Power Ranger
Episode 1: Pathways
The setting sun cast an orange glow on Kyle Jenson's brown hair. His green eyes peered out the bus's window as trees flashed by until the bus came to a halting stop next to a run down general store. Kyle got up, grabbed his heavy duffle bag and walked off the bus. The young man watched as the bus hissed and continued down the road.
"Well, well, well," came the sound of an old but pleasant voice. Kyle looked towards the store to see a 64 year-old man limping towards him on a cane.
Kyle smiled. "Hey, grandpa," greeted Kyle as he hugged Bobby Jenson. The two looked each other over for a while until Kyle finally asked, "So how far is the cabin from here?"
"Oh about three miles up the hill," said Bobby pointing his head towards a gravel road parallel to the store.
"Great, where's the car?"
Kyle's grandfather chuckled. "The car's at the cabin. Its not that far of a distance, besides the exercise will do you good." Bobby began to walk across the road with a smile on his face. Kyle readjusted the strap on his duffle bag and reluctantly followed.
Half an hour later Bobby opened the door to his small but cozy cabin. A fire was shinning brightly in the hearth lighting up the whole living room. Kyle set his bag down next to the door and sat down on a small couch waiting anxiously while Bobby busily made coffee. Five minutes later Bobby limped over with a pot of coffee. He poured two cups resting on the coffee table with the hot liquid, grabbed one, and sat down in his rocking chair.
Bobby's weary eyes studied his grandson with age-old wisdom. "My, my, my," chuckled the old man. "Graduating class of 1988. Some of us doubted you would make it."
"You mean my parents," retorted Kyle. "That's why I'm here isn't it? I'm here because my parents didn't think I'd pass and now they're too scared to see what I'll do with the rest of my life."
"Oh you're about half right," began Bobby. He sipped his coffee and continued. "Your parents were very proud of you for making it through high school, even if your grades weren't as high as they had expected. But you are right; they are concerned for your future. That's why they think it's best if you spend the fall here, with me in Meridian City."
"And do what?" snapped Kyle.
"What do you want to do?" asked Bobby coolly in response to his grandson's rising temper.
Kyle shrugged. "I don't know."
"Well," smiled Bobby. "That is why you are here. To figure out what you want to do. Here is where you decide if you want to get a full time job, go to college, or you could expand on those four years of martial arts you took."
"Like I can get into college now. You saw my test scores." Kyle's face began to show signs of frustration at the revelation that he now had to grow up but didn't know how.
Bobby frowned and limped over to a small drawer. Kyle stood up but couldn't see over his grandfather's hunching back as to what he was reaching for. "I've always found this to be a good luck charm," said Bobby as he handed Kyle a wristband. Kyle was amazed the unusual look of the wristband. A metallic black trapezoid, the size of Kyle's palm rested on the top of the wristband. The object was outlined in silver and a small, circular red gem rested in the middle of the trapezoid object. Kyle held the wristband in his hands, studying its unique shape.
"What is it, some kind of watch?" asked Kyle curiously.
Bobby shrugged. "Who knows? I found it in the dessert about twenty- five years ago, back when I would ride out there. There it was, just resting on top of a dune. All I've managed to make of it is that it's just a piece of fancy jewelry." Kyle half ignored his grandfather's words as he fingered the small red gem, studying its prefect round shape. For an instant Kyle caught the gem emit a soft red glow, but for only an instant, and then the soft glow was gone.
"That'll be 10.95," informed Kyle to his customer as put the last of the old lady's groceries in a paper bag. Two weeks had past since Kyle's grandfather had given him the wristband, but so far the only luck the wristband had given Kyle was a low pay job as a cashier for a small grocery store in downtown Meridian City. Kyle looked over his cash register to see his next customer walking up. His eyes went wide when he saw a beautiful girl, about Kyle's age with curly blond hair carrying a basket as she approached him.
"Hey," said the girl as she began to place her groceries on the counter. Kyle broke out of his trance and began to ring her groceries up.
"Did you find everything all right?" asked Kyle quietly.
"Yeah, Dan," said the woman with a smile.
Kyle's head shot up to look the woman in the eye. "You know me?"
