I was more scared then I have been before. Then it happened.
Mind II
The day passed, Lili and Raz did their survey just like the others, not achieving much just like the day before, returning to base they spent the rest of night like any other, having dinner with the others and joking around. Around nearly 1.00 Am every seem to be asleep, except for Lili and Raz, they pretend to be asleep by going to bed with the others but not sleeping, Lili could’t because of the excitement, Raz because he was getting pretty good a keeping himself awake all the time, barely anyone seem to notice that every so often he was taking naps every other time. Lili warned Raz Psychically that the coast was clear, they changed their clothes from their pajamas to their usual clothes, and silently made their way outside the house taking with them two flashlights. The streets were deserted and as dark it was inside the house, Lili took Raz hand and they both ran together through the streets, stopping at one place where they had access to the forest, lighting the flashlights they both made their way through the trees.
Deep in the forest at night things look different, the ground seems untrustworthy, the branches of trees look like hands, and the slight sound of anything makes you jump, a sensation of fear and excitement washed over Raz, it almost seems nostalgic.
“Hah” He laughed out loud.
“What ?” Lili asked, almost disinterested.
“Is that this seems very familiar, I got lost in a forest once when I was little, not a really good memory and it was a clear day when that happened” Raz said.
“Okay” Lili responded
“So… where are we going ?”
“Can you be quiet I’m trying to figure that out” Lili said slightly angry
“Alright” Raz turned completely quiet.
“Ouch, that was really mean, imagine how mean she is gonna be when she finds out what you've been hiding from her” Galochio said to Raz, he brushed him aside with a gesture.
“That way, I think” Lili points to it.
“You think ?”
“I’m trying to communicate with the trees but they are not responding, but I feel this pull, like there is something calling me, in that direction”
“I don’t fell anything, It could be a trap”
“That’s why you are here, if anything happens you can help me”
“I don’t have any powers at the moment did you forget“
“I’m sure you can improvise, come let’s go” Lili said taking the lead. They walked trough the forest for about five minutes in complete silence, the only sound was the crack of branches and leaves under their foot. Lili felt frustrated, the trees called her out here, but now they would not say anything, was she really tricked into doing this ? but by who ? and why does she fells this pull, like something calling her, so many question and such frustration, she wants to burns something right now maybe that will calm her nerves down.
“I think Lizzie would have like to be here, she would be making all this serial killer jokes at this moment” Raz said.
“Huh huh” Lili responded.
“She would be ruining it too, like shouting that the ghost was there and there, or that would be more Gisu thing”
“Humm” Lili said slightly more annoyed.
“Morris would be all scared like, looking over his shoulder all the time to see if something as not creeping up behind us”
Lili didn’t respond, she was a little more angry now, damn why would he not just shut up.
“And Norma, she would not be here I think, or maybe she would to glout about it, but right now she would not even get out of that house, do you think that she is okay ?”
“Would you shut up” Lili said slightly annoyed. Raz looked shocked from Lili outburst. “I’m trying to concentrate, would you remain silent for a minute please Raz ?”
“Alright… I will” Raz felt hurt a little, he remained there on that spot for a moment while Lili went futher ahead.
“Damn, what just happen, you just angered that firecracker with your yapping, you do that too much by the way” Galochio mocked.
“No, it’s just, I was being too obnoxious there, I should have shut up, I saw that she was annoyed and…”
“You are so boring you know” Galochio interrupted him “Do you hear yourself ? What's up with that self pity, why do you have to make it all your fault ? why do you need to feel all this pain ?”
“Do you feel it ?”
“Sometimes, leftover from your time in my body, I hate it”
“But…” The word left his mouth but stopped when Raz notice the expression in Galochio’s face, a mix of surprise and fear, Raz looked to what he was looking, behind him stood a mass of thought, a black cloud of nothing, red eyes piercing the darkness, Mr Nowhere was there and hungry, Raz felt his body go numb, in a moment he was in his body the other he was out of it.
“(What do you want ?)” Galochio said mentally to the creature.
“YOu Sad…you not SAd…me takeSAD WAY AND leave NothIng behiNd”
“(Well go found some else to leech of, this body is mine and no one else)” Galochio said.
“You No Sad…You..like…ME…”
“(I have no idea what you are, but I’m nothing like you)”
“ME…hungrY…Me…LOOK SOMEWhereELse” The creature in a surreal display trembled and shifted its form and vanished into the thin air.
“What was that ?” Raz asked more confused them he could be.
