It's spooky season! And I had the itch to write a follow-up to 'Something Wicked'. It picks up a year after the events of the last story, you don't need to read it but be warned there are a few references to it. I tried something a little different this time around. I hope you enjoy it.

So I kinda dropped the ball on this last year, my apologies for that. Life just got tough for a bit and I'm still trying yo figure some stuff out. However, I did finally finish this story, so here it is...

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers.

Chapter 1: Just For Frights

"Ahh!"

A door slammed open, rattling on its hinges, the echoing thud reverberating down the corridor. A flurry of small feet pattered on the worn wooden floors, each hurried step more frantic than the last. The descent down the stairs was chaotic, the small figure hitting the landing with a heavy, uneven thud, legs fumbling beneath him. Wide, panicked eyes scanned for safety — anything to hide behind or cling to. He darted toward the nearest solid figure — a pair of legs clad in deep purple pinstriped trousers. The small body shifted and tiny hands reached around to grip the fabric.

Light grey eyes blinked and looked down at the quivering body, softening as they fell on the trembling boy clutching his legs. His gaze shifted back to the door, now slightly ajar, where curious, cautious faces began to peek through the crack. The faintest trace of amusement curled his dark lips as he gently freed his leg from the child's grasp. Brushing his lavender jacket aside, he crouched before the boy, his movements deliberate, unhurried, as if the world was not as chaotic as the little one believed.

"And what, may I ask, would a brave young man like you be so afraid of?" His voice was deep, smooth, laced with curiosity.

Big, tear-filled brown eyes peered up at the man from under a mess of curls, the child's chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. "There… there's mon... monsters in there," he whispered, his small hands releasing the trousers only to drop limply to his sides. His fingers curled into the fabric of his shorts, fidgeting with nervous energy.

"Monsters, you say?" The man's eyebrow arched, voice softening, coaxing more out of the boy.

"Yeah... big, scary ones," the boy replied, his voice shaking as he raised his hands, fingers stretching outward like claws. "Bony ones, squishy ones, hairy ones with glowing eyes. And… and..."

He leaned in, voice dropping to a nearly inaudible whisper, "Clowns."

The man blinked, his lips parting into a half-smile. "Clowns?"

"Creepy clowns. Very creepy clowns," the boy whispered, shuddering at the memory as his arms folded tightly around his body, his small frame shrinking even more.

"Nathan! Nathan, where are you?… Ow, quit it! Stop shoving!"

A clumsy scuffle erupted near the doorway, and a harried-looking teenager appeared, surrounded by four smaller children, all vying for his attention. His arms flailed as he tried to maintain balance, the children clinging to his limbs like barnacles on a ship. The young boy, sensing the elder's approach, quickly shifted behind the man, seeking cover. The man glanced over his shoulder, his grey eyes twinkling with an understanding far beyond the moment.

"Well, something tells me monsters aren't the only things scary in there," he said with a sigh, returning his focus to the boy. His hand rested gently on the trembling shoulder, a steadying presence. "Nathan, that's a very strong name. You know what? Monsters — and clowns — they can only be scary if you let them."

Nathan blinked up at him, confused but intrigued. "How… how does that work?"

The man leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Monsters, you see, they get their power from our fear. But when you take that power away, well, they're not so scary anymore. In fact, they might even be scared of you."

Nathan hesitated, his eyes flickering between the man and the elder boy, who was now glaring at them as he attempted to rein in the chaotic children. "Really?"

The man's smile deepened, and his fingers gently touched the tip of the boy's nose. "Really. What we believe has a lot more power than any monster."

The man placed a finger against the boy's cheek and turned his head so that their eyes met once again. "The next time you see a monster, you look him straight in the eye and say, 'You don't scare me'. And poof your fear will disappear," he said, snapping his fingers with a little flair.

"I can be brave like the others?"

His eyes sparkled with a purplish tinge and he tapped the boy on the nose. Nathan blinked and stared at him as the teenager stomped up to them. "There you are. You can't run off like that. Do you want to get me in trouble?"

The little boy blinked and shook his head as the man pushed himself to his feet, adjusting his jacket and brushing down his pants.

"Sorry about that man, kids you know, they scare easily. This one just ran out on me."

Nathan's brown eyes widened in wonder as the older boy grabbed his hand.