The girl let out a small laugh. "Its on your nametag, hon." Kyle looked down to see his nametag resting on his green vest. Embarrassed, he continued to ring the girl's groceries. "You're new here, aren't you?"
"Yeah. How'd you figure?" asked Kyle.
The girl shrugged. "I haven't seen you working here before."
Kyle started placing the girl's groceries in a paper sack. "Yeah that's because I just moved here from Sacramento. My parents thought it'd be best if I lived here with my grandfather while I decide what to do with my life."
"I see," said the girl nodding. "I'm Erin." Erin extended her hand and Kyle shook it. "I go to school at Meridian University, any chance I'll see you there?"
"Maybe. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet-that'll be 18.50."
Erin pulled a twenty dollar bill out of her back pocket and handed it to Kyle. "Keep the change-I'll see you around," said Erin as she grabbed her bag and walked out of the store. Kyle couldn't but help watch her leave and turn the corner and out of sight. Suddenly Kyle heard a loud crashing sound come from the electronics isle. A figure dressed in a black hood stood clutching a boom box and several battery packs amid a pile of flashlights and other battery packs.
"Hey!" shouted Kyle at the hooded figure. The figure glanced quickly at Kyle and then ran towards the emergency exit at the back of the store with the boom box and batteries. "Damn it," spat Kyle as he jumped over the counter and ran off after the hooded figure. The figure had already run out the door when Kyle swung the emergency exit open.
Kyle managed to catch a glimpse of the figure making a sharp corner into a back alley. The 18 year-old pursued him down the alley until both the figure and Kyle had come to a dead end. Kyle stood facing the back of the hooded figure as it looked at the brick wall in front of it dumbfounds.
"Now what the hell was all that about?" asked Kyle nearing the figure.
The figure set the boom box and batteries on the damp concrete and hissed, "More than you will ever know." Then suddenly it spun around and out of it's palm shot a beam of blue energy. The beam hit Kyle in the chest, throwing him ten feet in the air and into a pile of trash bags. Kyle clutched the lightly charred flesh as smoke rose from his shirt. The figure then disappeared in a flash of blue light along with boom box and battery packs. Kyle stared down the alley, his face a mixture of bewilderment, confusion, and pain.
Episode 1: Pathways
The setting sun cast an orange glow on Kyle Jenson's brown hair. His green eyes peered out the bus's window as trees flashed by until the bus came to a halting stop next to a run down general store. Kyle got up, grabbed his heavy duffle bag and walked off the bus. The young man watched as the bus hissed and continued down the road.
"Well, well, well," came the sound of an old but pleasant voice. Kyle looked towards the store to see a 64 year-old man limping towards him on a cane.
Kyle smiled. "Hey, grandpa," greeted Kyle as he hugged Bobby Jenson. The two looked each other over for a while until Kyle finally asked, "So how far is the cabin from here?"
"Oh about three miles up the hill," said Bobby pointing his head towards a gravel road parallel to the store.
"Great, where's the car?"
Kyle's grandfather chuckled. "The car's at the cabin. Its not that far of a distance, besides the exercise will do you good." Bobby began to walk across the road with a smile on his face. Kyle readjusted the strap on his duffle bag and reluctantly followed.
Half an hour later Bobby opened the door to his small but cozy cabin. A fire was shinning brightly in the hearth lighting up the whole living room. Kyle set his bag down next to the door and sat down on a small couch waiting anxiously while Bobby busily made coffee. Five minutes later Bobby limped over with a pot of coffee. He poured two cups resting on the coffee table with the hot liquid, grabbed one, and sat down in his rocking chair.
Bobby's weary eyes studied his grandson with age-old wisdom. "My, my, my," chuckled the old man. "Graduating class of 1988. Some of us doubted you would make it."
"You mean my parents," retorted Kyle. "That's why I'm here isn't it? I'm here because my parents didn't think I'd pass and now they're too scared to see what I'll do with the rest of my life."
"Oh you're about half right," began Bobby. He sipped his coffee and continued. "Your parents were very proud of you for making it through high school, even if your grades weren't as high as they had expected. But you are right; they are concerned for your future. That's why they think it's best if you spend the fall here, with me in Meridian City."
"And do what?" snapped Kyle.
"What do you want to do?" asked Bobby coolly in response to his grandson's rising temper.
