Chapter Three
The former Rangers were talking to the other passengers on the shuttle, and with the exception of the brunette woman, who continued to read her book quietly, they all seemed to be enjoying their company.
"And that is how the evil Dai Shi was defeat." Casey told Seth's parents.
"Wow." Seth's father quipped, "You four have a lot of stories from this Dai Shi, haven't you?"
"Exactumundo," RJ replied.
"You kids are quite impressive, wouldn't you say, Roger?" Seth's mother asked her husband who was Seth's father.
"Of course Siobhan," Benjamin answered, "quite impressive indeed."
"So is Seth over there your son?" Lily asked as she pointed at Seth.
"Yeah." Roger answered, "but at the moment, he is acting like he is not."
"Well at least he has both of his parents." RJ scoffed, "and he should be grateful for that."
"He's right you know," Lily added, "my parents divorced when I was 12, before I went into the academy."
"My mother died when I was a baby," RJ sighed sadly, "Which is why I can't stand Seth's attitude towards you guys. You seem nice."
"Thank you." Siobhan replied, "and we are very sorry for the loss."
"Thank you." RJ replied.
"What about you two?" Roger asked Casey and Theo, "What happened to your mothers?"
"My story is complicated," Theo answered.
"My parents died in a crash," Casey added, "so I was from home to home until I got to the academy."
"I am sorry to hear." Roger replied.
A half an hour later, Brooks proceeded with a lecture about Midnight, its many mysteries and the sapphire waterfalls, with aide from Deann as Seth, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Casey, Lily and Theo listened intently. RJ on the other hand decided to talk to the mysterious brunette, who had been quiet the whole time.
"So my Dad is one of the Pai Zhua Masters, just like myself, Casey, Lily, and Theo," RJ told the woman. Are you with someone?"
"No," the woman answered shyly, "It's just me."
"Oh, sorry to hear that," RJ replied.
"I am still getting used to it," the woman told him, "I found myself single, but not by choice you know."
"A break up?" RJ asked, "I know how that feels. My ex girlfriend cheated on me after two months of dating."
"My boyfriend needed his own space." the woman answered, "My ex boyfriend that is. In fact, he took off to another country. He was that desperate to be away from me."
"He is missing out," Rick spoke up, "You seem like a nice woman."
"No. Not really." the woman replied.
"The history is fascinating because there is no history." Brooks revealed to the group which caught both Rick and Jedda by surprise, "There is no life in the entire location of the dimension called Midnight."
"So it is another dimension?" Casey asked.
"Precisely, young man." Brooks answered.
"How do you know?" Seth asked, "I mean, if no one can go outside..."
"Oh the boy's imagination." Siobhan scoffed, "Here we go."
"He has a point there." Theo replied.
"Exactly!" Brooks exclaimed, "The hotel has created a portal somehow and that is how we can enter into the Midnight Dimension. A dimension of nothingness."
"That is all too weird." Lily could not help but to blurt out.
"It is like we are in a void dimension of some sort." RJ said.
"Something like that." Lily replied.
Suddenly, the shuttle started to rattle and banging noises were also heard.
"What was that?" Casey asked.
"We stopped." Siobhan quipped, "Have we stopped?"
"Are we there?" Roger asked.
"It can't be that quick." Lily stated.
"He is right." Deann stated, "It is too soon."
"They do not stop." Brooks stated, "Multi Dimensional Vehicles never stop."
Everyone was now weary at what was going on.
"If you could just return to your seats," the stewardess told the group before calling for the driver and mechanic, "it is just a small delay."
"Maybe just a pit stop." Roger suggested.
"There is no pit stop in this trip." Brooks informed him, "I have been on this trip fourteen times. They never stop."
"Well that is unusual." Casey replied.
"Well evidently we have stopped," the brunette snapped at Brooks, "so there is no point in denying it!"
"Whoa! Calm down there." RJ replied.
"We have broken down." Seth chuckled.
"Thanks for the smart alack remark, Seth!" Siobhan exclaimed.
"In the middle of nowhere." Theo stated in worry.
"Okay, everyone calm down," RJ told the group, "This is getting us nowhere."
"Ladies and gentlemen," the stewardess announced as she approached the group, "we are just experiencing a short delay. The driver needs to stabilize the engine feeds. It is perfectly routine so if you could just stay in your seats, this will not take long."
"Definitely quite unusual," RJ stated, "Especially for a trip."
"I agree with you there." Lily replied.
