a/n: Hello everyone! Sorry for such a lack of new content. I've just been in such a funk lately. But I think I am coming out of it. I was hoping to have this posted yesterday but alas, would it be me if I wasn't a day late and a dollar short? lol.
Anyway, here is a cute little Halloween one-shot for you guys. I will also be taking request for one-shots again if you have any ideas especially if you have any ideas for Christmas!
Keep an eye out for my new saga to start rolling out in November too. A preview will be coming at the beginning of next week I do believe. I hope you enjoy.
All Hollow's Eve
A Power Ranger One-shot
October 31st
Angel Grove High School
"...and on this day, of all Hollow's Eve, we take the time to celebrate those who have passed one…" Miss Appleby said, her eyes casting out over the classroom. Around the room, several students looked at her with piqued interest, her story of the history of Halloween and the Salem Witch Trials seeming to cast a spell (pun intended) on them. My eyes glanced over to my left where the familiar and welcomed handsome face of Tommy Oliver smiled over at me from. The grin was infectious, spreading to my own lips as I returned it. His hair was slightly gelled back, resting just below the nape of his neck. I wondered if it felt as thick as it looked if I were to run my fingers through it. It was a thought I entertained a lot, especially when I am sitting behind him in class.
"Pfffft." A voice said behind me, pulling me from the thoughts about the long haired dream sitting next to me. A wheezy laugh followed, one that I knew accompanied anything that Bulk ever said. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that the large teenage boy who sat in the seat behind me clad in a pair of dark jeans and a leather jacket was rolling his eyes. "Halloween is for babies and chumps."
"Yeah. Chumps!" Bulk's partner in crime, Skull, said next to him. The taller and skinnier teen had black hair that was slicked back today, a purple bandana tied around his neck. He also wore leather, choosing to be a pair of leather chaps over his jeans. He paired them with a dark red long sleeve sweater on his torso, it clashing worse than anything I had ever seen before. You could tell that the two had no regard for manner nor fashion.
"Bulk, I am surprised. I really thought Halloween would be a holiday that you would enjoy." Miss Appleby said, walking over to our side of the classroom. The older woman had a small witch's hat on her head, held on with a headband.
"The only thing I enjoy about today is the chance to take candy from any wannabee, goody two-shoes that I come across." Bulk replied, grinning as he leaned back in his seat. There was a loud crack followed by a very still moment of silence. Bulk went to say something else when the chair underneath him cracked loudly again and he fell backwards. I gasped, letting out a laugh as his feet shot up in the air and shot a boot right into Skull's face as he tried to help his friend. Everyone in the room laughed, Miss Appleby included before she could stop herself.
"Seems like you might want to lay off that candy this year, Bulk." Jason Lee Scott said from the other side of the room. The brown hair boy had everyone laughing harder now as Skull regained his bearings long enough to try and help Bulk up. He was stuck in the chair now, the desk part wrapped around his stomach and what remained of the chair clinging to him for dear life. It was like a moment from a buddy movie or a TGIF sitcom, Skull chasing Bulk around as the two tried to free him from the desk. Bulk rammed into another desk, sending him backwards at an angle. In his fall, he landed on Skull and the desk, breaking it from around him.
"Honestly, boys."Miss Appleby said, shaking her head as the pair stood up. "You'll be staying after school now, helping me clean up the mess you've made." She headed back over towards her desk. "Just a reminder that all the volunteers coming for the haunted hayride tonight need to meet at the Youth Center by 6!" She called out as the bell rang. I gathered my stuff, shoving it all into my backpack. "You never know who might just show up from beyond the realm of the living!" Her voice drifted over us as the class began to file out into the hallway. Putting my bag over my shoulder, I headed towards the door. Tommy stepped from his desk at the same time, bumping into me. My bag fell from my shoulder, coming to rest near my elbow.
"Oh! Sorry, Kim." He said, looking surprised.
"You're fine." I said, smiling up at him. He had a good two feet on me it seemed and I enjoyed the way his hand was still on the small of my back, ensuring I didn't fall back when he bumped into me. I was willing to take the risk.
"Are you still volunteering tonight for the hayride?" He asked, taking my bag from me. He put it over his shoulder as we headed towards the door. I noticed that Bulk and Skull were being spoken to by Miss Appleby and the rest of our group was already gone, bee-lining it out of the classroom after the final bell of the day.
