Welcome to the Circus Chapter 1: Welcome, Welcome All, a psychonauts fanfic

Author's Note:

So, I just recently played 'Psychonauts,' mostly because it was available for the PS4; well downloadable version anyway. And I have to say, like everyone who has played it, it's pretty good. Love the characters, the story, even the very concept of just going inside people's minds alone intrigued me from the start. Overall, good game...though that infamous meat circus level...yikes, to me personally, story-wise it was good, though gameplay wise, not the best.

I believe it took me around two hours to complete the level without having the urge to quit and leave it for another day; had to play the level twice since the game froze, and it was during the night, couldn't get passed the rings of fire, anyways I digress, the whole reason I wrote this was mostly out of fun, wondering what the level would be like if it was written in a form of a story. Wasn't going to put it up, but seeing how there aren't that many fics for this game, I decided to. Generally it's the same, but I kind of wanted to make it different as well. Hopefully it's worth the read.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Psychonauts'

This was crazy, no, this was beyond crazy, this was a total nightmare. It was already bad enough that he had to relive his childhood memories of the circus, but with this thrown into the mix, it was utter madness. From seeing those ugly monstrous beasts, to dodging knives from every corner, to seeing meat. Meat. Everywhere. His whole world was literally bent, and twisted at will into creating this disturbing eerie place. No matter where he turned, grinded, climbed, jumped or swung, the variety of meat was always there, as well as its horrible stench. In all due respect, he never did have a problem with meat, but, after spending a lot of time in this place, well…let's just say that…he might have just now become a vegetarian.

But, even after holding his nose from time to time, and pushing forward, getting from one area to the next, he kept saying to himself to remain calm. Especially in a critical situation like this, not only has his mind been twisted, but another boy's as well. And, if memory serves, if the two minds continue to entwine, the damage could be permanent when split apart. So in this case, as he was balancing himself, walking over a rope, just racing to get to the quivering child ahead of him, it was clear that there was no time to show fear and disgust. What was his top priority right now was to keep that child safe from those meat-ish monstrosities.

"Don't worry Olly, I'm coming!" he yelled; trying so hard to pick up the pace.

Though as he did, little Olly didn't seemed to hear his cry. It was easily washed out over the horrendous sounds of the boy's mutated demons; each of them roaring, growling, circling the child ready to gobble him up. The boy would have fought back, but he was just too scared. The only thing he managed to do… was hold his only friend tighter in his arms. Eventually, he then closed his eyes and gave a small whimper. Seeing that his prey was cornered, one mutated bunny then raised its claw, about to give the first blow.

"Oh no you don't!"

But its attack was soon interrupted by another. Coming in full force was the other child. Once he stuck the landing, the impact sent the hideous creatures flying. Inflicting damage, some of them deceased, breaking into pieces, while others simply fell off the steak-ish platform the group was standing on. After hearing the last screech fade into the distance, the young ten year old couldn't help but give a smug look.

"Oh yeah! That's what I'm talking about," he said; savoring the moment of victory.

Though, as soon as Olly diverted his attention to the meat grinder that was not too far from them, his expression was suddenly wiped clean. Horrifically, more of those creatures were coming out of the contraption, most of them displaying to be bigger and meaner than before.

"Oh no! They're coming back!" Olly exclaimed.

Still quivering, he then grabbed the other child's arm.

"You got to help me save him! You got to help me save Mr. Bun; he's the only friend I have left. If you don't help me then he'll—"

He then stopped short, not even wanting to finish the sentence.

Noticing the terror in his eyes, the boy put his arm around him; trying to comfort him.

"Hey, hey, it's ok, I'll help you, don't worry, as long as we both stick together, all of us will be fine."

Hopefully.

The last part he said mostly to himself.

