Across the Fence

[Lexxi]

There was an old saying that often pertained to the circus. A saying that, while not quite part of the code that each and every one of them followed, stated that one should always expect the unexpected. It was the simplest thing someone could have to do. All they had to do was think about what wouldn’t happen and wait for it to happen anyway. Somehow, it seemed horribly strange that while her sisters could redlight a person and take their anger out on children, they couldn’t keep a handle on the things that mattered most. It was Epona who had alerted them all to the problem that had sprung up at nearly 11 o’clock at night with a scream that shook the caravan windows and jolted all of them from whatever state of sleep they may have been lingering in. Reno was tying together the ends of her long satin robe as she stumbled out to where the light of the fire was still burning and looked around as blindly as if she’d just been hit over the head with something very heavy. Atlanta was next, rubbing sleep from her eyes with her own nightgown slightly askew and slippers on the wrong feet, then Jacques in her polka dot pajamas emerged, perched upon the top step with a half lidded stare. Epona came running back from the far side of their little camp, arms flailing and her face bright red from lack of breath.

It was a very rare moment when this particular sister showed any emotion other than a dark, steely scowl, but she seemed close to hysterics right then which only meant one thing. Something was wrong with one of the horses. As they went to meet her, Epona’s sprint slowing as she lost whatever breath she had left in her, Reno caught her by the shoulders and forced her to look her in the eyes. “Epona! What’s wrong?” She didn’t answer for a moment other than pointing frantically in the direction of the horse post and, to no surprise to anyone other than Jacques who gave a slight jump, struck her across the face. This seemed to shake her from her stupor for her face quickly fell back slightly to regain a bit more of that familiar stoicism and she inhaled deeply. “Thunder…He’s missing. His tether was cut and I can’t find him anywhere.” The panic that went through them was mutual and Jacques could see the could rise in Reno’s cheeks; slightly smudged with stage makeup she had apparently neglected to take off before bed. Before she knew what was going on, the three of them were moving at a quick pace toward the trees.

“Wait! What about me?” There was no answer. They didn’t care what she did for they knew very well that Jacques would figure the answer out on her own. It was always the same. As their figures were swallowed by the darkness just beyond the ring of light produced by the fire, Jacques stood there in silence, then sighed and trudged back into her caravan where a stub of a candle was still flickering from her earlier reading. With any luck, they would be back with Thunder and she could get some sleep, but for now, all she could do was wonder.

Nearly an hour later, Jacques was still pacing the length of her caravan like a caged lion; apprehensive and jittery with both lack of sleep and fear. She was restless, her heart pounding with a sudden rush of adrenaline that pumped through her with every sound, and with each pass she made by the single window, she would glance out through the slightly parted, lace curtains. There was no sign of Reno, no sign of Epona, no sign of Atlanta, and no sign of Thunder. The camp remained vacant, the embers of the fire were dying away, she was alone. It was a very strange. She hadn’t been alone for so long, at least, not at this hour. The night outside seemed so alien, so cruel, Jacques wouldn’t have been surprised if it had eaten her sisters like some horrible beast. It took her a moment of inner conflict before she finally paused in her rapid pacing. She couldn’t wait any longer. She couldn’t take the solitude. Snatching up a brown, patchwork jacket she’d had for years, she threw it on and darted out into the night, past the fire pit, and straight to the four, tethered Clydesdales waiting near the tree line.

Ferdinand, a deep mahogany colored prince of a horse, eyed her as she approached and waited patiently as if curious to what she was up to. Jacques carefully untied him from the low hanging branch they’d been using and looped the rope to form makeshift reigns. The horse waited patiently as she hoisted herself up onto its broad back and gave his sides a little pressure; spurring him forward into the shadows of the trees. Jacques felt her fingers twitch nervously upon the reigns and tightened her grip until her knuckles were white with force. She could see them just ahead, the distance translucent orange of streetlamps and knew she would soon be at the tall gates that separated the forest from the strange camp. Raz had told her she wasn’t allowed inside the fence, but that was far from her first concern. Jacques didn’t want to be alone. She was scared and, in the back of her mind, there was a voice telling her that she would be safer within the confines of the camp. Whether that voice was right or not was yet to be seen. It took only a moment or two for her to work her way past the front gate and she carefully steered the horse into the parking lot where its hooves clattered loudly over the pavement with each step. Even within the gate, things seemed horribly empty and Jacques felt as though she was strolling through a painting. Everything was so still and quiet that it gave the world around her an eerie aura, a silence so deafening that she found herself clearing her throat just to be sure she could still hear. Up the hill and past a rather large wooden building the horse carried her and in the distance she heard the low growl of a cougar.

