Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers, Saban does.
*Italic indicates thought
Chapter Four:Somewhat Sleepless Night
A/N: hello! Brings another chapter for your reading enjoyment. I do not own 'Better Days by Nick Pitera. Please review!
"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; love leaves a memory no one can steal." -an Irish gravestone.
Ji didn't get much sleep the entire night. Eventually he got Mia to go to bed, along with Kevin. It wasn't hard to convince them. They were exhausted physically and emotionally after the day they'd just had. Jayden was a whole another story. He couldn't be conviced to move from his spot in the yard. Ji sighed. "Jayden it's past midnight. Come inside."
The red ranger didn't respond. "Jayden I know you can hear me." He reached forward, grabbing his arm. He tried to bring him to his feet, but it wasn't working. "Jayden," he said crouching down so he could look him in the eye. "I know you're upset. You're hurting and you have every right to be. What you went through, the decision you had to make...I can't imagine how hard that was for you. You can have time to grieve, but I won't let you hurt yourself. Come inside and sleep."
Jayden blinked and shook his head. "No one will ever know," he whispered.
"What?"
"I can't leave. He promised me he'd come back. I have to wait for him. I'm his friend; I can't fail him."
Ji realized who Jayden was waiting for. "Jayden-"
"But I can sit here, and I can wait. I can wait, and wait, and wait. But he won't come back. Not this time. He'll never walk through that gate again and it's all my fault." His voice broke at the end and he started to cry. Ji reached forward and embraced him. Jayden shook his head and pushed him away. "No don't."
"Jayden-"
"No!" he sobbed. "Don't comfort me. Don't try to make me feel better." He scooted away from Ji, still staring at the gate.
Ji was at a loss. He didn't know what to do. "Alright," he said. "But if you need me, when you need me, you know where to find me." He got up and left Jayden to his own devices.
Jayden didn't move from his spot. He stared at the gate, still crying. But he didn't cry just because he lost Antonio. It was because he'd also lost part of himself.
-Life and Death-
Eventually Lauren decided to get some sleep. She lay down in her bed, unable to fall asleep though. She still held the pendant with one hand. She lay one her side, away from the door. She didn't want to see anyone right now. She felt like she'd cried all her tears, but obviously she hadn't. Without even thinking her crying started again. The grief was so overwhelming she thought it might consume her.
She closed her eyes, trying to sleep. Eventually she did...
She was wading through water. It was crystal blue and on.y went to her ankles. She crouched down and put her hand in it. She lifted it up and out as the cool liquid ran between her fingers. She looked around, realizing the water stretched on forever. Wow. As she walked she looked for other people, land, animals...anything. But all she could see was the endless lake. The light was perfect on the after, not too bright or dark.
She spotted someone with their back turned to her. She walked a little faster. "Hello!" she called. "Hello!" The person didn't answer, or even acknowledge her. She walked even closer, still gaining a little speed. "Hey!" As she got closer she realized who it was. The black hair looked familiar. She looked down I got he water and saw a pair of gold sneakers. "Antonio," she whispered. "Antonio?"
He didn't answer. Lauren tried to run to him, but a current was starting to pick up. Lauren ran as fast as she could, but kept getting pushed back. She tried to go around the current, but it followed her. "Antonio!" Her legs were starting to tire and her lungs were starting to burn. "Antonio!" She slipped and fell face first into the water. It was deeper than it had been before and she was soon engulfed by it. She struggled to swim to the surface, but it was about as useful as swimming in molasses.
Lauren started to panic as she lunges burned from lack of oxygen. A light-headed feeling started to come over her. She looked up at where Antonio was, but he was gone. She frowned in confusion. She looked around and jumped when she saw him. He was floating went to her, pale and lifeless. Lauren reached out to touch him, but her hand went straight through him. No. Antonio, no!
"No!" Lauren shouted falling off her bed with a thump! Her breath was quick, and her palms were sweaty. She touched her chest, the pain still there, but this time it wasn't from drowning. She curled into a ball on the ground cried. "Antonio," she sobbed. "Please come back. Come back please. Please."
-Life and Death-
Emily couldn't sleep. She really wanted too. She was extremely worn from the day. One day. It hasn't even been 24 hours yet. She sighed and grabbed her IPod. Maybe some music would help. She put it on shuffle and laid back down, closing her eyes. She let the music wash over her, drowning some of her sadness. It was up of r debate wether or not the song she was listening too was a good idea or not.