Even though he was playing a good game of optimism and positivity, he was perhaps no different than the child before him. Sure he hadn't run into his own personal demons like Olly, but feeling how his muscles were aching, and his energy slowly draining, he was beginning to think that this set-up was his own personal nightmare in itself; reliving those days when he would do nothing but work. Work. Work. Work. Work. That's all he ever did when he was at the circus; he thought, if he hadn't runaway, he probably would have died from exhaustion.

Died…

Die….

DIE!

That's when it suddenly hit him. Not wasting anymore time, he then grabbed Olly by the arm and activated his levitation ability.

"Come on! We need to find a safe place now!"

Even though Olly was a bit baffled by his sudden change of behavior, he didn't dare question it either. As long as it meant getting away from those monsters, and keeping the bunny around his arm safe. Once when they hovered a great distance over the monsters, they landed safely on another platform, and exited the area.

This was bad, this was very bad. Losing half your mind was one thing, but the possibility of dying in your own head, well that's just….that's just fantastic. If he were to be rambling about the current situation to little Olly, he knew he would be wasting his breath, the child, not even noticing the hint of sarcasm in his voice at all. As a matter of fact, as they were running out of the tent and into the open, he couldn't help but notice that Olly's gaze was always towards the bunny. Because of this, it made him think that he's probably oblivious to what's really going on. Either he thinks all this is a part of his mind, or simply a nightmare.

As they continued running, the boy tried to remain focused. Even if they get to a safe place, the problem was still there. Just, how was he going to unweave both of their minds without causing damage? He pondered within every step he took, though nothing came. The only thing that clouded his head was his memories, it was strange, it was if his own mind was going against him; not wanting him to know the answer and leave this place. Blurred images kept flashing before his green eyes; though, he didn't feel a chill run down his spine, until he saw him.

In that moment, the child would've been swept into his own paranoia, but once when he suddenly felt his arm being tugged in another direction, the feeling sank; bringing him back to the situation at hand. Little Olly looked at the child, and gave a wide smile, he then tore from his grip and pointed across.

"Let's go on that ride. I'm sure it'll take us to a safe place. Plus it's one of my favorites," he said cheerfully.

Looking up at the sign, the boy immediately did a double take; gazing back between the person and sign. Feeling a bit uncomfortable and puzzled, he made an odd face.

"Tunnel of Love? Am I reading that correctly?" he said; pointing to the letters.

While it was a rhetorical question, he couldn't really comprehend why, out of all rides, that this one would be his favorite.

"Come on, let's go!" Olly said excitedly.

And before the other boy could protest, Olly sped up like a rocket with bunny in hand, getting on the ride.

"Uh, are you sure it's this ride? There's other places we can go you know," he called out; though seeing how Olly was smiling and having his friend right next to him, he knew that it was already decided.

After giving a sigh of defeat, he then walked up to the swan-like boat, and sat on the right-side; accompanying him was the furry animal. Not really knowing what to do since the critter was staring at him, he simply gave an awkward smile. Though, once when the boat started to move on its own, the bunny looked away; twitching its cute little pink nose.

"You know, don't take this the wrong way, but, uh, I was kinda wondering, why is this bunny so special to you?" he asked; being curious, as well as trying to make conversation.

Having a response almost immediately, Olly faced him and smiled.

"Well that's easy, it's because he's my friend. All bunnies are my friends since I love playing with them so much."

Though, after saying that statement, Olly pondered for a bit; his expression suddenly changing.

"Well….they were my friends," he uttered looking down, "Now all they want to do is hurt me for not saving them."

"Saving them?"

"Yeah, you see, my dads' a butcher and… he always thought rabbits were good for nothing, only saw them as food…meat. So he took them, all of them, my friends, and… chopped their heads off. Ever since then, I always had nightmares of those monsters clawing at me and eating my face. "

Olly then grabbed the bunny, and moved him closer to his side.

"That's why I gotta protect Mr. Bunny; I don't want him to suffer the same fate the others had. And, if my Dad finds him, then… it'll be over. "

So…he was traumatized; explaining the meat and those mutated monsters.