"Yeah. Trini and I are going to head to her house to get ready in our costumes then we will meet you guys at the Youth Center."
"I'm glad you guys are letting me tag along." He said, allowing me to exit the room first.
"Of course, Tommy! You've been here a few months now. There's no way we wouldn't include all of our friends for this." He smiled sheepishly, stopping near my locker. I spun the dial, opening the door.
"I know. Sometimes, I just forget I'm part of a team now. I've always just done things by myself since I was always the new kid at school everywhere I went. It's all new to me."
"Well, we are here to help. Don't ever think we don't want you around or included, Tommy. I promise that will never be the case." I smiled up at him and he returned the gesture, holding my bag up for me to take. I did, my fingers lightly brushing his as I took the stab in my palm. I felt the blush in my cheeks and saw the tips of his ears turn slightly pink.
"Kim, I was wondering-." Tommy started, putting his hand over mine on the bag.
"Hey, guys!" Zack Taylor's voice said, interrupting the moment between Tommy and I. Both Tommy and I jumped, his hand flying away from mine. I stopped myself from glaring at our friend who slowed his walk towards us as his gaze went from us to up the hallway. I glanced to see what he was looking at when I saw that Jason was at his locker, Trini Kwan and Billy Cranston standing with him. It was clear the three of them had been watching Tommy and I from the non-subtle way they all tried to look busy when I looked in their direction. "I was going to ask you if you saw Jason but I see him. Never mind!" Zack said quickly, shifting to walk away.
"I have to get going." Tommy said, a slight frown on his face. "I have some last minute things to do before the hayride tonight and then I am helping Billy with some of the tech stuff. I'll see you both later."
"Sure, man." Zack said, giving Tommy a high five handshake thing that boys do. Tommy shifted to look back at me.
"We can talk later?" He asked. I nodded, giving him a small smile. He winked at me before heading up the hallway towards the rest of the lockers. I watched him go, my hand lingering on my bag where he was just holding it.
"Sorry, Kim." Zack said. "I didn't realize I was interrupting something."
"I don't think you were." I replied, closing my locker and putting my bag on my back. Together, Zack and I walked up the hallway towards the rest of our group. "Besides, the peanut gallery here would have scared Tommy off anyway."
"I have no clue what you are referring to." Jason said, removing his head from the upside down history book he was pretending to read from.
"Oh no? Works better if you read the book the ride side up if you're trying to be less conspicuous." I replied flatly, tapping the book. He glanced down, scoffing when he noticed that I was right. Trini grinned at me closing her locker that was next to Jason.
"We were just trying to give you guys some space." She explained.
"I appreciate it but I just don't think Tommy is interested in that type of relationship with me. Besides, we have more important things going on right now. I'd rather him focus on adjusting to being on our team than worrying about a stupid little crush."
"It's not stupid." Jason said, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "And Tommy is adjusting very well. Just give him some time. I'm sure he will come around. He's just waiting for the perfect moment. One which we won't let Zack ruin this time."
"How was I supposed to know?!" Zack explained.
"Perhaps from the hand signals and locks we were giving you as a warning that you completely ignored." Jason said, mimicking what I could only assume the gestures they were doing to get Zack to keep walking passed us. I shook my head, gripping the straps of my bag. For a group of kids destined to save the world from evil, they could surely be idiots from time to time.
"Could we talk about something that doesn't have to deal with my lack of a love life, please?" I asked, pouting.
"C'mon. Let's go get ready." Trini said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "We will see you guys at the Youth Center."
"Affirmative." Billy said as the boys waved at us while Trini led me away from them. Heading out the side door that led to the parking lot, Trini and I headed towards the direction of her house. The sea of teenagers heading away from the school was filled with kids dressed in costumes. Now and then, a stray strand of silly string shot out overhead followed by screams of delight. The crowd thinned as we entered the park across the street from the school.
"So, did Tommy say anything at all?" Trini asked.
"He started to but that's when Zack came over." I replied, sighing. "But he said he would talk to me about something later. I'm not sure what that means."
"Oh, I think you do." She said, nudging me with her arm.
"Lord, I hope so." I groaned, letting my arms droop to my sides. "I hate hiding my feelings from Tommy but I don't want it to come out just to be one sided. I would die of embarrassment. And he's just so pretty to stare at."