I will be waiting, anticipating. Love is waiting 'round the bend. God knows I'm trying will not come crying. We'll not go away. I see better days.
"Yeah, better days," the yellow ranger whispered. "Those seem like a million years away."
I feel like running, but I know I will fall down. I feel like crying, but I know in tears I soon will drown. Time to take my own advice and give it one more try. With every step I take I know someday that I'll get by.
"I want to run. Just run away from all of this. The pain. The sadness. I want to cry, but if I do I won't stop." Emily wished everything could be normal. She wished Antonio hadn't died. "Why?" she asked. "Why did it had be to be him? All he ever wanted to do was help. He was a good person. And what did he get? Killed by his-" she cut off as she started crying again. "Best friend."
The yellow ranger turned over and buried her face in her pillow, turning up the music.
-Life and Death-
Kevin tossed and turned. He was trying to sleep, but it wasn't working. He sat up and turned on his light. He couldn't sleep. It didn't feel right. It was as if someone had placed a weight on his chest. It hurt and made it hard to breathe. He put his hand on his chest, just to make sure nothing was there. He hugged his legs to himself, put his forehead on his knees. He was so tired, and so overwhelmed at the same time that it was shocking. He wondered what Antonio thought in the final moments before Jayden-
He stopped suddenly, hands gripping his legs. Jayden. Jayden did this. But he couldn't of...and yet he did. The blue ranger felt ashamed at these thoughts. He knew it hadn't been Jayden's choice. Initially, it had been Antonio's. Jayden had done the right thing by the world. But what about by us? What're we supposed to do? He thought about Antonio's fishing gear in the corner of the yard. Gear that would never again be used by its owner.
In a few weeks, all of Antonio's customers and fellow fishermen would think he'd moved on. He'd fade away and become nothing more than a memory to them. Funny, how they'll never know what he did to save them. How much he cared about everybody to risk and sacrifice his life. Kevin looked at the ceiling. "You did good," he whispered. "If you can hear me Antonio, you did good. It...was-" he couldn't even finish. Why can't I just be selfish once and think, no! You made the wrong decision! You left us! We needed you!
But it wouldn't be right. "Why is it always about what's right? Just once could it be about what feels right? Instead of just what is?" Tough questions he knew. Questions that he couldn't answer, because he didn't want to admit that it didn't make sense. None of it did. "It's probably not supposed to. I don't think it is."
-Life and Death-
Mia was lying in bed, eyes closed when she heard a lock on her door. "Come in," she said sitting up in bed.
Emily came, cheeks still wet from tears. "Hey."
"Hey Em. Is everything ok?"
"Yes...well, no actually. Nothing is. I just...I couldn't sleep, and I just really needed a friend."
Mia nodded in understanding. "Come on," she said sliding over and pulling the covers back a bit.
Emily walked over a lay next to Mia on the bed. "Thanks Mia."
"No problem. We all need someone right now."
Emily nodded and closed her eyes, praying sleep would come. Just end this day. End this horrible day.
-Life and Death-
Ji did another check on the rangers. He found Kevin and Mike were both asleep. He checked Jayden's room and wasnt surprised to find the red ranger wasn't there. He checked Emily's next and frowned when he found it was empty. He went to Mia's and smiled when he saw the pink and yellow rangers. He shut the door quietly, trying not to disturb them. He went to Lauren's door and opened it quietly. He found her lying on the ground, curled up, sobbing.
Ji sighed and entered the room. He carefully walked over to Lauren and helped her stand up. She paned on him a bit as he led her to her bed. She laid down in it without complaint and Ji covered her up. She curled into a ball, like she was trying to protect herself. Ji pet her on the head a few times before leaving, clicking the door shut quietly behind him. He went next to Jayden's room and grabbed a red blanket off his bed. Then, he grabbed a lantern and walked back out into the yard, shivering against the chill.
Jayden was in the exact same spot he'd left him. Ji turned the lantern on and set it down next to Jayden so he wasn't sitting in the dark. Then he dropped the blanket on his shoulders. Jayden unconsciously pulled it tighter around his body. Ji pat him on the head, then went back into the house. Maybe I can get a couple hours sleep before one them wakes up again.