She swallowed nervously. The silence quick to return though the further she went and Jacques found herself humming quietly to keep her wits about her. The tune was unsteady, childish, and rather melancholy, but she forced herself to remain tall and sing the lyrics in her mind; a song she‘d sang as a little girl and the only she could remember fully.

“In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight…”

Another growl made her whimper slightly in fear. It sounded so much closer, like perhaps it was stalking after her, but if she knew anything about big cats, it was that showing fear and running only made them chase you more. Ferdinand never faltered in his steps as he trudged only at an amble pace. If he could be brave, surely she could.

“In the village, the quiet village, the lion sleeps tonight…”

Jacques watched as the path merged into a long bridge across a wide gorge in the mountain side and quickened the horse’s pace with a slight feeling of anxiety. If she fell, there would be no one to save her. Both she and the horse would fall to their deaths before anyone could even recognize her scream as anymore than a night owl prowling the trees. There was a straining creak from the wooden boards beneath the horse’s hooves as its large girth moved onto its surface, but she refused to slow. She could see the other side even against the thick and hungry darkness and make out the outline of tall trees upon the land. Just a few more feet.

“Hush my darling, don’t fear my darling, the lion sleeps tonight…”

At last, she reached the end and allowed herself a moment to exhale with relief. Giving Ferdinand a pat upon his muscular neck, she eyed the two cabins just ahead and slid off his back to walk on her somewhat shaky legs. She took the lead and guided the horse along behind her then paused between the two building with new uncertainty. She’d been running on her own instinct this entire time and now she at a loss. He could be anywhere. Raz could be miles away or maybe even back at the first building she hadn’t bothered to inspect, but Jacques had wandered blindly through this strange area, following her gut. Now she didn’t know what to do. Ferdinand gave an impatient whinny and she turned sharply. “Hush Ferdinand! Some my hear us,” she whispered harshly; stroking her nose in an attempt to quiet him.

The horse stamped its hooves and tossed its head, tugging at the lead and Jacques held on with a grimace. This was why horses weren’t used for stealth missions.

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[Nakki]

Meanwhile, as Jacques entered the area with the cabins, a pair of people unbeknownst to her were watching, high up in the canopy.

Here she is, Nicolai thought telepathically to his sister. Helene levitated silently towards where her little brother was perched in the tree's aged branches. He looked carefully through the leaves of the tree, gazing down at the girl and her horse.

Right on time. Good prediction, Nico, said Helene, and Nico grinned happily. Praise was a thing he enjoyed greatly.

May I scare them a bit, Helene? he asked silently, glancing over at his sibling as the horse and rider down below them stopped between two of the cabins. The young woman nodded slightly, and with a wider grin than before Nico leaned down between two branches, fixed his eye on the horse and rider, and gave a small chuckle.

"Heh, heh, heh heh heh...."

[Lexxi]

She felt her breath catch in her throat as the sound met her ears that strained against the silence. It wasn’t a bird, though she did wish she could convince herself that it was, and it was not the cougar that had earlier been prowling about the underbrush. A feeling of dread hit her with the same force as a speeding truck and her mouth suddenly felt terribly dry. She couldn’t scream, she couldn’t call for help. Her heartbeat thudded quietly against the prison of her chest until she was sure its unsteady rhythm would cause it to burst and she tightened her grip upon the horse’s reigns as if for protection. Ferdinand, stoic and bold as ever, seemed unaffected by the eerie laugh that drifted through the night air as nimbly as ever and simply snorted before nudging her with his large snout. He was an animal and all animals could sense feeling. He knew when she was afraid, when she was sad, and when she was happy. He was her friend in the form of a large hoofed beast and she thanked her lucky stars that she’d chosen him to take her here. If it weren’t for him, she might have turned and ran.