"I can tell. In Math class earlier, I thought he'd end up with a hole in his back for how long you stared him down." Trini said, leading the way as we bypassed the pond and the volleyball courts. "It's gotta be the hair." We both let out giggles that lasted until we walked up the steps of her house. I saw her parents' cars weren't in the driveway. Trini had said something about them going to some work Halloween event her dad's hospital was having. She unlocked the door and let us into her house. The large two story home was white; from the walls to the furniture. The dark brown accent pieces and the trim around the room made everything look neat and clean. Trini and I set our bags down on the floor by the couch and she walked over to the coffee table where the remotes for the large TV sat. Picking one up, she pointed it at the TV and it turned on. She changed it to MTV, the beginning of TRL coming on. She tossed the remote on the table again as I plopped down on the overstuffed white couch.
"Maybe Tommy doesn't like me that way." I said, biting my fingernail. "I mean, he's had all this time to tell me. He would if he did by now, right?"
"Kim, you know how teenage boys are. They don't allow us to think with common sense. I know that Tommy feels the same way about you. He's asked Jason and the others about you a bunch of times. Jason's right. He just needs some time to find the right moment." She walked over to the hallway closet and grabbed a small crate with a handle on it. Carrying it to the coffee table, she set it down. "Now, let's show these boys we know how to be scary."
Two hours (and four tubes of fake blood) later, Trini and I were walking across the park again to head to the Youth Center. It had been fun, listening to music and getting ourselves geared up for the hayride. It was a fundraiser, hoping to raise money for the children's hospital. It was set up on the southernmost side of town in the back fields of Snyder Farm, the only farm in the next 20 miles of Angel Grove. There would be a corn maze set up and a hay ride where volunteers like us would be jumping out and scaring people. Trini and I took it upon ourselves to make sure we were dressed for the part. We opted for zombies, bloody wounds oozing on our arms and faces that we made using school glue and fake blood. I was impressed with our work and hoped it would be good enough to terrify some of the kids that came through today. I was grateful for the fact that there was no school tomorrow. It would take a lifetime to get this stuff off tonight in the shower.
"I think I see the guys." Trini said, pointing in the direction of the Youth Center. Sure enough, I could see that Zack and Billy had just walked into the front doors of the building. The sun was beginning to set now, the full moon now shining in a dull matter over head. It would add to the cool effect I thought as she and I picked up our pace, jogging towards it. It was buzzing with activity, kids filling up the bus that was going back and forth from here to the farm. The first would be taking the volunteers to make sure they would be there for everything to open. Entering, I spotted the owner Ernie with a clipboard in hand. He was dressed up like Dracula, a cape around his shoulders and a pair of fake teeth in his mouth.
"Alright. I need all my zombies over here!" He called out, his voice muffled behind the fake teeth. It was hard to understand what he was saying, people looking confused. Frustrated, he pulled them out and sighed. "Sorry. I need all the zombies on the right over here to load up." I saw that Zack and Billy had joined Tommy and Jason in the group. There were about ten other kids that I recognized from school, each dressed up as zombies. Trini and I walked over to our group, squeezing in to stand with them on the right side of the juice bar.
"There you girls are. We were afraid you'd miss the first bus." Jason said, smiling at Trini.
"Great costumes." Tommy said, glancing down at me. "Very convincing."
"Thanks. You too." He had fake blood smeared all over his face and his clothes as if someone had tried ripping him apart.
"Billy helped us out." He said, gesturing towards Billy.
"It's a hobby." Billy mused, grinning as he crossed his arms.
"Look. It's the Night of the Undead Dorks." A voice said for the doorway. Rolling my eyes, I turned as I knew it was Bulk. He was standing there with Skull. To my surprise, both of them were not dressed in costumes.
"Bulk, Skull. I thought you were helping out with the hayride." Ernie said, holding up his clipboard.
"We are." Skull said.
"Then where are your costumes?" Ernie asked.
"Oh, we have them right here. And they are a lot scarier than these dweebs." Bulk said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder at our group as he held up a pillow case in his hand.
"Well, you can change there. We have to get this show on the road. First group on the bus now!" Ernie shuffled our group, Bulk and Skull, and a smaller group out onto the bus and loaded everyone up. With only some minor confusion (and I knew some planning) I ended up in the seat next to Tommy which I didn't complain about. Twenty minutes later, we were on the road.
"I think the scariest part of this whole night will be getting trapped on a bus with Bulk and Skull." I said, glancing behind me as the two of them threw spit wads over their seats at some kids who were sitting in front of them.
