1st Mental Baggage

[tsunkinesis]

[Action, 2240 Stevens Road]

[The last thing she remembers was going off on that jet to go save her kidnapped Dad with her new boyfriend Raz and not waking up in a strange house. She immediately gets up and starts walking around the place.]

Ugh, talk about creepy…I’d rather take on brain-powered death tanks than this. Where did everyone go?

Comments

[ra_ra_razputin]

[Raz freezes. No way. It can't be. Can it? Only one way to find out.]

...Lili?

[tsunkinesis]

[Thank goodness there's someone familiar here.]

Raz? What's going on? Weren't we on that jet to go save my Dad?

[ra_ra_razputin]

[Oh. Oh. That was a long time ago for Raz. How does he explain this?]

Yeah. Yeah, we were! It's, look, it's a really long story...

[And all of a sudden it hits him that holy crap Lili is actually here and he is talking to her.] It's really nice to hear from you again.

[tsunkinesis]

Nice to hear from you again? But we were together until I woke up here!

I want answers, Raz, and there's plenty of time to explain. So talk.

[ra_ra_razputin]

Okay, okay. Oh jeez where do I start. Okay, we're in a town called Mayfield and it's pure evil. The people in charge kidnap us and keep us here as part of some creepy version of a normal town from the 50s... even though we know it's not normal because they kidnapped us to bring us here. You can't leave because the roads loop if you walk far enough, and if you cause trouble they can brainwash you for a while to make you stop.

It's not a mental world, though. At least at this point, I'm pretty sure it's not. It's kind of like a simulation or something. Anyway. You don't have your psychic abilities right now, or anything you own, because they take everything. You can get them back, but only when they decide you can. And you'll know when that is.

I was kidnapped off the jet just like you were! Only for me, it was a long time ago. A REALLY long time ago.

[tsunkinesis]

[That was seriously a lot to take in, but she's trying her best to stay calm.]

I've seen some simulations at the Psychonauts headquarters use to train but this is nothing like one of those.

[Fridge horror kicking in 3, 2, 1...]

Raz, how long have you been here? And don't even think about lying to me about this.

[ra_ra_razputin]

[Oh no here we go.]

Promise me you won't freak out. In another month, I'll have been stuck here for two years.

[And now he's trying not to freak out, because he hadn't really thought about that until now.]

[tsunkinesis]

[She gets quiet for a long time. Don't worry they didn't disconnect.]

Two...years? Have you seen anyone else besides me from Whispering Rock or the jet?

[ra_ra_razputin]

[He was afraid of that. The silence more than the risk of disconnecting.]

Agent Vodello was here for a while, but now she's... not.

Other than that, it's been me and a whole bunch of strangers. Who aren't really strangers to me anymore, but you know what I mean.

[tsunkinesis]

Wait, people come in and out of here? But I'm guessing there's a big catch to that.

Yeah I guess. So, where are you now?

[ra_ra_razputin]

Yeah. Remember the brainwashing I mentioned? When people leave, their bodies stay behind but they act like robots. It's creepy. [shudder.]

I'm at my house! It's 339 Brady Lane. What's the address where you are?

[tsunkinesis]

You said it.

Give me a sec. I think I can see the mailbox from here. 2240 Stevens Road. I don't know if that's far from where you are.

[ra_ra_razputin]

Okay, I'll be right over!

[Several minutes later and there's a knock at the door.]

[tsunkinesis]

[She immediately hangs and waits. At the sound of the knock she opens the door.]

Raz! You're actually here!

[And she just hugs him right there on the spot. Because really, who wouldn't want to give him a hug after hearing what he's been through.]

[ra_ra_razputin]

[Well, that's okay, because Raz was going to hug her too. Has it really been two years since he last did that?]

...Hi Lili.