Chapter 21: A Harsh Check on Reality
"Oh my God Tommy...is she..." Kim was too stunned to even say the word dead. Tommy, Kim, Jason and the girls continued to gasps and stare at the body of Ellie hanging from the ceiling. There was no words to describe what was going on through their minds. It didn't dawn upon them that a few more spectators ended up coming to the scene as they all gazed upon Ellie's body.
"Kim get the girls out of the room now," Tommy ordered as Kim ushered the girls out into the hall, "Jason get me a knife. I'm going to cut her down."
"Bro...I don't think...she's..." Jason stuttered.
"Just get me a damn knife now!" he snapped until everyone of them saw what appeared to look like "Ellie" standing next to her dangling body. However, Tommy knew what they were exactly staring at right now.
"In my opinion I don't think it will make a difference," they knew it was Lokar but it was mocking them by taking Ellie's form, "Up or down no matter what you'll do it's going to be the same thing. I'll still be dead."
"You sick son of a bitch what did you do to Ellie?" Kenji snapped as Virgil and Aidan restrained him.
"I didn't do anything to her...except talk and we did talk for a long night. You see Ellie is..." Lokar grins wickedly as it takes its original form, "Oh I'm sorry my mistake. Ellie was a smart girl. She knew the truth..."
"Don't listen to it guys!" Kim glared at the Source of Evil, "It's just messing with our heads!"
"Typical little firecracker trying to ease things for the youngsters. The fact of the matter is life ain't easy. Ellie was a smart cookie to know all of this wouldn't matter. Ellie knew where her fate lies that's why she made the choice to take the easy root out. I guess it was all the constant drilling and criticism that got the best of the poor lass. The idea that perfection must be met at high standards. You got to complement her on a stellar stroke of genius and creativity."
"No you drove her to hang herself that's what you did!" Rosaline yelled in anger.
"Do you want to know why Ellie was smart? It's because she knows something you're all not grasping. She's not here anymore and all that's left is her body. She knows she and all of you will be gone and I'm coming. All of this will almost be over. Besides didn't you say Tommy that not all of them will survive and some of them will die and there's nothing you can do about it?" Lokar continued to sneer and mock Tommy as the White Ranger squeezed his fists tight. "But not to worry I'll be seeing you all really soon. Actually sooner than you think. Hey...don't shoot the messenger besides I love it when you Rangers love to play with fire that it makes me clench with glee on the inside. TTFN!" He smirked wickedly as he suddenly vanished out of the room.
"What does TTFN mean?" Tommy muttered.
"Tata for now. Ellie and her little sister used to love Winnie the Pooh when they were young. It's a phrase Tigger will say." Desmond sighed staring at Ellie's body.
"Kim, Jason...get me that knife now," Tommy slowly murmured continuing to gaze upon the body.
(Abandon Field)
Somewhere out in the dead of night in the middle of an open field, Zack, Kim and Jason watch as Tommy continues to dig a grave. Kim glances at the nearby tree and looks upon two other plots near it with flowers placed on top of it. The mood is quiet as the three friends stare at the wrapped body covered in white cloth on the ground. Tommy wipes his brow as he continues to dig and silently turns to his friends. There is no words to describe what is going on as Tommy places the shovel down next to the newly dug grave. The four of them quietly carry Ellie's body and carefully place it in the newly dug grave and hop out of it. The four of them then continued to silently fill the burial plot with dirt.
"We're so sorry Tommy," Kim whispered as Tommy remained somber and quietly as they continued to cover up the burial site of Ellie.
"It doesn't make a difference," Tommy murmured, "If Lokar can't get his lackeys to kill us..then he could surely find other means to get the best of us. It took Ellie to demonstrate it."
"Come bro let's wrap this up," Zack and Jason replied as they continued to quietly bury the body.
(Boarding House)
It was a little after two in the morning when Tommy, Kimberly, Jason and Zack returned. They found the others along with all the potentials in the living room quietly sitting in a state or mourning. Tommy could hear a few faint sounds of some of the young teens sniffling and in tears over Ellie's suicide. All of the potentials were wide awake and it was no use for them trying to get some sleep after hearing the news about Ellie. Most of them were in their sleepwear. Tommy looked around and found his friends trying to comfort the distraught potentials as he walked into the room carrying a shovel in his hand.
"Is everyone here?" Tommy quietly asked.
"All and accounted for," Aidan murmured looking at all the potentials in the room.
"Anyone want to say a few words about Ellie?" Everyone is silent as suddenly Tommy's voice paces up. "Okay let me...Ellie was an idiot. Ellie was stupid. She was weak. And if anyone one of you is in a rush to be the next dead body we bury it's easy. Just...think about Ellie and find yourself a bed sheet to noose around your neck and do what she did. It's simple for us to find room out there for you next to Francis and Leanne. Anyone want to volunteer to off themselves or run then tell me now but I know you won't because it will remind you of where it got them. I'm fucken impressed and left speechless that you guys have the potential to resort to something drastic like this. Look at us we're the Power Rangers. We have the power and instead Lokar is making us use our power to dig our own graves!" Tommy snaps as he angrily throws the shovel down on the floor.
