By the time the seven teens arrived at the youth center most of their
fellow class mates were already there. The group walked in arm in arm with
their date. Only Zack entered solo, he was going to be the DJ and knew that
he wouldn't have time to spare hanging around one girl.
"You'll each save me a dance right?" he called before they parted for the evening.
"You bet." Kim said smiling as she waved to a fellow cheerleader in the growing crowd or senior students.
"Of course." Trini said. Andrece simply nodded. She was too at awe with the decorations that transformed the youth center into a romantic ballroom.
"This place looks so different." She said in a low whisper. Jason nodded as he joined her in looking around.
"Hey Jase mind if I Drece steal for a few minutes?" Kim asked not waiting for his answer she had pulled the girl out of his arms and away into a waiting crowd of giggling girls.
"The night is young guys." Tommy said as he placed his arms across the other two boys. He looked at Jason then at Billy, "So what'd ya say to getting some food?"
"Fine with me." Billy said.
"Sure." Jason replied, his eyes still on the figure of his date.
"Soon rangers.oh so very soon. The game is set all that is needed now are the players." The harsh female voice cackled as she watched the rangers through the rippling portal she has conjured up. With a twill of her body the portal was momentarily covered with the dark velvet of her cloak. Her cold eyes focused on the wooden game board before her. It was a multi- layered maze, with each level divide up into rooms. She picked up the scarred dice and rolled them in her hand. "One toss and you're lives will be mine." She threw the dice up into the air and caught them. She threw them again and this time let them strike the cold marble of the table. The number eight showed on one of the eight sided dice. The other showed a sword. "The game has begun."
The night had started off with out a hitch. There was currently a hip-hop styled song playing, which was barely heard over the constant chatter of the many voices. Kimberly had taken Tommy's hand and pulled him on to the already packed dance floor. Trini and Billy were near the juice bar talking to several other science students. Zack was standing in the DJ booth mildly dancing to the beat of the bass drum. Each of their friends were doing something they loved, well all accept Tommy but he was with Kim so he was happy. That only left Jason and Andrece sitting off to the side at the table they had claimed as theirs. They watched and laughed as Kim lead Tommy around the dance floor, trying to make him do something other then act like a stick in the mud.
"Tommy needs a few lessons don't you think?" asked Andrece. She nearly had to shout the words to Jason even though they sat next to each other.
"Definitely, but he's not the only one. He is a prime example to why Billy and I leave the dancing up to Zack."
"I see. But will I ever get you out there?"
Jason looked over at her, and smiled. "I never said I couldn't slow dance. I just need the right music."
Andrece gave him a half smile, "I think I can do something about that. Wait here." With that she rose and walked steadily over to where Zack stood bouncing to the rhythm of the beat. She covered her mouth as she spoke to him so Jason couldn't read her lips. When she had finished talking Zack gave her the thumbs up signal and smiled at Jason, who only looked on in confusion.
When Andrece had reseated herself beside him, he leaned over and asked, "What did you do?"
"Nothing bad. I just made a request that's all." Again she gave him a smirk which was followed by a short giggle.
Just as the last song ended Zack's velvety voice was heard over the dim of the crowd. "Hey guys and gals.it's time to slow things down for a while. This next song was a request so grab that special soul and head to the dance floor." Again Zack smiled as he saw the look that was a mixture of horror and surprise cross the handsome face of Jason. "Have fun bro." he said softly as he pressed the play button on the CD player.
As soon as the music began couples began to flood the dance floor. Tommy pulled Kimberly close to him and began to sway to the gentle pulse of the song. Trini was lead near by on the dance floor by the shy Billy who also began to slowly sway with her arms resting on his strong shoulders. Jason saw his friends and had no longer then turned to ask Andrece to dance when she was already on her feet. Smiling he took her hand and guided her on the floor. He stopped when he was in sight of the others and placed her arms around his neck and placed his hands on her hips.
"Told you I could dance." He said as they completed one slow circle.
"I never said you couldn't as I recall." She replied smiling. As they danced Tommy and Kim passed by, Kim gave Andrece a wink and then hugged Tommy closer. Andrece giggled and pulled herself closer to Jason. The song seemed to last forever, the young couples turning endlessly in circles, quietly chatting to their partner. Each person was so caught up in the peace and romance of the moment that no one noticed the silver fog creeping in from the locker rooms. It crept around the perimeter of the entire room and then started filling into the middle of the room where the dance floor was. Just as it covered the entire floor the already dimmed lights when out, the music was cut and the string of lights hanging on the walls went out. Voices of surprise could be heard. An instant later the lights and music were restored but by no aid of anyone's actions. Couples on the dance floor pushed the blackout from their minds and continued their dancing and conversation. All of one did.
"Zack!" Trini called stepping up beside him. A look of panic was spreading through her Asian features.
"What's wrong? Where's Billy?" he asked as he set down the head phones.
Trini shrugged, "I don't know. He's gone along with the others. One moment we were dancing and then the lights went out and then when they came back on they were all gone. I think we need to talk to Zordon."
"Big time, just give me a second to grab Marty to take over this." Zack dashed off and returned moments later with a short and stout young man known as Marty. "Something came up and I gotta go. Could you watch this form me?"
Marty nodded and waved Zack off, "Sure no problem I can handle this."
With a slight sigh of relief Zack and Trini dashed out the main doors and then into the darkened parking lot. Activating a series of buttons on their communicators they teleported to the Command Center.
'So much for a perfect evening.' Thought Zack as his body was dematerialized for transport.
Your move Rangers, the game has begun. I had better explain the rules before you do something you may regret." The old woman said from her dark room. She snapped her fingers and disappeared. Resting on the table was the game board, the dice and now five game pieces, each one a careful carving of marble, one would think they were real.