The boy continued to gaze at the pair.

That's just so cruel….having a father take a child's happiness away; or better yet, destroying it.

Another memory flashed before his eyes.

"But Dad!"

"No buts' Razputin! It's time for you to get your head out of the clouds, and start taking your acrobatics more seriously. I'm tired of all this psychonauts nonsense you keep blabbering on about. It's time to move on from this child-ish dream and start looking at the bigger picture!"

"Oh yeah? And what is the bigger picture?!"

…..

"That. You'll. Never. Be. A Psychonaut!"

Riiiiip!

Rip!

Instantly being speechless and teary-eyed; the boy witnessed his father destroying his pamphlet.

Rip!

All that he dreamed and hope for…were now in shreds.

Hmph….sometimes I wonder if he even loves me.

After shaking away the recent memory, he turned his attention back to Olly.

"…..I'm sorry that happened to you Olly. Really. No kid should ever experience something as horrific as that. Especially if it was caused by their own father," he said narrowing his eyes.

"As far as I'm aware dads in general can be a real pain. Always telling you what to do, what not to do, thinking that they know what's best for you, and all that—"

Noticing that he was starting to ramble, hinting of his own issues, he cut himself off mid-way.

Truthfully, ever since he ran away, and the subject of who he was, where he came from, or how his dad was like would come up, Raz would either change the subject, (not wanting to talk about it) or give a simple answer that doesn't branch out into specifics. Sure he knew that the people there at camp would've been nice enough to help him with his issues and his…. phobia, but for some odd reason, he just wasn't ready to fully open that door. Honestly, now that he was thinking about it, the only person he ever came close to talking about his life with… was with Agent Ford Cruller. Sure people from the outside world thought he was a loon, but in secrecy, he was a well-rounded man. A man who seen that he had potential. Being what he wanted to be; unlike his own father. So, because of this, it was only natural that he would be more favorable to talk to, even if the saddest part… is that the man probably won't remember due to his unstable mind.

So, sparing Olly of his own problems, Raz cleared his throat, and changed the subject; re-focusing to Olly's problem.

"Sorry, it's just that I hate the thought that your Dad did that to you. Anyway, you don't have to worry about Mr. Bun. He's safe as long as you and I are around.

And if your Dad comes, well, I'll be sure to give him a welcoming of my own," he said with a slight smile.

And, even though he may have sounded reassuring, Olly was still beyond terrified of his father. Thinking that if a battle started between the two; who would win would be one-sided. He would've told him this fact, but…seeing how it was nice that Raz would do whatever it takes to help him, he couldn't help but instead crack a small smile.

"Thanks," he uttered softly.

"No problem," Raz returned; reaching out and scratching the top of the bunny's head.

The furry animal seemed to enjoy the slight affection it was being given, but once when its ears slowly started to pick up an unusual sound, it almost attempted to jump off the boat. Olly's quick reflexes saved the little fella from going overboard.

"Hey, what's wrong little guy?" he asked; cradling him in his arms.

Though the only response that was given…was the critter continuously squirming.

This isn't good.

Hearing the sound himself, Raz leaned towards his side of the boat, and noticed the water. Instead of it being calm and steady, it was becoming more violent and wavy. Even after capturing a glimpse of it, turning away, he could've sworn he saw a shaded claw within the waves. As the sound grew louder though, his gaze then focused ahead of them. Instantly, terror was displayed in his eyes. By far, this was no ordinary ride.

The sound, it's a waterfall!

Abruptly, the head of the swan then started to rotate. The two boys continued to stare at the unusual sight in silence. Once when the swan's glowing red eyes met theirs, it began to speak.

"You are now heading into the tunnel.

We would love for you to survive it, so it is highly recommended that you keep your hands, legs, feet, and other body parts inside the boat at all times.

So please, sit back, scream, and enjoy the rest of the ride."

The head then rotated back into its proper place.