"Take a look at that shovel and what do you see?" He yells in anger pointing at the shovel. "That on the floor represents where you'll be heading if you decide to let yourself be the next person buried six feet underground in an unknown burial plot in the field! There is a line between bravery and cowardice and Ellie demonstrated that tonight. We've been carrying you, all of you for too long, too far and it stops. Ride is over!"
Everyone in the room was shellshocked by Tommy's address in regards to Ellie that Desmond suddenly spoke in frustration. "You're out of line!"
"No he's not and don't you dare say that!" Kim snapped, defending her boyfriend.
"Why don't you show some sympathy damnit! Ellie died and you have the gull to call her an idiot because she hung yourself?" Desmond argued.
"Ellie knew what she was getting herself into, all of you knew. If she couldn't cut it then she should have gone home when she had the chance. But she didn't, instead she chose to stay just like the rest of you." Tommy countered defending himself. "I know you're all new to this but this isn't anything compared to what we faced in the past. None of you don't have any idea what it's truly like facing evil and you're expecting someone else to do it. You're all just waiting for us to use that power."
"We obviously know that and we're aware of the limitations because we're only potentials. We don't have the power like you so stop riding us like we're not trying!" Desmond yelled back.
"Des just stop please. I know they feel bad about what happened to Ellie," Rosaline interjected, "You couldn't imagine what we felt when we found her dangling lifeless from the ceiling. She looked for an easy way out of all of this by taking your own life."
"Ellie made a choice that's all you can say," Kimberly added, "I don't know whether to accept what she did or not. All I know is that what she did was an act of a coward. Someone who couldn't cut it."
"No Lokar drove her to hang herself that's what happened!" Virgil replied arguing, "It told her things she was scared about."
"That's what she feared the reality of all of this. I wouldn't say that what Tommy spoke was harsh but he's the leader because we made him," Jason added defending Tommy.
"He's right and I want to make it clear," Tommy spoke in a stern firm voice, "I'm the leader as in "do what I say" no questions asked."
Billy looked at his friend trying to come to terms with what he was saying tonight. They were all trying their best but it seemed like he was going a bit too far. "We understand Tommy you know we're all trying. We're doing everything we can including the potentials."
"Look Lokar isn't impressed. It thinks this is nothing but a game. It already knows us. It knows what we can do and it's laughing at us. Tonight it played a good psychological game with us and Ellie played right into it. There is a price to pay when you play with fire and Lokar is testing us. If you want to blame Ellie's suicide on us then fine. If you think this is the price we paid for mocking it you're entitled to your own opinion. Do you want to surprise the enemy? Surprise yourselves. Force yourself to do what can't be done or else you're not an army. Instead you're just a bunch of teens waiting to be picked off one by one. That is what Lokar see you all just another scared and frightened teen waiting to be killed. It will play mind games with you and psychologically mess with you inside. It is time for all of you to shape up and step up to the plate!" Tommy replied sternly.
However, some of the potentials weren't taking too kindly to the criticism and harsh truths that Tommy was saying that some of them voiced their opinions. "I know you're frustrated because you had to cut down one of my friends from the ceiling. But for the first time Desmond is right and right now you're not acting like a leader. Instead...you're acting more like an asshole to us." Bianca argued displeased.
"What do you want him to say huh? The world isn't what it's cut out to be!" Kim snapped at Bianca. "Ellie only saw one side of the world but couldn't face the other half. The problem with all of you is you all can't come to grips with what is happening. We're fighting a war and you're all hoping for someone to do your battles. To win a war every able body has to do their part whether they like it or not. There are no rules to war so keep that in mind."
"Thanks for the reminder it sucks knowing that some of us are never going home," Kenji sighed with a bit of sarcasm in his voice, "I'm sorry you already buried three of us potentials but don't doubt the rest of us who do want to survive."
"Hey I don't want to hear that crap right now okay?" Jason replied looking at Kenji.
"Jason wait...clearly these guys have some issues with us," Kat suddenly spoke up, "So let them have the floor on telling us what's on their minds."
"It's not like we had a choice in our destinies because it was decided by fate," Penny sighed sounding like she's about to tear up, "It's already too late for us to go back but Ellie...we should have known. I mean..."
Silas and Desmond wrapped a comforting arm around Penny as she cried, "We didn't see that one coming. Why did Ellie do it?"