"The air is on a circular filter," Deann told everyone on board, "so in this strange dimension we could remain breathing for a maximum of ten years."
"That's quite impossible." Theo looked on in amazement.
"It could be much worse," RJ replied as he shrugged his shoulders. As if on cue, the group heard knocking coming from outside the shuttle.
"What was that?" Lily asked.
"You had to jinx us, didn't you?" Theo asked RJ.
"Must be the metal." Brooks answered, "We are cooling down. Settling."
"Rocks. It might be rocks falling." Deann suggested.
"What I want to know is how long do we have to sit here?!" Roger exclaimed. The pounding outside happened again, alarming everyone.
"What is that?" the brunette asked in weary.
"There is someone out there." Siobhan theorized.
"Could it be?" Lily asked.
"Do not be ridiculous." Brooks replied as he was skeptic.
"Like I said it could be rocks." Deann suggested.
"We are out in the open," the stewardess told the group, "Nothing could fall against the sides."
The pounding happened yet again.
"Knock, knock." Casey quipped.
"Who is there?" Seth replied. Everyone on board looked around in worry and slight fear.
"Is there something out there?" the brunette asked, "Well, anyone?"
The pounding occurred again.
"You do not think that this is Dai Shi, do you?" Casey asked his friends.
"Not likely," Lily answered, "we destroyed Dai Shi months ago. Unless he's some sort of ghost, there's no chance it's him."
RJ looked up and stated, "Might be something else."
"Just what is making that noise?" the brunette asked as she was starting to panic.
"I apologize." Brooks stated, "but the light out there is extonic. That means it would destroy any living thing in a split second. It is impossible for someone to be outside in this void dimension."
Then the pounding happened again. Two loud knocks, just like before.
"Well just what is that then?" the brunette demanded.
"You should really get back to your seats!" the stewardess insisted to the group. The pounding happened yet again.
"It just won't stop, will it?" Casey asked.
"I honestly have no clue." RJ answered, "but it seems quite intriguing."
"Is that so?" Theo scoffed. The pounding happened seconds later.
"It is moving." RJ announced. The group heard rattling at the door.
"It's trying for the door!" Siobhan exclaimed.
"There is no it!" Brooks insisted, "There is nothing out there. It cannot be!"
The group then heard a clanging. Curious, RJ started advancing closer to where the noise could possibly be coming from. This time, the banging came from the ceiling. Then it followed by another pounding at the walls.
"That thing is really persistent." RJ noted.
"That is the entrance." Siobhan gasped, "Can it get in?"
"No it is impossible for it to do so." Deann answered.
"Stop it." Brooks chastised his student, "Do not encourage them."
"Well," Deann asked, "what do you think it is?"
Roger tried walking towards the door.
"Roger, don't!" Siobhan pleaded.
"That is not a good idea." RJ added.
"The door is like iron." Roger noted as he touched the door. He knocked on the door three times. Then the entity pounded three times.
"Three times!" Siobhan exclaimed, "Did you hear that? Three times! It did the pounding three times!"
"Calm down you guys!" RJ exclaimed.
"Yeah," the brunette replied, "but it answered three times. Don't tell me that thing is not alive. It answered him!"
The banging happened three times for a second time. Everyone was starting to panic. The former rangers looked at each other wondering what to do.
"I really must insist you get back to your seats!" the stewardess exclaimed.
"No, do not just stand there telling us the rules!" the brunette yelled in fear and anger, "You are the hostess! You are supposed to do something!"
In curiosity, RJ pounded on the wall of the shuttle four times. At first nothing happened, but after ten seconds the pounding happened once again and this time it was four times.
"Just what is making that noise?" the brunette asked as the other passengers looked at her, "Melody said she would get me. Stop it. Make it stop! Do not just stand there looking at me. It is not my fault. The hippie looking boy started it with..."
"Calm down!" Deann shouted. Everyone started shouting at once except for the rangers.
"What will we do?" Theo asked.
"I'm not sure," RJ answered, "if I knew we were in a situation like this, I would have brought our morphers."
"So much for a vacation." Lily muttered.
"It's coming for me!" the brunette backed away from the others as the pounding was advancing, "Oh God, it's coming for me! It is coming for me! It's coming for me. It's coming for me!"
"Look out!" RJ shouted.
"Heads up!" Casey shouted.
She screamed in fear and terror as the entity proceeded with its attack as everyone on board the shuttle was bombarded by the attack.