"Oh no! Hold on tight Mr. Bunny!" Olly exclaimed.

He then turned to Raz, noticing that he was completely stiff, and that his hands were clutching the end of the seat as if his life depended on it.

I don't want to fall in!

Raz kept chanting to himself. Normally, when it comes to being on boats, he's perfectly fine, heck, he even rode a canoe at camp a couple of times, but when being inside a twisted mind like this, anything could happen.

Still staring, Olly would have asked if he was ok, though once when everything was becoming dark, his attention was diverted back to the front; seeing that they were just moments away from dropping. Not wanting to risk falling out himself, he did what Raz did, and held the end of the seat with his hand tightly. Once he did, he instantly felt the drop. With no other words to express, the two children did what came naturally when riding a fast, dark, scary ride.

Scream.

They survived.

They survived.

After spiraling through the darkness, they were finally brought into the light.

"Yeah! We made it!" Olly said happily.

Though, by the look in Raz's face he wasn't the least pleased. Even though he was fully aware of the dangers of this place, he felt a bit dumb for not taking these rides into consideration. Out of sheer luck, they managed to get through this death trap, but what if they got on another ride, one that's even more dangerous than this? Where would their luck be then? As the boat was coming to a stop, his eyes were now to the steady water. In that moment, he knew…he knew that if he made another careless decision, a mistake, than both of them will be dead. Feeling determined, and most importantly, wanting to get the hell out of the boat, Raz stood up from his seat.

"We are never going to get on another one of these rides," he stated firmly.

And even though Olly understood the reason, he couldn't help but state the bright-side.

"Well, at least the ride got us to where we needed to go. Look," he instructed pointing.

As Raz followed little Olly's finger, he saw that he was pointing to a tent, one that was much bigger than the one the two escaped from. Once when the boat completely stopped, Raz then got off, and walked a few steps towards the tent. Putting his hand over his chin, he gave a skeptical look. After surviving the watery rollercoaster of doom, Raz wasn't going to walk into this one blindly. For his, and Olly's safety, he had to be sure this time.

Hmm, it must be another trap.

We're probably gonna have to take another route.

Reaching to this decision, Raz was going to tell Olly, but before he could turn around and address him, he saw that the child got off the boat and ran passed him.

"Come one, what are you waiting for," he yelled.

"No! Olly wait!

Stop!" Raz's eyes widen.

In a desperate attempt, he even tried using Telekinesis to grab the child as he ran after him; though there was no luck since Olly was far from his reach.

"Little Olly!" he called again; though before he knew it, he saw that the child slipped inside the tent.

Since his arms and legs were still aching, Raz slowed down to a stop to catch his breath. This wasn't like him, this wasn't like him at all, he's usually so full of energy, and, even if he does get tired, thanks to his Dad's training, he hardly ever shows it, but now, for some reason, everything's different. Could…could it be perhaps that he's losing his touch, his acrobatic skills? No, it couldn't be that, who'd get rusty over not practicing for three days; especially if he's been adapting those skills to get from place to place, here, and in the mental worlds. Once he caught his breath, Raz then eyed the tent.

Maybe…maybe since this place is half of my mind, not only are my memories exposed, but…my weakness too.

And…..

He then looked at the sign from the far right.

My demons…

~THE BIG SHOW~

The sign read.

Realizing that this was definitely a trap, a part of himself wanted to run, but, seeing how he'd had gotten this far in his journey, Raz didn't budge. Oleander was in there, and, as much as a jerk that man was, the child within him really needed his help right now. Facing his demons will be no different to the people he helped at the asylum…or…at least Raz hoped.

Don't worry Raz.

You can do this.

You can do this…..it'll be….easy as pie….

Or cake….cake could also work…..

Could go for some cake right about now actually…

He then shook his head.

Ok now you're just stalling yourself…

Get in there before something bad happens to little Olly….

After taking a big breath, he then walked slowly towards the entrance, though once when he grabbed the fabric, he immediately stopped.