"Hopefully they get lost in the cornfield somewhere." Tommy muttered, shaking his head. I watched as his leg jiggled up and down and he wiped his hand on his pants in nervousness.
"You okay, Tommy?"
"Huh? Yeah. I'm good." He replied, giving me a quick smile. "Just nervous about performing tonight I guess."
"You'll be great. I'm sure of it." I put a hand on his arm and gave a light squeeze, feeling his muscles relax almost instantly. The bus came to a stop a minute later, the driver telling us that we had arrived. We filed out, heading out onto the farm land. There was a large barn next to a smaller farmhouse, an old silo looming over it. Behind all of that was the cornfield, half of it harvested while the other half was still standing. This half was the one that had been set up for the maze. There were three large tractors with hay trailers sitting in a large lot next to where the bus dropped us off that would be pulling people. Next to them, there were farm hands and other adults getting them ready. A woman who appeared to be in her mid twenties waved when she saw our group approach.
"Hi, guys! My name is Liza and I'll be taking care of you. My family owns the farm. You must be the ones who want to scare the pants off the fine people who want to come here tonight." Our group cheers, Bulk and Skull being the loudest.
"Yeah! Do you have a place where the two of us can get changed? We have the BEST costume you've ever seen." Bulk said. Liza raised an eyebrow at them.
"Uh. Sure. Head right on over to that barn. There's a little shed. Just don't go to the chicken coop. You'll regret that mistake."
"Pfft. They're just chickens." Skull laughed as the two blundered off towards the direction she told them to go.
"Alright. As for the rest of you, we are going to split you guys up into two teams. We're going to have half you in the corn maze and then the other half on the outside for when the hay ride goes by. There's a couple rules we try to go by here to make sure everyone is safe. Don't touch anyone. If someone starts crying, back off. If they start swinging, don't swing back. Sounds fair?" There was some nodding in our group. "Great. I'll let you guys get into groups of six and we will go from there, okay?" She turned back to the guys she was helping on the tractors while we separated our groups.
"This is going to be rad." Zack said, rubbing his hands together. "I can't wait to make someone scream."
"At least it's for a good cause." Billy said, frowning.
"Exactly. And remember, they signed up for this." I said, putting a hand on Billy's shoulder. "It's all in good fun."
"Looks like all the groups are made." Liza said, smiling at everyone. She pointed in our direction. "You guys head into the maze and get set up. Everyone else will be on the outside. The guests will be arriving here in about half an hour so there's no time to waste. I'll let everyone know when the first shift is coming."
"Let's do this, guys." Jason said, heading towards the corn maze. Our group followed after him, Trini walking next to me.
"I think you should stick next to Tommy in there." She said in a hush tone. I looked at her, confused.
"I'm pretty sure I know how to find my way out of a corn maze, Trini." She rolled her eyes.
"What I am trying to say is you can tell him how you feel about him without anyone interrupting you this time."
"Oh, I don't know about that one." I said, glancing at him as he walked in front of us with Jason.
"Kim, it's perfect. Secluded maze with no one around? You two can finally talk about it and have your space. At least consider it, okay?" She asked as we neared the entrance. Biting my lip, I nodded as we came to a stop. Jason looked around at us.
"I think it would be smart to break into pairs since we aren't sure how big this actually is for now. Trini and I will team up, Billy and Zack, and Tommy and Kim."
"Can't be too big if she thinks only six of us can handle it." Zack stated, glancing either direction. It felt like the corn went on for eternity though, the sun now fully gone. I shifted my head to look up at the sky. I expected to see the Moon but was surprised to see it was no longer there. It was no longer in the sky at all. There was nothing but ink black darkness to be found.
"Uh, guys?" I asked. "Where's the moon?"
"What?" Billy asked as the rest of the group looked up to see what I was talking about. Everyone turned, looking in every direction to see if I just wasn't seeing it. I saw that not only was the moon gone but the stars were too. "How strange." Billy muttered, putting his hands on his hips. "Perhaps there is a rational explanation for this occurring."
"I doubt that one." Jason said, looking around. Around us, there was a sudden high pitch laughing. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Each of us jumped into a fighting position, craning our necks to find the source of the noise. It seems to be growing louder but I couldn't see what could be causing it.