The man rose smoothly to his feet, dusting off his jacket with casual elegance. "No harm done. Nathan and I had a rather insightful conversation." He winked at the boy, who offered a shy smile in return. "No apology necessary. Fear is only natural… especially in places like this." He gestured toward the looming structure behind them with a subtle, knowing nod.

"Should've got 'em leashes," The teen grumbled under his breath, herding the rest of the children toward the gate. Nathan looked back over his shoulder, offering the man a small, grateful wave before joining the others. As the children ran ahead, the teen sighed, trailing after them with heavy, exhausted steps.

The man chuckled softly as he watched the group disappear toward the carousel in the distance, its giant pumpkin face grinning down at the children. The faint sound of carnival music played in the background, blending with the echo of squeals and laughter as more children skittered past, their excitement rippling through the air like a gust of wind.

"Excuse me, sir?" A voice interrupted his reverie. Turning, he found a young man standing before him, dressed in a bright orange t-shirt with a grinning pumpkin emblazoned across the front. A lanyard with an ID badge hung around his neck, identifying him as a volunteer.

"Can I help you with something?" the volunteer asked, nodding toward the children who had just left. "We try to get guardians to keep a better watch on the kids, but some of them get really spooked in there."

The man's gaze drifted back to the house. "No harm done. After all, what's a haunted house without a few scares?"

The young man looked back at the house, a two-storey structure with an attic painted a deep purple. At first glance, it looked a little lopsided, the frames of the door and windows were crooked and there appeared to be thick drapes behind them. By the door was a large cat with a grin, while pumpkins were scattered around. At the very top, shaped like a witch on a broomstick, the weathervane creaked as it slowly shifted in the wind. On either side was a crooked, leafless tree curling up to it.

"Yeah, a haunted house," he mumbled as he turned back to him. "It's actually very kid-friendly, but some of the older kids like to move the props around and scare the younger ones. It's a problem, but what can you do? It kinda breaks the illusion if we follow them around trying to keep them in check."

The man's smile widened, his eyes briefly flickering with an eerie purple light. "Oh, there's plenty of potential here… if you know how to look for it."

"Oh, what's a little scare on Hallow's Eve?"

"S'not Halloween yet."

"It won't be long now."

The volunteer shrugged and asked if he could help him with something. "Are you looking for your kid? Or are you one of the acts?" he asked looking him up and down.

"Oh no. A little… well not so little birdie told me about this place. So I came to, as you say, check out the sights and the frights of course."

"And you came here? In the middle of the day?"

"It is open, correct?"

"Yeah, but this place is kids' stuff. If you want spooky and scary, check out the haunted house on Covenant St. At night. It's got all this cool animatronic stuff and a major gore factor. Now that's a haunted house."

The man tilted his head to the side, his eyes sparked purple in the light before he turned his attention back to the volunteer. "Nonsense, it has plenty of potential, this entire place does. You just need to know how to look."

"Wha…"

Before the words could leave his mouth, the man turned away, bending to the side to pick up a worn, leather bag and striding through the gate mumbling, "So much potential."

The volunteer watched him stride away in the direction of the carousel and disappear into the crowd. "That is one strange dude."

He turned around and froze, his breath caught in his throat as his eyes widened. Before him the haunted house had a deep purple aura around it, shifting like plumes of smoke rising into the air. The first floor windows titled toward each other, burning with a flaming orange light while the door and downstairs windows merged into a sinister Jack-O'-Lantern grin, curling upwards and burning with a bright light. The trees on either side bent forward and arched around the house, naked branches curling inward with pointed tips glinting in the light emanating from the house.

"Aaron! What are you doing?"

He blinked, for a moment the house shifted back to the way it was, but then shifted back, the aura blooming with more intensity. He clenched his eyes shut and shook his head violently. Taking a deep breath he slowly opened his eyes. The house was as it had been before, as it had been since the carnival opened. Now standing before him was a girl with braided hair, pulled back, wearing the same T-shirt and standing with her arms on her hips. A group of children wearing masks scattered around her.

"Aaron! C'mon, we've got work to do."

He slapped his hand over his eyes and dragged it over his face, before pulling himself together and walking over, slowly shaking his head. "It's gonna be a long Halloween."

That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed it and would love to hear what you think.

I know I've been away for a bit and have another ongoing story - which I will finish - life just got a little busy. A friend of mine challenged me to do this - as a means to distract me I'm guessing - but I couldn't say no. I'm hoping to update every other day.

Till next time...