Kyle shrugged. "I don't know."
"Well," smiled Bobby. "That is why you are here. To figure out what you want to do. Here is where you decide if you want to get a full time job, go to college, or you could expand on those four years of martial arts you took."
"Like I can get into college now. You saw my test scores." Kyle's face began to show signs of frustration at the revelation that he now had to grow up but didn't know how.
Bobby frowned and limped over to a small drawer. Kyle stood up but couldn't see over his grandfather's hunching back as to what he was reaching for. "I've always found this to be a good luck charm," said Bobby as he handed Kyle a wristband. Kyle was amazed the unusual look of the wristband. A metallic black trapezoid, the size of Kyle's palm rested on the top of the wristband. The object was outlined in silver and a small, circular red gem rested in the middle of the trapezoid object. Kyle held the wristband in his hands, studying its unique shape.
"What is it, some kind of watch?" asked Kyle curiously.
Bobby shrugged. "Who knows? I found it in the dessert about twenty- five years ago, back when I would ride out there. There it was, just resting on top of a dune. All I've managed to make of it is that it's just a piece of fancy jewelry." Kyle half ignored his grandfather's words as he fingered the small red gem, studying its prefect round shape. For an instant Kyle caught the gem emit a soft red glow, but for only an instant, and then the soft glow was gone.
"That'll be 10.95," informed Kyle to his customer as put the last of the old lady's groceries in a paper bag. Two weeks had past since Kyle's grandfather had given him the wristband, but so far the only luck the wristband had given Kyle was a low pay job as a cashier for a small grocery store in downtown Meridian City. Kyle looked over his cash register to see his next customer walking up. His eyes went wide when he saw a beautiful girl, about Kyle's age with curly blond hair carrying a basket as she approached him.
"Hey," said the girl as she began to place her groceries on the counter. Kyle broke out of his trance and began to ring her groceries up.
"Did you find everything all right?" asked Kyle quietly.
"Yeah, Dan," said the woman with a smile.
Kyle's head shot up to look the woman in the eye. "You know me?"
The girl let out a small laugh. "Its on your nametag, hon." Kyle looked down to see his nametag resting on his green vest. Embarrassed, he continued to ring the girl's groceries. "You're new here, aren't you?"
"Yeah. How'd you figure?" asked Kyle.
The girl shrugged. "I haven't seen you working here before."
Kyle started placing the girl's groceries in a paper sack. "Yeah that's because I just moved here from Sacramento. My parents thought it'd be best if I lived here with my grandfather while I decide what to do with my life."
"I see," said the girl nodding. "I'm Erin." Erin extended her hand and Kyle shook it. "I go to school at Meridian University, any chance I'll see you there?"
"Maybe. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet-that'll be 18.50."
Erin pulled a twenty dollar bill out of her back pocket and handed it to Kyle. "Keep the change-I'll see you around," said Erin as she grabbed her bag and walked out of the store. Kyle couldn't but help watch her leave and turn the corner and out of sight. Suddenly Kyle heard a loud crashing sound come from the electronics isle. A figure dressed in a black hood stood clutching a boom box and several battery packs amid a pile of flashlights and other battery packs.
"Hey!" shouted Kyle at the hooded figure. The figure glanced quickly at Kyle and then ran towards the emergency exit at the back of the store with the boom box and batteries. "Damn it," spat Kyle as he jumped over the counter and ran off after the hooded figure. The figure had already run out the door when Kyle swung the emergency exit open.
Kyle managed to catch a glimpse of the figure making a sharp corner into a back alley. The 18 year-old pursued him down the alley until both the figure and Kyle had come to a dead end. Kyle stood facing the back of the hooded figure as it looked at the brick wall in front of it dumbfounds.
"Now what the hell was all that about?" asked Kyle nearing the figure.
The figure set the boom box and batteries on the damp concrete and hissed, "More than you will ever know." Then suddenly it spun around and out of it's palm shot a beam of blue energy. The beam hit Kyle in the chest, throwing him ten feet in the air and into a pile of trash bags. Kyle clutched the lightly charred flesh as smoke rose from his shirt. The figure then disappeared in a flash of blue light along with boom box and battery packs. Kyle stared down the alley, his face a mixture of bewilderment, confusion, and pain.