"Kim, watch out!" Tommy yelled, grabbing me around the waist. We fell backwards on the ground and into the opening of the cornfield, a bright orange light zipping by the opening that nearly took off my head from where I had been standing before. I shifted, sitting up slightly and saw that Trini, Jason, Zack, and Billy were all absorbed in that orange light now. Tommy and I scrambled to our feet and ran towards them but were bounced back by an invisible field that would permit us to leave the opening of the corn maze. Tommy tried again but an orange energy field rippled across the entrance. He tried through the corn as well but it had the same results.
"Guys!" I called out to our friends as they began to float up from the ground. Jason and Zack moved, trying to break out of it but it did nothing to help them.
"It's no use Rangers." A voice said, a figure appearing from the darkness across from us. They stood what seemed about seven feet, tall legs under a black cloak and long arms that were crossed in front of them. Long orange hair was under a pointed hat and the skin was a deep green color. It was like I was looking at an elementary school student's interpretation of a witch standing there. She smirked and when she did that, I realized it was really Liza, the woman who had broken us up to groups.
"Who are you?" Tommy called out.
"I am Liza, The Idle Witch of the Ultimate. Empress Rita has called upon me to defeat you pesky Power Rangers once and for all. I really thought it would be much harder than this. But it seems that like most children, all you needed was a little freedom and you would walk right into your own doom."
"You don't know who you're messing with." I called out.
"Trust me. I think I do." She smiled. "Rita said as long as I kept Power Coins in one piece, I could do what I want with you. I think I'll feed these ones to my pets in the barn. As for you two, my friends in the maze will deal with you." She waved her hand and everyone disappeared. Behind us, I heard movement in the corn. I gasped, grabbing Tommy's hand. "So long, Rangers." With a wave, she disappeared. Tommy tried to leave again but sparks flew from the energy. He gasped, it causing him pain where it touched. He turned back, glancing into the maze.
"Zordon?" Tommy called, hitting the button on his communicator. It beeps in low chirps for a moment, signifying there was no signal. He tried again with the same result. He pulled his morpher from his belt loop and pressed the button to make the sequence start. Nothing happened. He swore under his breath, sliding it back into place. "We're going to have to do the maze." He said. From somewhere in the maze, there was a growling noise.
"We have to go in there?" I whispered, fear in my chest. Tommy grabbed my shoulders.
"Kim, I know you're scared. I will be with you every step of the way. I'm not going to leave you. I promise." He locked eyes with me and I nodded, knowing he was telling the truth. Taking his hand in mine, he turned to face the maze. "Chances are, Liza is just possessed like most of Rita's other minions. We should steer to the left of the maze. That should bring us back towards the barn and the house."
"Okay. So if we stick to the left, we can get out of the maze and find a way to help everyone else." I said, more so for myself than to Tommy. We moved forward, a pale orange light illuminating the path of the corn maze. I gripped his hand tightly, doing my best to not tremble. I couldn't believe how frightened I was right now. I tried not to think of our friends being fed to some kind of alien beasts right now as we walked, shaking my head at the idea. As we walked, we came to a corner. Tommy looked around it carefully before walking forward. About four steps down it, a figure jumped out. I screamed loudly and Tommy jumped in front of me. It took me a moment to realize that it was one of the other students that was with us on the bus. There was a blank stare on his face but his arms were raised as he reached out for us.
"She must have them under a spell." Tommy said, shoving the kid away. The kid fell back a bit but reached out again, trying to grab at me.
"Get off me." I said, pushing him. The kid fell that time, falling backwards on the ground. When his head hit the ground, he stopped moving. I gasped, covering my mouth. Tommy knelt down next to him. "Did I kill him?" I whispered.
"No. You only knocked him out." He said, checking him for a pulse. "I guess that's all it takes to stun the spell. C'mon. We have to get out of this maze." Standing up, Tommy took my hand in his and started through the maze. All around us, I could hear the movements of the other kids moving through the maze. Even though I knew they were just people, goosebumps ran over my skin. I thought about the evil look on the witch's face and the glow around our friends.
We walked for a few minutes, taking a couple rights and a left turn. We only came across one dead end that resulted in us turning back. At the next fork, I spotted someone standing at the end of the row that made me jump and scream. Instinctively, Tommy jumped in front of me. The kid saw us and started our way, jogging with his arms outstretched. Tommy kicked his legs out and knocked him over. I heard movement behind us and saw that another kid was coming. I punched him as he approached, making him stumble to the right. I shoved him and hit him again, pushing him through the corn maze wall. Tommy grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the west side of the maze.