To be continued.
R/R
"You'll each save me a dance right?" he called before they parted for the evening.
"You bet." Kim said smiling as she waved to a fellow cheerleader in the growing crowd or senior students.
"Of course." Trini said. Andrece simply nodded. She was too at awe with the decorations that transformed the youth center into a romantic ballroom.
"This place looks so different." She said in a low whisper. Jason nodded as he joined her in looking around.
"Hey Jase mind if I Drece steal for a few minutes?" Kim asked not waiting for his answer she had pulled the girl out of his arms and away into a waiting crowd of giggling girls.
"The night is young guys." Tommy said as he placed his arms across the other two boys. He looked at Jason then at Billy, "So what'd ya say to getting some food?"
"Fine with me." Billy said.
"Sure." Jason replied, his eyes still on the figure of his date.
"Soon rangers.oh so very soon. The game is set all that is needed now are the players." The harsh female voice cackled as she watched the rangers through the rippling portal she has conjured up. With a twill of her body the portal was momentarily covered with the dark velvet of her cloak. Her cold eyes focused on the wooden game board before her. It was a multi- layered maze, with each level divide up into rooms. She picked up the scarred dice and rolled them in her hand. "One toss and you're lives will be mine." She threw the dice up into the air and caught them. She threw them again and this time let them strike the cold marble of the table. The number eight showed on one of the eight sided dice. The other showed a sword. "The game has begun."
The night had started off with out a hitch. There was currently a hip-hop styled song playing, which was barely heard over the constant chatter of the many voices. Kimberly had taken Tommy's hand and pulled him on to the already packed dance floor. Trini and Billy were near the juice bar talking to several other science students. Zack was standing in the DJ booth mildly dancing to the beat of the bass drum. Each of their friends were doing something they loved, well all accept Tommy but he was with Kim so he was happy. That only left Jason and Andrece sitting off to the side at the table they had claimed as theirs. They watched and laughed as Kim lead Tommy around the dance floor, trying to make him do something other then act like a stick in the mud.
"Tommy needs a few lessons don't you think?" asked Andrece. She nearly had to shout the words to Jason even though they sat next to each other.
"Definitely, but he's not the only one. He is a prime example to why Billy and I leave the dancing up to Zack."
"I see. But will I ever get you out there?"
Jason looked over at her, and smiled. "I never said I couldn't slow dance. I just need the right music."
Andrece gave him a half smile, "I think I can do something about that. Wait here." With that she rose and walked steadily over to where Zack stood bouncing to the rhythm of the beat. She covered her mouth as she spoke to him so Jason couldn't read her lips. When she had finished talking Zack gave her the thumbs up signal and smiled at Jason, who only looked on in confusion.
When Andrece had reseated herself beside him, he leaned over and asked, "What did you do?"
"Nothing bad. I just made a request that's all." Again she gave him a smirk which was followed by a short giggle.
Just as the last song ended Zack's velvety voice was heard over the dim of the crowd. "Hey guys and gals.it's time to slow things down for a while. This next song was a request so grab that special soul and head to the dance floor." Again Zack smiled as he saw the look that was a mixture of horror and surprise cross the handsome face of Jason. "Have fun bro." he said softly as he pressed the play button on the CD player.
As soon as the music began couples began to flood the dance floor. Tommy pulled Kimberly close to him and began to sway to the gentle pulse of the song. Trini was lead near by on the dance floor by the shy Billy who also began to slowly sway with her arms resting on his strong shoulders. Jason saw his friends and had no longer then turned to ask Andrece to dance when she was already on her feet. Smiling he took her hand and guided her on the floor. He stopped when he was in sight of the others and placed her arms around his neck and placed his hands on her hips.
"Told you I could dance." He said as they completed one slow circle.
"I never said you couldn't as I recall." She replied smiling. As they danced Tommy and Kim passed by, Kim gave Andrece a wink and then hugged Tommy closer. Andrece giggled and pulled herself closer to Jason. The song seemed to last forever, the young couples turning endlessly in circles, quietly chatting to their partner. Each person was so caught up in the peace and romance of the moment that no one noticed the silver fog creeping in from the locker rooms. It crept around the perimeter of the entire room and then started filling into the middle of the room where the dance floor was. Just as it covered the entire floor the already dimmed lights when out, the music was cut and the string of lights hanging on the walls went out. Voices of surprise could be heard. An instant later the lights and music were restored but by no aid of anyone's actions. Couples on the dance floor pushed the blackout from their minds and continued their dancing and conversation. All of one did.
"Zack!" Trini called stepping up beside him. A look of panic was spreading through her Asian features.
"What's wrong? Where's Billy?" he asked as he set down the head phones.
Trini shrugged, "I don't know. He's gone along with the others. One moment we were dancing and then the lights went out and then when they came back on they were all gone. I think we need to talk to Zordon."
"Big time, just give me a second to grab Marty to take over this." Zack dashed off and returned moments later with a short and stout young man known as Marty. "Something came up and I gotta go. Could you watch this form me?"
Marty nodded and waved Zack off, "Sure no problem I can handle this."
With a slight sigh of relief Zack and Trini dashed out the main doors and then into the darkened parking lot. Activating a series of buttons on their communicators they teleported to the Command Center.
'So much for a perfect evening.' Thought Zack as his body was dematerialized for transport.
Your move Rangers, the game has begun. I had better explain the rules before you do something you may regret." The old woman said from her dark room. She snapped her fingers and disappeared. Resting on the table was the game board, the dice and now five game pieces, each one a careful carving of marble, one would think they were real.
To be continued.
R/R