Power Rangers Jungle Force

Chapter 27 - Ghosts of the Past: Part 6

AUTHOR'S NOTE: WARNING - This chapter contains scenes of blood and grotesque imagery! For those who easily get queasy, you may want to skip this chapter! Read at your own risk!

   In the same forest he arrived in, Alex began to throw punches at Master Ursa. The Russian master blocked every last punch with a single hand. After ten punches, Master Ursa palm struck Alex's chest, sending him flying into a tree. This did not keep Alex down for long; he forced himself to stay up and gritted his teeth.
   "You are strong," smiled Master Ursa with her Russian accent.
   "When you take my friends and loved ones, there's hell to pay," Alex remarked.
   "Is that so," Ursa smirked. "Let us test that."
   She snapped her hands and a large gust of wind surrounded Alex, forcing him to brace himself. Alex closed his eyes tightly and held his arms in front of his face to block any debris that might hit his face. But much to his surprise, no debris struck his face. When he opened his eyes, Alex saw he was back in Chell's dojo.
   "What the..." he said aloud. "What am I doing back here?"

   Alex went to Chell's computer, only to find a screensaver animation. He went to the door, but his totem was flaring at him that something was wrong. Gulping a lump in his throat, Alex opened the door to find himself in a large room with a tiled floor that had a symbol he was disgusted to see again, glass windows for walls, and a reception desk.
   "No, no, not here," Alex said softly. "Of all places, why here?"
   "Because the past can haunt you," said a voice Alex had hoped to never hear again.
   Alex turned around to see it was his father in a business suit, but he radiated an aura that made Alex's totem cower with its tail between his legs.
   "You should have kept your mouth shut, boy," Alex's father said intimidatingly as he walked toward his son.
   Alex could feel his aura engulfing him with every step his father took. His power was starting to fade, his body could not stop shivering, and his mind raced a million miles a minute. The fight-or-flight response made Alex run away as fast as he could. He bound over the reception desk and toward a set of double doors. On the other side of the doors was a hallway with more doors. Frantically, Alex looked around and went through a random door, and planted on the ground with the door slamming shut behind him.

   When he brought himself to his feet, Alex looked around to see it was his grandfather's house.
   "G-Grandpa," Alex called out. "Grandpa, where are you?"
   Alex walked through a small hall leading into the living room. Once he entered the living room, the color on his face faded away. In the living room, sat his grandfather Bill in his recliner, blood all over his face, chair, and floor around him, his mouth was gaping open, his chest cavity was ripped open, and ribs, muscles, and organs were exposed. Alex felt as if his stomach was about to explode. He stumbled toward Bill with tears in his eyes.
   "No..." he sobbed. "Nononononono... Please for the love of god, no... Not you... Please... No..."
   Alex fell to his knees and started crying silently as tears streamed from his face. A moment later, he heard footsteps come from behind him. He turned around to see Alecia in her snow leopard armor; Alex's eyes began shivering with fear.
   "Your actions have consequences little lion," Alecia said. "First your family, then, your friends. You shouldn't have interfered with Tamera's actions."
   Alex panicked and scrambled to find a door. Alecia leaped to face Alex up close, causing him to panic more. Backing up, Alex ran to his grandfather's room; fear was clouding Alex's judgment. Through the door, he fell off into a dark void and screamed for about three minutes. He landed on his back with a thud so loud, Alex thought his spine was broken. Thankfully, managed to roll to his knees and slowly began standing up. Once he was standing again, he saw he was in the throne room of Alecia's palace.

   With a heart that felt like an explosive ready to go off at any moment, Alex began walking into the door. With each breath that Alex took, it was heavy like he running out of oxygen. Once at the front double doors, Alex opened them to reveal the courtyard, and what triggered his heart to explode. Alex saw his friends in their Ranger forms spewed up across the courtyard. Daric was laying against a wall with a puddle of blood underneath him, and thick spears in his body; one in his right shoulder, one on the left side of his torso, and his helmet was cracked, revealing an eye that was still open. Faith lay on the ground and had a puddle of blood under her with arrows embedded into her body, and one in her left eye, sending crack lines throughout her visor. Richard was strapped to two poles by ropes; his body was limp, and half of his helmet was destroyed to reveal his face, but it was torn away. Rachel was the only one barely alive as she tried her best to move. She was laying down as if someone was about to crucify her, and her helmet was completely off. Immediately, Alex raced over to Rachel and gently lifted her.
   "RAY," he shouted. "RAY!! Oh dear god, please no! Talk to me, please!"
   Rachel slowly opened her eyes, but her expression was unchanged. Slowly raising a hand to Alex's neck, she weakly gripped her fingers around it.
   "Your...Fault..." she said weakly.
   Her hand fell as Alex's eyes widened and tears streamed down his face.
   "Ray, no," he said as Ray's life faded away. "NO!! RAY!! What did you mean!? What did I do!? God damn don't go...I love you..."