"It's like it doesn't end." I said, looking around us. Every tunnel looked the same and the corn felt unending.
"Hey." Tommy said, squeezing my hand. "Let's talk about something else, alright? While we walk."
"Like what?" I asked, looking over my shoulder. It felt like there was someone watching us with every step we took no matter what direction we turned.
"What was your favorite costume when you were a kid?"
"Rapunzel." I said, taking a deep breath. "I was seven and my Mom worked on it for about three weeks. Even had a long braid that went to my feet. I felt like a princess. What about you?" Tommy chuckled, scratching the back of his head.
"Well, I'm not too original. It's probably a toss up between a ninja or some kind of character for Mortal Kombat." Tommy took a sharp left, leading us deeper into the maze.
"I could totally see you as a ninja." I said, smirking up at him.
"Yeah?" I asked. I nodded. "I'll keep that in mind in case this doesn't pan out for me." He said, grinning.
"I mean only because the title of Karate Kid was already taken." I joked, nudging him in the arm. He laughed, the warm noise carrying out into the night. As it did, something else rose with it. Tommy came to a stop and we listened.
"Do you hear that?" He asked, glancing at me. I nodded. I recognized the noise as soon as I heard it.
"Putties." I said. Off in the distance, we could hear the chattering noise of the putties. It always reminded me of a turkey call and it sounded like there were a lot of them nearby. "She must have run out of teenagers."
"Great." Tommy said. "I'd give anything to morph right now."
"Me too." We rounded a corner and found ourselves at the exit of the cornfield. I felt relief but it was short lived when I saw that there was a large group of putties waiting out here for us. Tommy put his hand forward, making sure we'd be able to exit. Nothing stopped him so we both stepped through. The putties saw us and turned their attention to us. There were at least twenty of them, their red eyes narrowing at us as they began to walk towards us. Off in the distance, I could see the barn where the trailers were lined up.
"I'll take care of these guys." Tommy said. "You run over and find a way to free everyone."
"What? I'm not leaving you." I said, shaking my head. "I can't do this without you."
"Listen to me," Tommy said, taking both my hands in his. "Yes, you can. I am going to take care of all these putties and be right behind you. You have to get over there and stall her long enough for us to be able to contact Zordon and teleport everyone the hell out of here. I know you can do this." I glanced at him and the putties, knowing that even though I'd seen him go against ten at a time, twenty was still too many for one person to take on. There was a good chance I'd never see Tommy again. Especially if that witch decided to eat me as a midnight snack in the process. "Okay?" He asked. I nodded.
"Okay." I pulled my hands from him and put them on either side of his face. His eyes widened as I quickly pressed my lips to his. Pulling back, I saw that he looked shocked.
"What was that for?" He asked, a stunned tone in his voice.
"Not sure. Just felt right I guess." I breathed. "Come back to me, Oliver." I said before turning on my heel and running towards the barn. My footsteps made the gravel spray under my feet and I heard Tommy spring into action behind me as he started fighting with the putties. I didn't dare look behind me, fear prickling the back of my skull. I couldn't bring myself to see Tommy fight with them or become overpowered by the clay brains. I needed to move forward and focus on the task at hand. Tommy was counting on me and so was everyone else.
As I neared the back part of the barn, I could hear voices. I slowed down and crouched down next to the wall. Peeking around it, I saw that the trailers were still lined up there. Most of the kids from the maze were tossed in one of them, the bars glowing orange. The trailer on the farther left side of the parking lot held Jason, Trini, Billy, and Zack. The bars on their trailer were also glowing but there was some type of symbol on the front of theirs. I scanned the area, looking for any signs of Liza. I didn't see her anywhere though, something that didn't relieve me very much.
"Finally! There's somebody." a voice said behind me. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw two putties standing there. But then as I looked, one removed their masks and I saw Bulk and Skull walking towards me. I had forgotten that they had gone to get changed when we had first arrived. Liza must have too. "Where is everyone?" Bulk asked, pulling his mask up.
"Uh….we got our assignments. She's waiting for you guys out there. She wasn't sure what your costumes were. I'm heading back to the maze." I said.
"Good." Bulk smirked. "Let's go knock her socks off, Skull."