"Razputin…"

He heard a faint voice say.

"Huh? Who's….." he looked over his shoulder, "….there?"

Seeing that no-one was around, he returned his gaze to the tent; now opening the entrance wider.

"That voice…..I could've sworn it sounded like…"

….

"Nah…it….couldn't be….."

Knowing what he was getting himself into, Raz closed off his mind, not thinking about anything else but the situation. To him, this wasn't the time to get distracted; what-ever he heard earlier, it was going to have to wait.

"Well….here goes nothing…" he uttered; putting on his goggles.

And without another word, he slipped inside the tent.

"Hello?

Hello?

Olly?" Raz called out in the dark.

Though there was no response. Keeping his guard up, Raz continued to walk in the darkness.

"Little Olly?" he tried again.

And, before he knew it, a spotlight was instantly shone upon him.

"What the—"

His gaze turned to the ground.

There, standing by a mere inch from it, was a large circular hole. Just by gazing at the sight, it seemed bottomless, but since the hole itself was crafted with multiple layers of spinning blades, Raz didn't want to find out. Actually, the scene was pretty unsettling to look at regardless. Just seeing all that blood from the blades, dry and possibly fresh, Raz could imagine anyone just falling in there and being shredded into pieces….into meat. Meat! For a spit second, an image of little Olly falling in with his pet and being cut to pieces filled his head. He would have definitely lost it if what he thought came true, though once when he took a good look at himself; seeing that his projection was still intact, he was slightly relieved. To him, that meant that the child was still alive. The rule is…in this mind, if one goes, everyone goes.

Stepping away, he continued his search.

"Olly where are you?" he called out; being restless.

And before Raz was about to do something, a voice greeted him.

"Why, hello there.

Little Bunny!"

Hearing the voice, Raz quickly spun around, and saw him….Olly's father; the man who was the cause of the youth's traumatic nightmares, only in this world, this entity was anything but a man. No, for one thing, his complexion was rather pale than pink, for he actually resembled a zombie, that is, if you're not counting the fact that he's also a giant as well. Though this didn't intimidate Raz, the most cliché-ish thing he could possibly think of for this situation, is that ol' saying, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Already being in a battle stance, Raz just wanted to get down to business.

"Where's little Olly?" he demanded.

"Oh, you mean my son?

Heh, heh, well, to tell you the truth, he's been a very bad boy lately.

Honestly, him thinking that he can just runaway like that.

The boy needed a time out.

So—"

And, as if on cue, as he raised his hand, a cage unraveled from the darkness, and hung over the spinning blades. Instantly, the child's screams were heard when Raz turned around. Gasping, he saw that little Olly was in the cage, holding his bunny; both of them were just dangling a few feet from the dreaded device. Feeling angry, Raz gazed back at the demon and gritted his teeth.

"I've put him in there, in order for him to think about what's he's done."

"It's a bit much don'tcha think, after all, he was just protecting a friend," Raz said; trying to retain his cool.

"It's not much when a child disobeys you."

The father then slowly took out his butcher knife, and since he was already a giant, the tool was as well.

Alright, here we go.

Preparing for a battle, Raz positioned himself, about to use his levitation ability. Though once when he saw that the butcher raised his weapon to rip the fabric of the tent, instead of going after him, he was puzzled. Having a twisted smile on his face, the man finished his task and looked back at the child.

"Anyway, it's time for you to go. No friends are allowed to visit when he's under time out."

And just like that, a portal instantly materialized inside the cut fabric, and started to suck Raz inside. Reacting quickly, Raz tried to run, but the force that was pulling him back was just too strong. In a failed attempt, he even tried to hold his grip on the ground with his fingers but to no avail. Once when he was finally sucked in, the portal closed and threw him out on the other side. Not really caring where he ended up, Raz picked himself up from the ground and raced to the portal.

"Oleander!"

Though the portal closed shut upon his reach.

"No!