“I have no idea… and also I have no idea how I end up with my body again” Galochio responded.
“It’s my body, give it back” Raz said angrily.
“Yeah right” Galochio mocked.
“Raz come on, what’s taking you so long” Lili voice echo from deeper into the forest.
Galochio smirked his devilish smirk to Raz “I’m Coming” He shouted.
Body II
From the outside of his body, Raz had to watch Galochio use it to its own pleasure, unlike him he didn’t know how to disappear like he did, perhaps because he didn’t have a place to go, Galochio place was inside his mind, Raz as in his body, but with someone else in it all he could do was watch. Galochio posed as him for a long while, being very obviously weird and off putting did make Raz wonder if he was like that since no one had noticed how weird he was being, but what got him the most was the lack of anything he could feel, Galochio laughed and fall, while he could not feel anything, not even the chill if the cold wind, he wondered how was it like for Galochio, watching him doing all this things, being able to feel anything, how jealous he must have been, no wonder he laughs weird and exaggerated like he does, he only have that moment to it.
“Raz ?” Lili asked looking at the boy coming from the darkness with the light from his flashlight pointing to the ground, she shined her light on him, he seem different.
“Careful with that” He said putting his hand in front of him to block the light.
“Sorry”
“So, where are we going now” There was something in his tone of voice, something aggressive, animalistic, dangerous.
“Stay there” Lili said, backing away from him.
“What’s wrong Lili ? It’s me Raz” There was mockery in his voice, he could not maintain his seriousness.
“No your not”
“What do you mean, Lili what’s wrong” He took a step towards her and she took a step back.
“Stop playing around, I know who you are”
“Oh really” Galochio changed his expression, he could maintain his fake worried attitude any longer anyway, his characteristics smug smile form in his face “Since when did you know”
“Since the beginning”
“That long ?” Galochio said with a chuckle.
“Do you think I don’t know Raz, I’m not like the others”
“I’m sure you think so” Galochio took another step towards her.
“Stop right there” Lili shouted “You are in a very bad place right now”
“Oh yeah, how ?”
“At the moment you are in the middle of a forest, to you a bunch of wood and leaves, to me a whole weapon I can you to crush you, so you make a false move and I can end you, specially since you are powerless”
“But if you do that you gonna hurt your precious boyfriend, and I don’t think you like that” Galochio took a step forward, a vine sprouted from the ground and hold itself in his left foot “Fine you win, I will stay right here then, I just want to ask you some questions”
“What would someone like you want to ask me ?”
“Oh you puzzle me Lili, everytime I look at you I feel my heart race, I feel the palm of my hand sweat and my diction leaves me, but this are not my feelings, they are his, and they still persist even when I’m in control, why do you think that”
“...Because Raz loves me of course” Lili also thought it was a bit embarrings to say that out loud.
“Do you feel the same way ?”
“Not like that”
“Oh so you don’t love him the same way he does you then”
“No… It’s nothing like that…What's your game here ?” Lili approached Galochio, visible anger in face.
“I feel the vine tightening up in my leg, if your not careful you might break boyfriend leg”
“You would suffer in the process and I’m willing to take that risk”
“Feist aren't you, so do you really care for him then ?”
“I do, now what is your game here ?”
“What game ? I’m powerless, you can break my legs and I cannot even do anything about it, I’m just trying to understand you people. You have all these contradictory feelings for each other, you say you love Raz but all you have done is be angry with him all this time and now you are saying you will break his legs if you can make me suffer don’t you think you have been a little bit contradictory in your statements ?”
Lili didn't want to admit that he was right, her anger was burning at the moment but with all that fire the only thing she could do was let go, the vine left Galochio legs and buried itself in the ground again.
“Ah much better” He said, scratching his leg.
“Where is Raz ?”
“Umh ?” Galochio stopped scratch his leg “He is right there” He pointed to his side “Only I can see him of course, for the rest of the world he is invisible and untouchable”
“Like a ghost” Lili said to herself “Change back, get Raz back to his body”
“Ha, I don’t take orders from anyone, but… I do like to see where this is going so…” Galochio closed his eyes and lowered his head, his body stumbling forward, Raz then opened his eyes.
“Lili ?” He said, sounding a bit groggy.
“Raz ?” She got close to him, putting her hands on his shoulder “Raz it’s really you ?”
“Yeah, couldn’t be some else”
“Are you sure ?”
“Yeah” Lili then slapped Raz across his face, Raz stumble backwards, his face ached with pain, it felt like a burn right on the spot where Lili hitted him “Why did you that ?”
