by Neo Edmund
“You’ll have to be faster than that,” the Goldars mocked.
Then copies of Goldar appeared all throughout the course. Kimberly continued onward, doing her best to ignore his repeated attempts to stop her. He leaped in her way, roared in her face, charged at her head-on, taunted her with wicked laughter, and even made terrifying threats. Through it all, Kimberly stayed tough and pushed onward.
With only three minutes remaining to finish the course, Kimberly began to slow from exhaustion. Her muscles ached and she could hardly catch her breath. The climb up the rock wall nearly did her in, but she refused to quit.
The one-minute warning buzzer sounded just as Kimberly rolled up onto the final platform. She pulled to her feet, but her legs felt so wobbly, she could hardly stand. Then she gripped the trapeze that would carry her across the chasm to the end of the course.
Just as she was timing out her maneuver, things went from bad to worse. The sandbags vanished and in their place, Goldars appeared. She gasped in terror at the sight of a dozen Goldars swinging on the ropes. Some were roaring and others were laughing wickedly.
With only seconds remaining, and no chance of timing out a clear path, Kimberly decided to just go for it. As she soared across the chasm, the Goldars swatted and smacked at her from every direction. The trapeze started to spin out of control.
Kimberly lost her grip and went wildly whirling into the air. Just when she thought all was lost, she crashed right into the big red button. The victory siren sounded. The crowd erupted with cheers. Kimberly had done it again.
For a lingering moment she lay on the platform, rapidly gasping to catch her breath. She took comfort in knowing she was now one step closer to saving the Center.
It took every bit of energy Kimberly had left just to get to her feet. She gave a victory wave to the cheering crowd and then started down the stairs to exit the course. Just then, the familiar chime of her communicator watch sounded.
She let out a frustrated sigh and then responded, “What’s up, Alpha?”
“I don’t know how to tell you this,” Alpha 5 said timidly. “It seems you’re due at the final round of the gymnastics tournament in only fifteen minutes.”
Kimberly slumped in defeat. She thought of how it would be so much easier to just give this all up and go home to get some sleep. She also knew how disappointed she would be in herself upon waking the next day. With this thought in mind, she decided it would be better to try, and risk failing, than to not try at all.
When Kimberly arrived at the Angel Grove Youth Center, she was surprised to see that the gymnastics tournament was now taking place in the parking lot. It seemed the constant power blackouts had made it impossible to continue inside the building.
With only minutes to spare, she raced to a vendor’s booth to buy a new leotard. Goldar had dumped her other one on the beach when he searched her backpack. If this wasn’t enough of an inconvenience, the only size the vendor had available was two sizes too large for Kimberly.
Through a handheld megaphone, the announcer called out, “Next up on the vault, Kimberly Hart.”
As Kimberly walked out onto the tournament floor, she noticed a few spectators were pointing at her and giggling. She knew it was because of her oversize leotard, but she was too tired to let it bother her.
Kimberly was relieved that she only had to perform three vaults to complete the tournament. She took her position at the starting point and then sprinted toward a springboard, planted her hands on the vault, and launched into a double backflip. While in midflight, she caught a glimpse of Goldar standing in the exact spot she planned to land.
“You’ll never escape me,” Goldar snarled.
Kimberly squealed, expecting to land right on him, but he vanished as soon as her feet touched the mat. Somehow, she kept her wits and perfectly stuck the landing. The crowd cheered. A few of the other competitors even praised her effort and gave her high fives.
Kimberly’s legs wobbled as she made her way back to the starting point. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was really seeing Goldar or if her mind was playing tricks on her. She took a deep breath and prepared for her second vault. This time, Goldar appeared directly in front of the springboard.
“Catch me if you can,” Goldar teased.
Kimberly suddenly became spellbound when she saw the pink mystical light swirling in Goldar’s amulet. It took every bit of willpower she had to shake it off. With gritted teeth, she glared into Goldar’s eyes and dashed forward, uncertain if she was going to pass through him or crash into him head-on.