No!" he slammed his fist against the wall.

"What am I gonna do, I have to get back in there!

Olly could—" he stopped mid-way; not wanting to think it.

As silence continued to fill the air, Raz then lowered his head.

"So….it's true….I had a hunch that I would find you here…and here you are."

"Huh?"

Not expecting to hear a voice, Raz slowly turned around to see…..

…..his father; oddly enough, the appearance of the man wasn't altered.

Almost like if he was a piece that didn't belong in this awful world.

"Dad? Is….is it really you?" Raz choked out in disbelief.

Being stunned, he even pulled off his goggles to get a better look.

All was silence as his father simply gazed at the environment around him; first, out of curiosity, then finally, disgust. Knowing the look all too well, Raz simply lowered his head in shame, and played with his fingers for a bit. He knew his father would never approve of any of this, but, deep down, he was silently wishing to change his mind if he were to see just how good of an agent he could be, though, seeing that his father caught him in a tangled mess, all hope Raz ever had to finally convince his father just went out the window.

"I…I can explain…" Raz said sadly; walking closer.

"There's no need…this is obviously the work of….mentalists," his father said in disgust.

"Psychics…..them always running around, poking themselves inside other people's heads, just look at this place Razputin, it's a mess, it's been tampered with, polluted, perverted, the circus is ruined because of those good for nothing freaks!" he continued; yelling at his child.

Not really surprised by his father's rants, Raz was going to argue back, but remembering how their last argument went down, he remained silent. At this point, after everything he had been through, Raz just wanted all this to stop. Why, why can't he just accept that this is what he wanted to be? Even though he may not show it, he really does love his father, but seeing how he hates Psychics so much, it just makes Raz feel worse since he himself is a Psychic, a person who is born with mental abilities. So because of this, it's like he's being rejected completely.

After taking another glance around the mental world, his father then gave Raz a suspicious look.

"Have you been associating with these people?"

From having his head down, Raz then gazed at his father.

"Y—Yes, but they're not as bad as you think Dad.

The people there at camp were really nice, Milla, Sasha, a-and Cruller. They help people instead ruining their lives. Point is Dad, not all Psychics are bad."

"Hmph, seems to me like they brainwashed you, don't you remember who murdered your grand-father?" his father spat.

"Yes, a Psychic but—"

"But nothing, you know it and I know it. Those people killed your grand-father and cursed our entire family. They cursed our descendants to die in water! You would've been better off if you just pursued your stabled career as an acrobatic. But no, now you're one of….them," he uttered coldly.

"No…that's not true. I can do both. I wouldn't have been half as good at navigating around places if it wasn't for your training Dad. I…" He gave a sigh, "I know I don't take the training as seriously as I should, and…. I know I can be a real pain and a whiner most of the time, but…I wouldn't trade those times with you for anything….because….those memories…. are the root of who I am. While this…"

He then hovered over the ground.

"…..this is just another part….

….and no amount of using Pyrokinesis could ever change that…" the last part; he mostly whispered to himself.

Realizing that he just can't burn away his memories without a care in the world; like wanting his father to do, Raz had to accept in where he grew up in. Giving his levitation some rest, Raz then dropped back to the ground, and waited for his father's response. It took a moment, but he finally answered.

"Hm…well then…if you say you can do both.

Then….prove it," he said with a wicked smile.

Though Raz was baffled….

"Huh?"

"You heard me," the father replied.

And within a blink of an eye, once he raised his hand and snapped his fingers, the whole area around the tent started to change. Everything warped and shaped into existence, from the trampolines, to the ropes, to the rings of fire, to so much more, though, due to little Olly's influence, most of the course was reconstructed out of meat. As Raz saw what he was in for, he then saw that his father took an in-human jump, and with his acrobatic skills, quickly made his way to a certain point of the course.

Once he planted his feet firmly on the meat-ish platform, he then eyed his son down below.