“Why did you lie to me ?” Lili shouted.
“I didn’t lie.. I..”
“What ? you didn’t what ?”
“I didn’t… Tell you everything”
“Like what ? That you are possessed, that you are changing places with your evil alter ego, that you have been lying to me with your ‘I’m alright don’t worry about me’ when I could clearly see that something was wrong, why ? why ? didn’t you just tell me ?”
“Because… Because I didn’t want you… to be worry about me”
“Raz… I’m not like the others, of course I would notice something was wrong with you, and also I’m your damn girlfriend, don’t you think I should be in something like that ? Do you even care about me ? It looks like you just care about yourself than anyone else”
Raz did feel bad about not telling the truth to Lili, but something snapped after hearing that “I only think about myself ? What about Lili ? You only think about yourself”
“Excuse me”
“You are making this whole thing about you”
“I’m not”
“You dragged me to find this ghost, because you wanted to, you don’t care about anybody else, except you, you don’t interact with anyone else in the team, because you are too self center, that’s the reason you don’t have any friends in camp except for me and Dogen, poor Elton done everything to get your attention, thank goodness he have Milka, Lili sometimes you are worse than Norma”
“Well… I’m glad you let that out” Lili said holding back a sob “If you didn’t want to come… then you can figure out your way out of here yourself” She shouted.
“Fine” Raz shouted back.
“Fine then” Lili turned and walked deep into the forest leaving Raz alone, grunting in frustration.
“I think that whatever you are feeling right now, you would like not feel right now” Galochio said with a smirk in face, extending his hand to Raz.
Mind III
At the moment Lili was really angry, she want to burn this whole damn forest, reduce everything to charcoal and never hear it whisper anything in her ear again, damn voices bringer her right here to not saying nothing else, perhaps Raz was right, maybe it was a prank, and however did it is in a really bad situation. Lili stopped her angry walk and leaned over a tree, slamming her fist against it. She didn’t want to cry, it was not her style, it would be shameful, even if no one was here to witness. She heard footsteps coming her direction, crushing the leaves in the ground, then the light, she did expect Raz to show up with a sorry face, but when she saw the smug expression on his face she knew who was standing there.
“Did you took Raz and put him in a small box and throw it into the depths of the ocean inside of your mind ?” She ask, angry, frustrated, teary.
“No, wish I could do that” Galochio answered.
“Pity then” Lili scoffed “What are you here for then to make more fun of me ?”
“As fun as that sound, no, I as once again trying to understand your conflicting emotions, I feel the remains of what have happen, all this anger and sadness, I feel it through memories and now, and yet there is something inside of him that still feel something for you” Lili stay quiet looking at Galochio with a angry expression “You must be very angry right now, why not let it out “ Galochio said, Lili would very much like that, her hand close into a fist as she walked over to Galochio, what ever game this was, she was going to enjoyed it, all her anger transferred to her fist, one step closer, her arm at punch range, she pulls her arm backwards and watches Galochio smug expression, then… excitation, her arm wants to move fast, but her mind can’t, she cannot hurt Raz, as much she wants to, Lili drops her arm and her already teary expression. Galochio sighs “How disappointing, I thought you are like me”
“What ?” Lili responded, baffled by the statement “Like you ?” she began to laugh in the realization of these ridiculous situation
“What's so funny ?” Galochio said with a touch of anger in his tone.
“Maybe I’m like you, damn, Raz was right I was acting like an ass, as much I hate to admit”
“What do you mean ?”
“It means that you are a sad sack that can’t related to anyone but yourself, you are lonely and you thought I was like you, and you are right I’m, but right now I see how sad we are right now”
“How dare you say that to me” Galochio said with anger.
“Hit a nerve there ? Tell me how all this makes you feel ? I think it’s not much different then I feel”
“I will tell you how I feel…” Galochio started to say before his words trail off, his expression of anger changing rapidly to dumbfound as he look behind Lili, she turned back to see what had surprised him, and there it was, the ghost, a bright blue semi-translucent person was a few paces away from them, Lili gasped in reaction, the ghost them turned around and dive deep into the forest.
“Wait” Lili shouted out loud, she dashed after the ghost, Galochio stood there still dumb found.
“Go after her” Raz commanded him, before he noticed he was back to his body, he felt relieved despite being slightly infuriated, he followed Lili catching up to her as she found herself lost “There you are” he said when he found her.
“Raz ? is it you ?” Lili asked.