Just as before, Goldar vanished. The fear of the encounter got Kimberly’s adrenaline so high, she executed the highest vault of her life. When she hit the ground, the crowd stood and raved over her success. Even the judges were impressed.
Wheezing to catch her breath, Kimberly ambled back over to the starting point. The adrenaline rush of the last vault was fading fast. She needed to get the third vault done quickly, or she was going to drop from exhaustion.
Right as she was about to start her run, she suddenly felt someone’s hot breath on the back of her neck.
“Just one more to go,” Goldar whispered into her ear.
Kimberly screeched and took off in a sprint. She jumped onto the springboard and hurled over the vault. Her body spiraled around so many times, even the judges couldn’t keep count.
The instant her feet landed on the mat, Kimberly sprung into a fighting stance. Her muscles twitched and trembled. She looked around in every direction, but Goldar was gone.
It wasn’t until several of her competitors raced over with their hands raised to high-five her that she realized the judges had awarded her a perfect score. The contest was over, and there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Kimberly had won the day.
Later that evening, Kimberly lay sprawled out on her bed. A dozen flickering candles lit her room. She gazed with great pride at the gold medal she’d earned in the gymnastics tournament. The win guaranteed her a shot to compete at the national level, and perhaps one day she would go all the way to the Pan Global Games.
The door cracked open and Mrs. Hart peeked inside. “Hey there, superstar. What’s with all the candles?” she asked.
Kimberly strained to sit upright. “I got tired of the lights going out every five minutes,” she said.
“I’m sure the city will have this power thing figured out soon.” Mrs. Hart sat on the bed next to Kimberly. “Can I get you anything? You hardly touched your dinner,” she said.
Kimberly shook her head. “I don’t think I have the strength left to chew,” she replied.
“Okay, but I’m cooking up a victory feast in the morning, and I expect you to eat yourself full,” Mrs. Hart said.
“Sounds great, Mom.” Kimberly smiled warmly and hugged her mother.
“You make me so proud, Kimmy,” Mrs. Hart said. She walked around the room putting out the candles. “Now get some sleep. Tomorrow is a school day.”
Kimberly sighed. “I almost forgot. I still have a history test to study for.”
“You’ll do fine on that test. You always do,” Mrs. Hart said. She put out the last candle and closed the door as she exited, leaving the room in pitch-black darkness.
Kimberly quickly opened the nightstand drawer and took out a flashlight. She flicked it on and shined the light around the room, making sure Goldar wasn’t around. The fear she felt reminded her of when she was a little girl and thought a monster lived in her closet. The big difference now is that there really could be one in there, she thought.
She fought the urge to fall asleep, but soon she could no longer keep her eyes open. As she drifted into slumber, the flashlight faded out. No more than a minute passed before she heard the sound of her closet door creaking open.
“Wake up, Kimberly,” a voice whispered.
Kimberly snapped upright and grabbed the flashlight
. She flicked the power switch several times, only to discover that the batteries were dead. “Mom, is that you?” she asked.
“Your mommy can’t help you now, Pink Ranger,” Goldar said from somewhere in the room.
Kimberly tapped her communicator. “Alpha 5, please come in,” she said urgently. She waited for a response, but heard only static.
“Your friends can’t help you now,” Goldar said. Just beyond the end of her bed, a pink light glimmered through the darkness.
“This has to be a dream,” Kimberly said. She stumbled to her feet, holding her hands out defensively. “What do you want from me, Goldar?”
“To help me destroy Zordon and the other Rangers,” Goldar said. “Then, if you’re lucky, I’ll make you my apprentice.”
“No way. I’ll never betray my friends for you,” Kimberly said.
Goldar grabbed Kimberly’s arm. Her eyes widened when she saw his face illuminated in pink mystical light. “You don’t have a choice, Pink Ranger,” Goldar said.
Kimberly fought with all her might to pull away from his crushing grip. “Let go of me,” she screamed.