"Okay stop it right because this isn't going anywhere okay?" Tommy murmured calming down as he quietly paced around the room, "It hurts hearing the harsh truth about reality but we have to face it. At some point everybody dies but you can decide if today is your day. What you should worry about is your survival and if you're going to live to fight another day. However, if you want to chicken out and end your life like Ellie then by all means I'm not stopping you. So ask yourselves do you fight to live another day? Is your reason of being here worth something I know saving the world is a burden and the chance of dying looms but you have to accept it. Right now I know half of you see me as an asshole because I gave you guys a harsh dose of reality. Aisha, Rocky...get the potentials upstairs for bed. I know they need sleep and right now I need to think."
(Rosaline's Room)
Once everyone the others and the potential Rangers went to sleep for the night, Tommy and Kim found that Rosaline's room was empty. They found Rosaline alone in the room because she told her parents that the other girls refused to spend the night in the room where Ellie committed suicide. The two of them gave their bedroom up for the night to Penny, Bianca and Shi-Ann forcing them to bunk with their daughter for the night. In a turn of events, Jason and Kat also made their way to Rosaline's room. The night left everyone divided up on their opinion of things and Ellie's suicide was the catalyst in the conflict of it.
"You all didn't have to spend the night here," Rosaline replied staring at the four adults, "I mean this room only has a bunk bed and a single bed in it. Two of us usually slept on the floor meaning that would be Shi-Ann and Ellie. If it's any consolation...I'm not mad about what you said although you may have offended Bianca, Desmond and a few of the others."
"I never imagine Lokar would do something drastic like convince Ellie to commit suicide," Jason said, "Tommy don't think it was your fault for causing this because of what happened at the construction yard with the Executioner. Remember everyone has a choice and free will to decide their own fate...Ellie was no exception."
"Why are you guys...the only ones who stand by me after what I say about her?" Tommy questioned looking them.
"Because you spoke the truth and you didn't hold it back despite how harsh it came out," Kim answered as both of them sat on the floor. She placed a hand on top of his as she gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know you got on the wrong side with them tonight but I thought it was about time they realized just how intensified things are going to get. However, Jason is right...no matter how it is you'll always be the leader everyone looks to. Right now those teens are grieving for the loss of one of their own and don't think they hate you. Right now they're just frustrated and upset over Ellie's suicide."
"Even though what she did was cowardice...she was still one of us," Kat added placing a friendly hand on Tommy's shoulder.
"I'm sorry sweetie...for the loss of your friend," Tommy murmured turning towards Rosaline, "I know it's going to be hard watching some of your friends die on you. I wish there was someway to make it better. How can you not be as mad or grieving like the others when you were the one who found her?"
"What's the point of grieving dad?" Rosaline asked sincerely, "I know I should be sad and I am for the loss of a friend. We're going to lose people in this war and we're all going to grieve for them. However, what my friends said about you I know they don't mean it. They know that our chance of survival lies within you and also mom. You two hold our fates and destinies in your hands and right now isn't the time for grieve, not for me. I want to see to it that Lokar doesn't get the best of us. I don't want to end up like Ellie...because I want to fight and I will fight to see another day."
"You're still willing to accept me as a leader?" Tommy asked looking at his daughter, "Despite the fact your friends tonight called me an asshole for giving the harsh truth about Ellie's suicide in my perspective?"
"We still follow you even knowing how forgetful and tardy you were," Kat and Jason smiled, "No matter what they say at the end of the day it's you we all turn to."
"I told you from day one Handsome that I'm with you on this shoulder to shoulder," Kim added, "We didn't hold you back from saying what is on your mind because you were stepping up as a leader. You addressed what the issue was and what needs to be done. No matter if you end up being estranged from everyone else, know that you can look to us and we'll reassure you that not all of us will turn our backs on you."
"I love you Beautiful and frankly I couldn't imagine surviving tonight without you guys backing me up," Tommy slightly smiled, "I don't know how to repay you for it. However, I'm also scared about what will happen in the morning with everyone else. Some of our friends think I'm out of line taking to the potentials like that and the teens see me as a tyrant. How will things get better from here on in?"
"Just...take it one day at a time," Rosaline yawned as she suddenly fell asleep, "In the morning it's a brand new day...remember that."
For that entire night Tommy thought there was going to be a point where he'll find himself estranged from everybody else. However, despite his attempt to separate himself from everyone else, he knew some of his friends were going to defend and stand by his side. He watched as Kat and Jason fell asleep on the single bed together cuddled up to one another and Rosaline asleep on the bottom bunk bed. Tommy laid down on the sleeping bag on the floor and glanced at the love of his life snuggled up with her head resting on his chest. Ellie's suicide definitely gave Tommy a different perspective of things as he glanced around the room looking.
"Everything is going to be a whole new ballgame..." he murmured as he gave Kim a kiss on top of her head, "It's going to intensify but I promise no matter what I'll keep fighting for all our sakes. Thanks...for standing by me no matter what. Tomorrow...it's a brand new day."