“Yeah, listen I…”
“Shut it, we have other things to deal with… did that guy switch to you after seeing that ? What a coward” Lili said, Raz couldn't agree more, even if he felt a little afraid as well.
A glim trace of light shined through the trees “There” Raz said pointing to the direction, he and Lili moved into the direction, Raz felt Lili hand wrap around his, and the tremble of her body as well. The faint blue glow started to turned to another more familiar purple glow, and a sensation familiar to the both of them as well, psitanium, surging from the ground near the a tree, also a skeleton, it’s cranium impaled in the psitanium and the ghost floating above it, a sad girl lost in the forest, forever condemn to roam around endless.
“HELP HER…” Lili her in her mind again, their voices more clear, louder then before.
“How ?” Lili asked out loud.
“HELP HER… HELP HER… HELP HER…” The voices keep saying.
“What are they saying ?” Raz asked.
“They are asking us to help her, but how ?” Lili didn’t know what to do with her hands shaking with stress while the voices kept ringing in her head. Raz looked at the skull pierce through the psitanium, the memory of that day was evoked.
Lost and alone in that forest, Raz meet with a wild dog, his roaring and teeth were enough to scared the already scared child to death, Raz stood there paralalized until the the animal came running at him, Raz didn’t know what he did, but the animal was pushed back, quite violentely, hitting it’s fray body into a tree, Raz screamed and cry in fear, the poor animal cry out in pain, “What did you do” Raz heard his older brother said, Dion had appered next to him looking worried and scared, Raz for his turn felt relivied to his brother, Dion looked at the poor animal, imobile it laid there crying out, he looked at it disgust, less from the gruesome apperence that it was, but more for what it was about to follow “We can’t leave him like this” Dion looked around and picked up a large rock that he could hold in his whole hand, and so in the present did Raz, his image mirrioing his brother that day, him nearly the poor animal his arm held high with the rock in hand, him on the same position, Dion took some time but letting out a grunt he descending the rock into the poor animal head, killing it, it was an act of mercy, Raz didn’t look away that day, and today he repeat the same act, his hand held the large rock, it’s height as haevy it must have felt for Dion that day, with a grunt he smashed the purple crystal to pieces, the ghost sad apperence changed, a serene smile was in her face, before vanishing into the thin air.
“They stopped, the trees stopped talking” Lili said “How did you… ?”
“It was just a guess” Raz said, letting go of the rock “We can’t leave her like this” Raz said.
“No we can’t” Lili said, she used her powers to pull the remains of the bones into the deep earth, both of them spent a few minute collecting rocks and putting next what remained of the crystal, it was a hushed made grave for someone no one knew that was there and only them knew, Raz and Lili stood there for a moment, Lili seem to be holding her tears out, she gently hold Raz hand “I’m sorry for what said before”
“I’m sorry too”
“I don’t want to be here any more” Lili said.
“Let’s go” Raz said, both of them walk away, deep into the forest once more.
For minutes they walked in silence, the moods had changed since then, Lili was trying to find the way out by picking the psychic signal of their friends back in town, Raz just stood around patiently observing, sitting on a rock, rocking his legs back and forward.
“Talk” Lili said.
“Excuse me ?” Raz asked.
“I know you have something to say, I can see that you are itching to say something” Lili was with her eyes closed with her back turned to Raz.
“You not looking at me, so how can you know that”
“Raz, please”
“Okay” The boy hissed “I’m just thinking, who was she ?”
“Dunno, a girl, psychic maybe, died there and for hundred of year have been hunting this place”
“But how”
“Do you have an explanation ?” Lili asked, feeling like she already knew he had one.
“I think that psitanium was keeping part of her mind alive, she might have been psychic then, because when I smashed she was gone… so you see this stuff of ghost doesn’t exist at all, like always it was astral projection” Raz felt really a slight smugness and proudness for figuring that out, it vanished when Lili look at him with an dead expression.
“She was a ghost Raz, she was alone, sad, she could not touch or be heard, she could not help or be helped by anyone, you should have understood that more than anyone” Lili said, Raz was silent.
“But why did she appear to people that are about to die ?”
“Maybe she wanted to warn them”
“How could she know they were about to die then ?”
“...Perhaps it’s one of the perks of being dead, you know when someone else is joining you”
“That sounds horrible”
“Yeah it does… That way” Lili pointed at the direction. Raz could feel that Lili also had something to say.
“What are you wondering about ?”