When Kimberly finally pulled free, she toppled backward, and in a blink, she flopped down into a wooden chair. A rush of morning light forced her to shield her eyes. When her vision came into focus, she realized she was now sitting at the table in her kitchen. Sprawled out across the table was a savory feast of muffins, scrambled eggs, and crispy bacon.
“Who is Goldar?” Mrs. Hart asked as she entered from the other room. She then sat in the chair opposite Kimberly.
Kimberly struggled to respond, still confused over how she had gotten there. Even more baffling, she was dressed and ready to go to school. “What day is it?” she asked.
“You feeling okay, Kimmy?” Mrs. Hart asked. She pressed a hand to Kimberly’s forehead, checking her for a fever. “You don’t feel hot.”
“Mom, I’m fine,” Kimberly said. She poured a cup of orange juice and downed it in a single gulp. “I just haven’t been sleeping much this week.”
“In that case, you should skip competing on that crazy game show tonight. You keep pushing this hard, you’re going to make yourself sick,” Mrs. Hart said.
“Mom, I’ll be fine. Trust me,” Kimberly said. She hastily stood up to exit. “I need to get going.”
“No, you need to eat and get your strength up,” Mrs. Hart said. She gestured for Kimberly to sit down. “I mean it. Mother’s orders.”
At Angel Grove High School, Kimberly snapped awake in her fourth-period history classroom. For half the day she had been walking around in a weary daze, hardly able to keep her mind focused. She glanced down at her desk and sighed when she saw her midterm exam was only half complete.
“Welcome back, Miss Hart,” said her teacher, Mr. Johnson, from his desk in the front of the classroom.
“I’m sorry, I was just—” Kimberly paused, too frazzled to think up an excuse.
Mr. Johnson cleared his throat. “The correct answer is that you were sleeping in class, and it won’t happen again.”
“You’re right, Mr. Johnson. I’m sorry,” Kimberly said with a sigh. She looked down at her exam paper and read the next question. Her eyes were so tired she had to strain to make out the words.
She then noticed the four empty seats where the other Rangers usually sat. Zordon didn’t normally allow Power Rangers business to interfere with their schoolwork, but they had already made arrangements to make up their assignments.
“Eyes on your exam, Miss Hart,” Mr. Johnson said.
“But I wasn’t—” Kimberly quivered in fear when she saw Goldar was now sitting at Mr. Johnson’s desk.
“Looks like you’re going to get detention,” Goldar said.
As Goldar started walking toward Kimberly, she looked around at the other students. They were all focused on their test and unaware of what was happening. The pink light swirling around in Goldar’s amulet caught her eye. Kimberly tried with all her will to look away from the amulet, but it had a powerful grip on her mind.
“Stay away from me. I’m warning you,” she said.
“And if I don’t, then what? You’ll run away screaming like a frightened little girl?” Goldar asked. The pink light reflected in Kimberly’s mesmerized eyes. “Now, Pink Ranger, you will help me destroy Zordon,” he said.
Kimberly gritted her teeth, refusing to accept this notion. “I will never do that, and you can’t make me,” she shouted, and then leaped to her feet with her fists ready for a fight.
“Miss Hart, is there a problem?” Mr. Johnson asked.
In a blink, Goldar was gone and Mr. Johnson was again sitting at his desk, looking quite startled. Kimberly then realized the other students were also staring at her. She tried to come up with an explanation, but couldn’t think of anything that made a bit of sense. Had she just dreamed the whole thing? she wondered.
The bell rang. Students gathered their belongings and dropped their exams on Mr. Johnson’s desk as they exited. Kimberly picked up her books and slowly walked toward the front of the classroom. For a moment she stood in front of Mr. Johnson’s desk, looking at her incomplete exam. She sighed, feeling quite disappointed in herself.
Mr. Johnson took Kimberly’s exam and disapprovingly looked it over. “Doesn’t look like you aced this one like you usually do.”
“Not even close,” Kimberly admitted shamefully.