"Yes, Bulky." The two walked around the barn and headed towards the clearing. I kept low, hiding as much as I could behind the brush. As soon as they were near the trailers, the figure of the watch shot out of what seemed nowhere from in front of the barn. She floated in front of the trailers, gazing down at Bulk and Skull.
"What are you two doing over here? I sent the rest of you idiots over to the maze to deal with the lovebirds." Liza called out, her voice echoing off the walls around us. I couldn't believe that she thought that Bulk and Skull were actually putties especially since Bulk was twice the size of one. While she was distracted by them, I ran around the back side of the trailers. I was undetected, keeping my head below the bottom rung of the trailer. Bringing my communicator up, I pressed the button on the side. PRessing it, I waited for the familiar chime. To my great relief, it went off.
"Kimberly! We've been trying to reach you rangers all night!" Alpha's voice said from my wrist.
"Alpha, we need help. Jason and the others are trapped. Tommy is fighting twenty putties. No one can morph. Can you guys teleport us out of here or something?" I whispered. I glanced over the bar, making sure Liza was still busy.
"We are trying. The others will need to be rescued from their restraints." Zordon's voice said.
"How am I supposed to do that?" I whispered.
"I am unable to break her black magic. You will need to find something that is pure that will reverse its reactions." Zordon replied. "Only then will you be able to help your friends."
"So helpful." I muttered, creeping forward. I moved along the trailers, coming up along the trailers until I was nearly under the trailer where the rest of the Rangers were. Lifting my head slightly over the wooden running boards, I saw that Trini was the closest one to me. "Trini." I whispered, keeping an eye in the direction of Liza who was growing increasingly more annoyed with Bulk and Skull who she had now discovered were merely just humans. Trini turned her head, seeing me. She tapped Jason's arm and he also turned to look. I signaled the both of them to not move, hoping to not draw attention to myself.
"We thought you and Tommy were goners." Trini said.
"And here I thought you were lunch." I said. "Zordon and Alpha are working on a way to get us out of here. We have to get you out of this trailer first though."
"We've been trying since we ended up over here. That symbol is some kind of lock. Billy can't even figure it out." Trini said. By now, the entire team was aware I was present and each of them was looking at me with the least amount of body movement possible.
"Zordon said it was black magic. He can't break through it either. We need something pure to do it." I whispered.
"Like what? Are we supposed to sacrifice a virgin or something?" Jason asked, eyeing Liza.
"I'm not sure. He wasn't exactly helpful in that department." I replied.
"Where's Tommy?" Trini asked. I shook my head.
"There were so many putties. He was fighting them so I could escape to help you guys." I said, remembering the look on his face as I had walked away. Shaking my head, I brought myself back to the current situation. "Maybe Jason is on to something."
"Sacrificing a virgin?" Trini asked, sounding surprised.
"Well, yes and no. What if we have a virgin touch the symbol? That's supposed to be pure, right?" I questioned.
"It's worth a shot." She said. We all glanced around at each other. "Whose a virgin?" No one moved to say anything, no one making eye contact. I scoffed.
"Oh, c'mon guys! We're only 15. I know we're all virgins." I said in a hushed tone.
"I'll do it." Billy said, standing up. He was the closest to the symbol anyway. I looked over at Liza who was moving Bulk and Skull into the trailer with the other students. I hid behind the wheel of the tractor as Billy moved closer. He reached out between the bars and took a deep breath. When he touched the symbol, it glowed brighter. Billy swore as it sent him flying backwards, Zack catching him just in time before he was sent flying into the wall of the trailer.
"Well, the virgin idea was a bust." Jason said as Billy sat up, adjusting his glasses.
"Zordon said something pure. Something that reverses the reaction of black magic." I said. Looking past the trailer, I saw that Liza was gone now. I looked around, trying to find her. She was nowhere to be found.
"Kim, watch out!" Trini called out. As I turned to see what she was warning me about, I felt my feet leave the ground. In front of me, I saw that Liza stood there with a grin on her lips.
"Rita was right about your Rangers. You are harder to kill than you look. I'm going to enjoy this one. I had a feeling that you were going to be the trouble maker for me too." She said, looking up at me. "Not for long." From behind her, a long tail that resembled that of a green lizard appeared and wrapped itself around my throat. I grasped at it as it tightened, cutting off my air way. Behind me, I felt the other's trying their best to reach me but they were just out of reach to assist me.