"Here's the deal, if you can complete this course without using your powers, then it goes to show that I taught you well, and you were right, convincing me that you're capable of doing both. But, if you fail to complete this course," he gave an eerie chuckle, "….well…just take a look…" he instructed, pointing to the large circular barrel.

Starting to feel uneasy, Raz slowly walked to the barrel, and looked inside, once he did, water magically appeared. Once it started to rise, Raz quickly backed away and gazed at his father.

He can't be serious….is he?

"So son, to put it bluntly, what's it's going to be, die in the water, or show me what you got, the choice is yours, but better make haste, since the clock has already started."

Having everything sink in, Raz continued to stare at his father, he couldn't believe it, even after saying something nice, saying that he helped contribute, and saying what he felt, the man still didn't budge, and literally turned his own words against him. His fear of his father out to get him was now a reality than a mere fantasy, and what's worse, his mind was working in his father's favor. Even though he wasn't showing it, he was becoming frightened of the thought that he had no control over his mind anymore, a voice in the dark kept saying something important, but due to the water continuously rising, Raz didn't think twice to even hear his own voice.

Instead, he foolishly took the bait and ran; bolting up the ladder; starting the course. By the look in Raz's eye, it was if he was a completely different person, him, no longer being a determined Psychonaut on a mission, but now a young boy, fighting, determined to prove his worth; wanting to be loved. The first section was a breeze, it being just pure jumping and swinging from one area to the next, the absurd part was when he was balancing himself on the ropes, when-ever he'd come across one, his father would be across, and would literally be trying to set him on fire; throwing flammable objects. In Raz's perspective, it was either be burned alive, or drown in his own hell. Luckily with time, which is also an enemy in itself, Raz managed to pass without being knocked over, or with the help of his abilities.

Though once when he took a leap of faith, and managed to grab the fence from the side of him, the rest of the course from here seemed utterly impossible to do without the use of said abilities. As Raz continued to climb the fence towards the edge, he saw from the corner of his eye that it was detached, and began again from a distance. Simple solution was to jump, but when the other fence is placed in a weird angle, he knew that he wouldn't make the jump, at least, not without the help of his levitation to give him the extra boost.

His father said to do this course without powers, he said to do it without fail, and then, he said to show him what he was capable of. Show him….well…that's just what he was going to do. Still being determined, and pushing back the pain he'd been feeling, Raz then took another leap and used his levitation to get to the other side. Thankfully, he was able to continue the course this way, but the challenge was getting harder; as he repeated the same method, his face was being baked from the near flames. Yes, as crazy as it was, most of the fences were showered in flames, giving Raz a little bit of breathing room to climb. If he wasn't so afraid of water, he probably would have let go of the fence already, and dived into the refreshing liquid down below, but, because of those hands, those claws, he'd rather take the heat and sweat.

After going through the rings, and passing the butcher knives, Raz was finally in the clear. Once he leaped to the last ladder, there was no-where to go but up; and he was happy; especially since when he looked down below, he saw that the water couldn't go any higher. Boy, he couldn't wait to see the look on his father's face when he'd seen that he finished the course, and made it all in one peace. Hopefully after all this, they can finally move on; putting this to rest. Still fighting through the pain though, Raz finally made it to the platform his father was standing on, and, after taking a couple of breaths', walked closer to him; smiling.

"Dad, I've made it!"

Though, instead of being happy….the father showed hatred and disappointment towards his child.

"You Cheated!" he yelled angrily; pointing.

But Raz quickly shook his head.

"No, I used the acrobatic skills that you taught me and—"

"Aaand, you used your powers!" he yelled.

"But…but I—"

"Save it, it just goes to show that I was right all along."

Then out of no-where, the father began to alter his appearance, he was no longer a person from the real world, but now an entity that blended within Raz's nightmares. Similar to Olly's father, he was a zombified version as well. Revealing the demon's true nature, it would have snapped Raz out of it, knowing that all this is a trick, and that he needed to wake up and face his fear. But since he was in this illusion for so long, this nightmare shifted into reality in his eyes, no matter how the entity looked, even if it was Raz's perception to how he saw his father, he will continue to see the demon as his father.