Jacques forced herself to swallow her fear and ignore the sound, but on the outside, she was shivering in earnest beneath her coat. The thought of the horrors movies she had watched back when the troop had passed through the East Coast were strong enough to make her imagine a vivid scene in her head that ended in blood and a bone chilling shriek. A few tears began to well in the corners of her aquamarine eyes, but she quickly swept them away on the back of her sleeve. She had no idea where she was going to go from here. Whatever was watching her from the surrounding trees was close, that much she knew, but safety was just as near if she could only know which had the one person she knew in this horrible place. Raz had to be close. If he wasn’t, she could very likely end up as the lone girl running through the woods alone with a chainsaw wielding maniac close behind. Another nudge from Ferdinand brought her out of her dreadful daydreams and Jacques placed a hand upon his broad shoulder; finding comfort in knowing he was close beside her.

Her gaze went back to the two cabins that were shadowed in the glow of small lamp buzzing with moths. This was what she got for not listening. He had told her not to come here and yet she’d done it anyway. Now she was stuck with a choice she couldn’t make and a fear she couldn’t be rid of. So instead, she chose not to choose. Jacques chose facing fear over confronting conflict. “I-I know you’re there,” she stated in a voice that quivered slightly. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop her trembling and then lightly cleared her throat. “You’re not scaring me so you might as well come out.” It was a lie, but came out a bit more convincing than she had expected. Jacques was terrified, but she had learned after working with tigers that, so long as you could fake confidence, you could normally make it out alive. A rustle from the bushes, however, made her whimper quietly and bring herself closer to the horse who was now staring intently at the darkness; waiting for the stranger to emerge.

[Nakki]

Nicolai grinned evilly and glanced at his sister, asking silently for her permission to keep going. Helene nodded silently, and with another small cackle the boy swung a little lower into the tree, shaking the branches eerily as he did so. He clambered through the branches until he was directly above Jacques and her horse, only a few meters away from his hair brushing the top of the girl's head.

"Now why would I want to do that when I'm having a perfectly grand time doing this, girl?" he said in a mocking tone, reaching a teal Telekinetic hand down to play with one of her braids. He snickered again, clearly amused by the whole situation.

[Lexxi]

It was like being trapped inside a dream she could no more wake up from than she could control and Jacques wasn’t sure exactly how to feel. While her stomach churned and begged her to scream, her mind could hardly register that she needed to keep breathing whatever shallow breaths she could manage under her sudden panic. All was dreadfully silent for a moment until the violent shudder of branches caught her attention, but Jacques refused to acknowledge them with her deeply focused stare. Like crossing a tightrope, looking down would only serve to make the problem worse. In her case, looking up would be her downfall. However, it seemed like whatever it was didn’t like being ignored. At first, she thought the odd teal glow in the air around her was a trick of the light, but a series of blinking told her differently. Suddenly, she couldn’t breath at all. Her mind worked over time to keep her upright, her muscles tensed and Jacques was forced to move a hand to the horse’s shoulder to hold her steady. Ferdinand shifted a bit and nudged her shoulder like a close friend trying to comfort her, but she was utterly frozen where she stood.

Her mind and body were at a stand still with her heart being the only thing still going and going at a very rapid pace. Still, Jacques did not show fear in her face aside from her teeth sinking into both her lower lip and her tongue to resist doing anything that might wake up those sleeping the cabins just ahead. There was no way to be certain that, once awake, those people would help her and she refused to take the chance. After all, she wasn’t exactly supposed to be there. So all she could do was stand there; swallowing hard to try and remove the lump from her throat.
“I-I’m warning you, y-you had b-better stop,” she stuttered.
Not exactly the most intimidating of threats, but it was the best she could manage under the trembling she was trying her best to hold down. Once again, she was back to biting her tongue so hard she could very well have severed it clean in half and holding tightly to the lead of the horse to her left. Ferdinand looked up with a stern curiosity and that was when she lost her only support. Perhaps it was the fact that he was in a tree like some of the more wild animals of the forests or perhaps he just sensed something, but when the horse’s eyes settled upon Nico, he panicked. The horse reared and Jacques caught the edge of his hoof to the back of her head, tumbling to the ground, while the horse stumbled back a bit with a high pitched whinny and hit the branches with its arched back before hurrying off to a good 3 yards or so of distance. Jacques groaned a bit as she tried to sit up. That had certainly been unexpected.