"Hey! Get your nasty scales off her!" Tommy's voice cried out from somewhere as the corners of my vision began to fade. I watched as he appeared from between us, a long scythe in hand. He swung in, connecting with the tail. Liza howled in pain as the tail was disconnected from her body. Tommy dropped the blade, catching me as Liza lost possession of my body. I coughed, welcoming air back into my lungs. "Hey, beautiful." He said, smiling at me. "Sorry. Didn't mean to take your breath away." He grinned, winking at me.
"Tommy." I whispered, looking up at him. He saved me. He saved my life, like always. Pure. Something that reverses black. The words vibrated in my head. Tommy saves me not because he has to or because he feels he needs to because of the type of person he was. Tommy saves me because deep inside of his heart, something makes him. It was the same thing that made me want to save him from Rita's spell.
Something pure.
Grabbing his cheek with my left, I pressed my lips to his again for the second time this night. Again, his eyes widened but only for a second. They closed after a moment, his arms pulling me closer. As they did, I reached out with my other hand. Opening one eye, I prayed as I touched the symbol on the trailer. Instantly, I felt an energy shoot through me. I expected to be shot back like Billy had. We weren't though. Instead, a warm feeling washed over me and I watched as the orange on the bars disappeared. Once it was all gone, I wrapped my arm around Tommy to finish the kiss. He pulled away, both of us gasping for air.
"You gotta start warning me before you do that." He said, a chuckle on his lips as he pressed his forehead to mine.
"Sorry. I'll try better next time." He set me down on my feet as the other climbed out of the trailer. The other students were free too, all of them fleeing towards the road out of eyesight for safety. Turning, I saw that Liza was seething as she cradled the stub that was her tail. She glared at us, her eyes glowing a bright orange color.
"You'll pay for this!" She screamed.
"Oh, like we haven't heard that before." Jason said, reaching behind him. Glancing down, I saw that my morpher had appeared on my waist.
"It's morphin' time!"
"Even Rita knows how to ruin a perfectly good Halloween." Zack mumbled as we unloaded from the bus back at the Youth Center. Liza had been pretty easy to defeat once we had morphed. We didn't even need our zords, her powers dwindling just from a couple hits from our Power Blaster. But our time at the hayride and corn maze was ruined thanks to everything that had happened. And by the time we had gotten back, Trick or Treating was even over.
"Duty calls when duty calls, man." Jason said, clapping him on the back. The six of us walked towards the direction of the parking lot, heading towards where Jason had parked his jeep. He was the only one old enough to drive and he would be bringing Billy, Trini, and Zack home. He had offered me a ride but I was on the other side of the neighborhood. Tommy was supposed to go with him but had opted to walk me home.
"There's always next year." Trini said as the four began to pile into the car. She gave me a hug, giving me a little wink before she got into the passenger seat. I knew she'd be waiting for a call as soon as I got home.
"Affirmative. And now the Yuletide festivities will be approaching." Billy offered.
"Yeah. I'm sure Rita will be a Scrooge for those too." Zack said. Jason waved as he started the truck, pulling out of the parking lot. Once the tail light was gone, Tommy and I were left standing there in awkward silence. I glanced at him and he glanced at me, both of us turning away. When it happened again, we both chuckled.
"You know, this isn't how I planned tonight going." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah? What did you think would happen?"
"I figured I'd have to come up with the courage to admit to you that I like you. I think that's a bit pointless now."
"I mean a girl still likes to hear it." I said softly. He stepped closer to me, gazing down at my eyes.
"I do like you. A lot, Kimberly."
"I like you a lot, too." I replied. "And I was thinking tonight would be different too if it makes you feel any better."
"Yeah?" I nodded. "It does I guess." Sighing, I looked up at the sky. The moon and the stars had returned to the sky.
"At least it's a pretty night out. Rita can't even stop that from happening."
"I think there's a lot that Rita tries to stop that she can't." Tommy said, looking down at his feet and for a moment I wondered what he meant. He took a deep breath and smiled at me. "Would it be alright if I called you sometime?"
"Yeah. I think I'd be okay with that." Stepping closer, I wrapped my arms around his torso in a hug. He returned the hug, his warm arms around me.
"Ironically enough, Liza wasn't even the scariest thing about tonight." He said, his deep voice vibrating his chest. I look up at him, not letting go.
"No?" I questioned.
"Nah. That would be navigating the teenage girl." I laughed, rolling my eyes as I put my head back on his chest.
"Shut up, Tommy."