"You're not an acrobat…..

You. Are. Not. My Son!"

And within that moment, Raz then felt the ground underneath him fade. Though with quick reflexes, he managed to reach out and grab part of what was left of the platform. Since he was so tired and weak from the course, he couldn't pick himself up. Seeing that he was dangling, hanging on for dear life, he was scared, vulnerable, and completely helpless for the first time ever.

"Dad! No! Please!" Raz begged; though his father didn't care.

He simply walked a little closer to the edge, and took one last look at his son.

"Farewell," he smiled.

"Heh… typically, I would say burn in hell, but, in your case, drown in your own grave."

At this point, Raz would have been heart-broken, hearing such words from his father, but as soon as he saw that his fingers were slipping little by little, he only thought about wanting to stay alive. He was using every ounce of strength he had left, just trying desperately not to fall to his demise. But sadly, everything wasn't going in his favor, as he barely had any grip left, unexpectedly; his eyes were then drawn to his arm. There, unraveled from his sleeve, appeared the friendship bracelet. Truthfully, he never wanted to put it on since the trinket wasn't his, but, considering how he valued it at the same time, not wanting it to get ruined with all the collectives he had to get, he put it on for safe keeping.

But now, after nearly forgetting he had it, the bracelet was exposed, reminding him of her. Just thinking about her and his life, it didn't make him feel any better, considering this was his last moment; his life was flashing before his eyes. Pretty soon, as he finally lost grip completely, he just simply gazed at his father as he fell to his watery grave. He couldn't get that look out of his head, that vile…sinister smile. One less Psychic to worry about in this world huh…

And once when he closed his eyes, he instantly felt the impact of the water on his back. It's cold grip, ripping through his body. As he continued to sink deeper into the depths, his desire of wanting to survive started to kick in. Even though he had held his breath, he was a very poor swimmer, though that didn't stop him. He had to get away, he had to…he had to. Moving his arms and legs, he frantically tried to swim to the surface.

He managed to, though once when he gasped for air, he instantly felt a hand wrap around his ankle. Quickly taking another breath, he was then dragged under with incredible force. Without thinking, he tried desperately to fight back, but the more he fought, the tighter the grip was. Pretty soon, more hands started to appear and began swarming the boy. Some of them, wrapping around him, slowly crushing his chest, others, simply pinning him, acting as restraints to keep him under or drag him down even lower. Sheer terror and hopelessness was now displayed in his eyes, as he then felt the clammy hands start to crawl on to his face. Even though it seemed pointless now, he was still trying to move, though as the seconds ticked by, he was beginning to feel light-headed. He was slowly losing consciousness, and losing the battle of the urge to hold his breath.

This was it, this was really the end then…losing all hope, his body began to slow down; his arms and legs just now going with the flow. Once his vision started to blur, he then finally couldn't take it anymore, and relieved himself of his suffocation. He opened his mouth, letting the water flow inside him; it destroying him from the inside and out. The water must be happy, finally claiming another victim. As Raz was now drifting into a daze, he slowly closed his eyes. All the strength that he had….. was now gone.

As Raz continued to float underneath peacefully, with his body completely untouched, a shaded figure unexpectedly came into the picture. The figure instantly dived into the water and hurriedly swam over to the boy. And once it did, it wasted no time to grab him by the arms, and carry him up to the surface.

Once the figure escaped the watery depths, the person continued to cradle the child in his arms. Not looking back at the sight, he pressed forward to safer ground. Finally, once when he was at a distance, he collapsed to his knees, placing the child over them. All was silent as the mysterious man gazed at the boy; his eyes filled with fear and worry. Very slowly, the man then took off Raz's favorite hat; showing his now damped hair.

"My son…." the man whispered faintly.