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[Nakki]

"What the- WAUGH!" Nico jumped back as Thunder reared up, but the combined force from the strong horse's jump was enough to dislodge him from the branches he was lurking, and the young psychic fell out of the tree- only just being caught around the ankle by his sister's golden TK hand.

Idiot! Why did you go so close!? her voice said harshly in Nico's mind. Nico glared up at her with one eye and replied, I didn't know the horse would get that scared! Gimme a break! Helene glared back at her little brother, annoyed that they'd been found out, and dropped him. Luckily, he only fell about a foot, and landed flat on his back on the ground with a grunt.

Nico sat back up a moment later and rubbed his spine, brainstorming ways for him to get back at his dear sister up there in the tree.

[Kero]

The night was amazingly full of certain awake campers when it came to Whispering Rock. Despite the early rising hour that most of the kids had, that didn’t stop a lot of them from staying out well past lights out. Already, Maloof and his lackey’s had made their rounds. Raz had chatted with them a while back as he took advantage of the cool night air and the opportunity to kick the tails of a few cougars. It was always uncomfortable, though, especially since in the brief year that the younger, previously much bullied boy had had to grow, he’d seemed to gain that much more confidence and professionalism in the way he ‘dealt’ with people. Raz was in no danger from them, of course, but it still tended to unnerve him. To that effect, he chose to make his own nightly rounds far away from the area that they had, wandering through the forest in the dark as if he knew every inch of the camp, which he did.

It was the sudden high-pitched sound of a horse’s whinny that bought the boy to instant attention, his large green eyes wide while he stood up straight, and then quickly leapt up into the branches of a nearby tree, climbing higher in case there was something that could be seen through the branches. But it was too thick in that area, so with a muttered curse, he jumped down, landing in a crouch and snapping a levitation ball into existence. The eerie glow of the thing cast everything around the area into a stark contrast of flame-like orange and green, making him far too easy to see for his liking, but for the sake of speed, he ignored being conspicuous, heading toward the area of the disturbance with small, floating bounds that covered a lot of distance.

It was hard not to see Ferdinand, first. The draft horse was huge, and obviously frightened. To keep from startling him more, Raz extinguished the levitation energy, jumping down to the ground with a slight stumble and walking up to the horse slowly, “Ferdinand..?” he made sure the horse could see him before he moved up to him, “What are you doing out here, buddy… and where-?” His words cut off as he saw Jacques lying on the ground, “Jacques!”

He was at a loss, really, unsure of if he should be angry, scared, annoyed, relieved, or worried that the girl had come here all alone. He really wanted to make sure she was okay, first, so he left the horse where he was and moved to kneel by the girl, seeing if he could help her up, “What happened? I heard s-” his words cut off again once he caught sight of Nicolai, some sort of instinctual warning bell making the hair at the back of his neck prickle, “….who are you?”

[Lexxi]

From her place against the ground, Jacques felt her body grow rigid and then suddenly break out in a cold sweat. She felt no pain from the hit she had sustained only moments ago, in fact, she felt nothing aside from a her heartbeat against her ribcage. Her eyes were open, unblinking, and slightly foggy. Her vision began to twist and turn as she tried to refocus. Everything faded into the back of her mind. The scenery blurred around her, running like watercolors upon a damp canvas until she was left in the middle of an abstract nightmare of faded tones and pigments. She wanted to scream and maybe she had on the inside, but outside her mouth was dry and her throat had swollen shut. Her chest had constricted in new anxiety that made her feel sick until she was sure she’d faint any second. Jacques could hear her own blood pounding in her temples and distant voices from those right beside her. The sounds meshed, the voices rose, and soon it was nothing but screaming; a horrid sound she couldn’t understand of escape from as it echoed in her subconscious.

Her head throbbed violently and Jacques gave a whimper. It hurt, knives sinking deeper and deeper into her thoughts, and she could hardly bare it. When Raz tried to touch her, she pulled away and cried out in fright. In a sense, she was like a wounded animal, afraid of everything and unsure of anything. She couldn’t remember him suddenly or where she was or anything for that matter. It had just snapped away from her, a wisp of fog she had tried to trap in a jar. “Don’t touch me,” she snapped; voice quivering. The grass beneath her was cool against her burning skin, but wasn’t enough to ease the feverish heat causing her to sweat. As her heart thudded double time, she clutched the back of her head and doubled over; the pain finally stopping its rage through her body and settling in the back of her skull where the horse had hit her. She couldn’t make sense of anything, but felt the warmth fade slightly. It was fire she saw.