Mr. Johnson gave Kimberly a stone-cold glare that made her feel even worse. Then he dropped her exam in the wastepaper basket. “Some of your friends will be in here tomorrow for a makeup exam. Any interest in joining them?”
Kimberly let out a big sigh of relief. “You’re a real lifesaver, Mr. Johnson. Thank you so much,” she said gratefully. “And if I’ve never said so before, you really are the best teacher ever.”
“I know. Just don’t tell anybody. You’ll ruin my reputation,” Mr. Johnson said. “And nice job at the gymnastics tournament. That was one doozy of a vault.”
• • •
An hour later, Kimberly was sitting alone in the school cafeteria, glaring at a goopy spoonful of whatever the chef had cooked up that day. She looked at the empty spaces around the table and realized just how much she missed the other Rangers. It had been only two days, but at the moment it felt like forever to her.
“Wake up, Little Miss Hart,” Bulk said as he stomped up to Kimberly.
Kimberly’s eyes snapped open. She hadn’t even realized she’d fallen asleep. “What do you nimrods want?” she asked.
Bulk scoffed in offense. “How about some gratitude after we helped your little friend,” he said.
“Yeah, and now you’re going to help us,” Skull said.
Bulk leaned in close and whispered, “We know you know the Pink Ranger, and she owes us some information,” he said.
Kimberly rolled her eyes. “What makes you think I know her?” she asked.
Bulk pointed to his own forehead. “Because you both like pink. Duh.”
“And we want to know what she knows about the thing we want to know about,” Skull added.
Kimberly sighed. She had forgotten about the deal she made with them. “I will pass along the message if the opportunity comes up. Not that I’m saying it ever will,” she said.
“Fair enough, but before we go . . .” Skull hesitated to finish. “What are the chances that me and you could go out on a date?” he asked.
Kimberly snarled in disgust. “Let me think. How’s the day after never work for you?”
Skull grinned. “That’s my favorite day of the week. I will see you then,” he said.
Bulk and Skull exchanged a high five as they strutted away.
Kimberly let out an irritated sigh. She poked her fork at her lunch and picked up a chunk of something that resembled meat and took a sniff. The stink made her gag a little.
; “What’s wrong, Pink Ranger—lose your appetite?” Goldar asked from somewhere nearby.
Kimberly looked up and saw Goldar standing across the table. The light in his amulet rapidly flickered with pink energy. Kimberly tried to look away from the amulet, but its power was much too strong.
“Pink Ranger, you cannot fight me. You cannot run from me. I am your master now, and you will do as I say,” Goldar said.
“You will never be my master. Now get away from me,” Kimberly shouted. She stood up, grabbed the table, and flipped it toward Goldar. Before the table had even hit the floor, he vanished.
As she huffed to catch her breath, Kimberly noticed all of the other students in the cafeteria were staring at her and whispering to one another. With an embarrassed whimper, she sat back down and wondered if the day could possibly get any worse.
Minutes after the incident in the cafeteria, Kimberly sat nervously trembling in a chair across the desk from Angel Grove High School’s principal, Mr. Kaplan. This was the first time she had ever been in any real trouble, so she didn’t know what to say, or if she should say anything at all.
“My, oh my. What an unusual situation we have here,” Mr. Kaplan said. He rapidly flipped through Kimberly’s school file. “An honor roll GPA, an outstanding attendance record, not a single day spent in detention. Judging by what’s in this folder, you are a shining example of the type of student Angel Grove prides itself on,” he said.
Just as Kimberly was going to speak, Mr. Kaplan closed the folder and banged a fist down on it. “And yet, here we are in this very upsetting situation. What do you have to say for yourself, Miss Hart?” he asked.
Kimberly grimaced and said, “It won’t happen again?”
Mr. Kaplan gave Kimberly a crooked stare. “I see. Well, in that case, you should just head to class,” he said.
Kimberly perked up, a bit surprised. “Really?” she asked.