“It the trees, since we got here they have been trying to communicate with me, but now they grow completely silent, I’m frustrated, I thought I was gonna be the first psychic able to talk with plants”
“But you did, without you they would never be able to reach anyone, they wanted to help that girl and saw in you that opportunity, I think that show how they have as much compassion for other then we think”
“But why don't they talk to me anymore ?”
“Guess they are just not very social, you both have that in common” Raz laughed it off, and stopped when he saw the mean look in Lili 's face, which instantly changed to a smirk.
Both of them walked through the forest in silence once more, Lili then broke that silence with a question “Is here with us right now ?”
“No, he's been very quiet since we found that ghost” Raz responded.
“Can you… change to him”
“...Why ?” Raz asked, baffled by the request.
“I wanna talk to him” Lili said sterned faced. Raz didn’t know what exactly Lili had in mind but he trusted her.
“Okay” He said with a sigh “I will try” Raz closed his eyes and lowered his head thinking ‘hey you, she wants to talk with you’. He was out of his body once more.
“What do you want ?” Galochio asked, his tone of voice seemed to make him annoyed.
“You said you can feel like Raz feel for a moment, tell me how do you feel right now”
“How do I feel ? Bored out of this nonsense”
“You ran away back there, why ?”
Galochio scoffed “I don’t have to give you any reason why”
“You were scared, tell me, how all of this make you feel like”
“What is this ? therapy ?”
“Tell me” Lili said sternly.
“It… it’s sad, it makes me feel so sad, what is this? this feeling of emptiness inside of me, it hurts so much” Galochio fell to his knees, tears started to form in his eyes “Why does it hurt, why do I feel it ? why are people made to feel like this, why can’t I have my own good feelings all the time, why must everything hurt, all the time, all this sadness, all this pain, how can anyone live like this”
“Because that’s is like to be alive, you feel the bad and the good, and you just have to deal with”
“But why do I feel like it’s mine ?”
“Because you are now understanding what it is like to be human” Lili said. Galochio let out a cry, his body hunched over to the ground, he cried, like he was an animal in pain, his sobs slowly fading. Raz then got back to his feet, cleaning his face from the tears.
“He… he is gone” He said “I can’t really feel him at the moment”
“Good, let’s go then” Lili said, slightly concerned about what had happened to Raz’s alter ego.
The light began to shyly shine through the branches of the forest, Lili and Raz follow the direction they were felting, the psychic energy of his friends coming from, only to end up on the pavement road, it took another 2 hours for the both of them to return to the house, by that point both of Adam and Lizzie were there worried sick about them, they asked what the two of them were doing,they said “Ghost hunting” and laughed about it.
Puppet III
“I’m not angry with you anymore” Dion said to me, I quietly hugged him, still feeling a bit scared from what just had happened, his hand still had a bit of blood on them. “It looks like we are lost here”
“Everyone is over there” I pointed to the direction I was feeling where my family was.
“Really, it’s not like we have any other way to go” Dion said taking my hand and walking together with me “I don’t really like your freaky powers, but if they gonna get us out of here, i’m fine with it” And so we walk together, he held my hand until we arrived our camp. And that’s the story.
Body III
The dolls did a little bow before the curtain closed in the small theater inside the mind of Raz, Galochio stared at the curtains with a mix of emotions, most of it was bewilderment, to have all these feelings all at once.
“I remember that day like it was yesterday sometimes” Raz said “Why are you seeing my memories ?”
“I’m reliving your memories, it’s not a thing I wanna do, the more I’m your body, the more I experience things like you” Galochio responded.
“But why that one in specific”
“...You hate your brother don’t you ?”
“Dion is not the best brother in the world but no, I don’t hate him”
“Why not, he clearly hates you for being psychic, most of your memories of him are bad ones, how can you not hate him ?”
“That’s because you are only seeing the bad side, I have my own good memories of him, sure I don’t like him a lot but still I don’t hate him”
“I don’t get this, how can you have these conflicting feelings, it’s too much for me… I don’t have feelings of my own, no memories of my own, everything I have is borrowed from you, no mind of my own, no body of my own, I’m like a puppet on the strings, without you I’m nothing”
“I have watched how you enjoy to be alive, you have your own feelings, you just don’t understand how they come to you”
Galochio turned to look at Raz “What are on about ?”
“...You clearly need help, and I wanna help”
“Don’t you hate me ?”
“I do, but maybe we can be like Dion and I, we had your share of bad memories, how about we make good ones now” Raz said with a sincere smile on his face, extending his hand to Galochio.