Its orange and scarlet tongues licked and jumped through the nothingness and grew steadily before her until it seemed to be fed by the slightest breeze and consumed her. Jacques snapped from her stupor, the blackout fading quickly as it had come on and leaving her disoriented and afraid. She didn’t know where she was or who these people were. Her mind had stopped, her memories evaded her. Jacques looked from Raz to Nico with a blank expression and the shrank back a little. “W-where am I?” she asked quietly.

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[Nakki]

Nicolai had winced a bit when he heard another voice come in, but it took him a moment to spot Raz, who was in his rather large blind spot. However, when Nico did see him, his eye went wide and he started, then quickly regained his composure. It was that insufferable Razputin Aquato. Why did those Aquatos always seem to pop up just when you needed them least?

"I am-" he began to say to answer Raz's question, but the girl's sudden snapping made him start again, and he looked towards her. Nicolai quirked an eyebrow at the apparently panicking girl, and he just watched her and Raz, glancing towards the other boy every once in a while in distaste.

Then Jacques asked her question. Where am I? Nico couldn't help but think that this sounded familiar for some reason, especially since a girl was asking it, but he couldn't remember where from...

[Kero]

“Don’t touch me.”

Like a slap in the face, the words left behind a stunned, disbelieving expression on the young boy’s face, his mind unable to process for a moment what had happened other than he had apparently done something very wrong. He noticed only afterward how he had flinched back, stung, his eyes wide as he repeated her name again quietly. But already, he knew it was useless. She wasn’t going to respond to him.

It wasn’t until she clutched her head a doubled up that he was spurred into action again, stopping just short of touching the girl as his entire form quivered and hovered with the need to help, forgetting for an instant the figure behind him. Jacques was his friend, and her being in trouble was more important to Raz than some strange boy or even the reason why she had come here in the first place.

“Jacques, please, you gotta-”

Blank, unrecognizing eyes turned to him, and Raz’s voice died in his throat, his words to remain forever unsaid while his mind worked overtime, trying to process everything and keep himself calm. This wasn’t something he thought he could fix… He was still new to the Psychonauts, and they’d never told him if memories could be recovered psychically. He wasn’t sure if he should try with a friend, anyhow; this wasn’t like it was someone who was crazy to begin with, like Boyd or Fred had been. As far as he knew, Jacques was perfectly sane, and if he messed something up to make her any less than that he’d never forgive himself.

For a long time, the boy stood frozen, staring back at the confused girl. There was only one real logical conclusion that came from all this…

That kid…! He must have done something!

“You’re at Whispering Rock Summer Camp…” Raz proclaimed that proudly as he turned to face Nicolai, his eyes narrowing, “My name is Razputin Aquato, and I’m going to protect you.”

His next words, barely more than a hiss, were for Nicolai.

“What did you do to my friend??”

[Lexxi]

She was silent, her mind unable to make her mouth move to form any of the words she wished to say. She wanted to ask him what was going on, why she was there, and what she needed protection from, but couldn’t. All she could do was remain where she was with a look of utter shock and confusion upon her face. Like a child, she looked up at him; eyes flickering with emotions not even she could quite discern.
His name.
That name.
She rolled it back and forth in her mind like one might a ball of dough, kneading and twisting it until it took the shape of something familiar. For a split second, something had jumped out at her. A face to a name, but not one she could quite remember like the dots of a puzzle she had to draw together before she received the full image. Her expression became uncertain and troubled as she remained upon the ground and looked from one boy to the other. The wind brushed through the trees and she shivered with a sudden wash of fear that gripped her already throbbing heart in a vice and constricted angrily. Why couldn’t she remember? An all too familiar whinny in the background caught her attention and Jacques turned sharply; ignoring the dizziness it brought with it. Ferdinand trotted over to her with his hooves landing silently on the grass and she smiled weakly, glad to be in the presence of one perfectly familiar face. He lower his head and she hugged him, the horse gratefully nuzzling against her as if it were a dog and not a Clydesdale. “Oh Ferdinand, thank goodness. At least I know, someone here,” she whispered, the name coming to mind as a vague memory.

Jacques eyes returned to the boys, both somehow familiar in their own way but both complete strangers. Her mind couldn’t piece together the shards scattered in her subconscious and all she could do was keep a hand upon the horse for security and watch them, waiting for their next move. However, her eyes always seemed to linger on the odder of the two, a boy with only one eye. A nagging voice buried in her thoughts told her something about him that she didn’t understand. Something important. Keeping her mouth shut, she listened and waited.

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[Nakki]

Nicolai's expression was an uncomprehending sneer as he saw Raz turn towards him and hiss out his question. "I didn't do anything to her. I'm just in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said smoothly, standing up tall and looking at Raz a little contemptuously. "How dare you assume that I am the culprit, here? Where is your proof? Hmm?"

Nicolai, be careful. Aquato's an agent and you're not; he knows more about fighting than you do, Helene's voice whispered into her little brother's mind, keeping it away from Raz's psyche. Nico didn't react at all when he heard her thoughts to keep their cover.

I know, Helene. But we should be able to predict what he'll do if he tries to attack, Nico replied, not moving an inch and keeping his gaze on Raz. There was tension in the air, and Nico knew that he'd be getting a prediction or two soon.

[Kero]

There was something that came up in times like this… perhaps an instinct triggered by the presence of a Galochio or something deeper written into the souls of every human being, hidden in those violent depths that were only revealed by cause of fear and loathing and a need to respond to things. Even if that thing responded to was something so simple and yet all consuming as guilt.

Raz had a lot of guilt. He couldn’t deny it and still tell the truth, and because of that, he said little on the subject. A lot of problems in his life had their root cause in himself, and despite knowing this to the very marrow of his being, Raz slogged on. Jacques was here because of him; if he wanted to blame anyone, it should be himself that he pointed to first. Like any human being, though, the boy was reluctant to admit that out loud. Not when his spine was tingling with the force of the pure malicious creepiness that came from this strange, suspicious, innately unnerving boy.

And in his mind, there was only one line… one deeply written mantra that became his entire thought process.

Protect your friends.

“I think you’re lying.” Raz’s voice was hard and his eyes were narrow, form rigid as he looked at the other camper, “Ferdinand wouldn’t have been that scared for no reason…. Jacques…. Ugh, damn you!”

Raz barely had to think. His mind was suddenly focused, everything was crystal clear and he was only aware distantly of how angry he must look as one hand suddenly flared into life with orange light. Where before, it had taken him much more concentration, though his anger, it seemed much easier for the energy to solidify into claws that mimicked his fingers, long and razor sharp

“…I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to…”

[Nakki]

Nicolai started when Raz's hand suddenly flared to life, but quickly regained his demeanor as he watched the fiery psychic energy dance. "I may be lying, but I have one thing I'd like to say to you..." the older boy said smoothly as he began to concentrate. He'd never tried anything like this before, but he knew he could do it...

Finally, his mental work paid off. The air suddenly became arid around everything except Nicolai, for Nico had sucked all the water out of the air and towards his hands, which were now becoming enveloped in a thickening layer of water, tinged with a teal glow.

"I'd suggest you pick your fights a little more wisely, Aquato... you never know what I could do with these..."

[Kero]

His body responded before he could. Jumping back more quickly than he would have thought possible at the sight of the water, a primal fear surfaced in his mind where before had been only his anger and protective need to help a friend that he felt in a large part responsible for. The air, suddenly dry, scratched his throat harshly as he breathed, and though the claws around his hand started to flicker, there was one thing that gave the boy the mental strength to keep standing where he was, eyes narrowed and body poised for action at any moment.

This guy had been lying, and he’d admitted it. He’d done something to make Jacques like this. Raz couldn’t forgive something like that. The girl wasn’t even threatening! It was like picking on a kid smaller than you because it was fun, and that was too much like Bobby than Raz found comfortable.

“How do you know that??” speaking about the water, Raz’s eyes flicked to the other boy’s hands. Too much like the hand that appeared out of lakes to grab him and pull him under, his breathing became a little shallow at remembering it. More times than just once he’d crawled out of the dredges of the lake, barely alive and gasping, narrowly avoiding death. “Who are you!?”