THE RING

  Original screenplay by Takahashi Hiroshi
  Based upon the novel by Suzuki Kouji


  This manuscript is intended for informational 
  purposes only, and is a fair usage of copyrighted
  material.

  Ring (c) 1995 Suzuki Kouji
  Ring feature film (c) 1998 Ring/Rasen Committee
  Distributed by PONY CANYON


  Adapted/ Translated by J Lopez

  http://www.somrux.com/ringworld/

  ---


  Caption-- “September 5th.  Sunday.”

  INT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD – TOMOKO’S ROOM - NIGHT

  CLOSEUP on a TELEVISION SET.  There’s a baseball game on, but the sound 
  is turned completely down.  Camera PANS to show two cute high school 
  girls, MASAMI and TOMOKO.  Masami is seated on the floor at a low coffee 
  table, TEXTBOOK in front of her. Tomoko is at her desk.  There are SNACKS 
  all over the room, and it’s obvious there hasn’t been much studying going 
  on. Masami is currently in mid-story, speaking excitedly.

				MASAMI
		They say that some elementary school 
		kid spent the night with his parents 
		at a bed and breakfast in Izu.  The kid
		wanted to go out and play with everybody, 
		right, but he didn’t want to miss the 
		program he always used to watch back in 
		Tokyo, so he records it on the VCR in 
		their room.  But of course the stations 
		in Izu are different from the ones in 
		Tokyo.  In Izu, it was just an empty 
		channel, so he should’ve recorded
		nothing but static.  But when the kid 
		gets back to his house and watches the 
		tape, all of a sudden this woman comes 
		on the screen and says--

  Masami points so suddenly and dramatically at her friend that Tomoko 
  actually jumps in her seat.

				MASAMI (cont’d)
		“One week from now, you will die.”

  Short silence as Masami pauses, relishing the moment.

				MASAMI (cont’d)	
		Of course the kid’s completely 
		freaked, and he stops the video.  
		Just then the phone rings, and when he 
		picks it up a voice says--

  Her voice drops voice almost to a whisper.

				MASAMI (cont’d)	
		“You watched it, didn’t you?”  That 
		same time, exactly one week later... 
		he’s dead!

  Masami laughs loudly, thoroughly enjoying her own performance.  
  Tomoko, however, is completely silent.  She begins looking more 
  and more distressed, until finally Masami notices.

				MASAMI
		What is it, Tomoko?

  Tomoko comes out of her chair and drops onto the floor next to her 
  friend.  Her words are quick, earnest.

				TOMOKO
		Who did you hear that story from?

				MASAMI
		Who?  It’s just a rumor.  Everybody 
		knows it.

				TOMOKO
		Youko told you?	

				MASAMI	
		No, it wasn’t Youko...

  Tomoko looks away, worried.  Masami slaps her on the knee, 
  laughing.

				MASAMI
		What’s up with you?

  Tomoko speaks slowly, still looking away.

				TOMOKO
		The other day, I... I watched this 
		strange video.
		
				MASAMI
		Where?

				TOMOKO	
		With Youko and them.

				MASAMI	
			(excited) 
		So that’s what I’ve been hearing 
		about you doing some double-date/
		sleepover thing!  So, you and that 
		guy Iwata, huh? 

				TOMOKO	
		No, it’s not like that.  Nothing 
		happened!

  Their eyes meet and Tomoko half-blushes, looks away again.  Her 
  expression becomes serious as she resumes her conversation.

				TOMOKO
		Iwata... he found this weird video.  
		Everyone was like, “What’s that?” so 
		he put it on and we all watched it.

				MASAMI
			(quietly) 
		And?  What kind of video was it?

				TOMOKO
		Just... weird, I can’t really explain 
		it.  Anyway, right after we finished 
		watching it, the phone rang.  Whoever
		it was didn’t say anything, but still...

  Silence.  Masami curls up on herself, thoroughly spooked.  

				MASAMI	
		Jesus.

				TOMOKO
  		It's cuz, you know, we'd all heard the 
		rumors.

Tomoko looks seriously over at her friend.

				TOMOKO (cont'd)
		That was one week ago today.

  There is a long, heavy silence as neither of them says anything.

				MASAMI  	
		Waaait a minute.  Are you faking me 
		out?

  Tomoko’s face suddenly breaks into a smile. 

				TOMOKO	
		Busted, huh?

  They both crack up laughing. 

				MASAMI
		Oh, my... I can’t believe you!  

  Masami reaches out, slaps her friend on the knee.

				MASAMI (cont’d)
		You’re terrible!

				TOMOKO
		Gotcha!

				MASAMI	
			(thinking) 
		But hang on... you really stayed
		the night with Youko and Iwata, 
		right?

  Tomoko nods, uh-huh.  Masami dives forward, pinching her friend’s 
  cheeks and grinning wildly.

				MASAMI	
		So, how far did you and he get?

				TOMOKO 	
		Oh... I can’t remember.

				MASAMI	
		You can’t remember, huh?

  Masami laughs, then slaps Tomoko on the knee again as she remembers 
  the trick her friend played on her.

				MASAMI	
		Man, you had me freaked me out. 
		I--

  Just at that moment, the phone RINGS.  They are both suddenly, 
  instantly serious.  Tomoko’s eyes go off in one direction and she 
  begins shaking her head, -No-.  Masami looks over her shoulder, 
  following her friend’s gaze.  

  Tomoko is looking at the CLOCK, which currently reads 9:40.

  The phone continues to ring.  Tomoko is now clutching tightly onto her 
  friend, looking panicked.

				MASAMI
			(softly) 
		Was it true?

  Tomoko nods her head, still holding on tightly.  Masami has to 
  forcibly disengage herself in order to stand.  The phone is downstairs, 
  so Masami opens the bedroom DOOR and races down the STAIRS.  Tomoko 
  calls out to her from behind.

				TOMOKO
		Masami!

  INT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD – STAIRCASE - NIGHT  

  Tomoko and Masami run down the staircase, through the hallway towards 
  the kitchen.  Tomoko cries out again just before they reach the kitchen.

				TOMOKO	
		Masami!

  INT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD – KITCHEN - NIGHT  

  Masami has come to a halt before a PHONE mounted on the wall.  She 
  pauses, looking slowly at her friend, then back to the phone.  She 
  takes it tentatively from its cradle, answers it wordlessly.  The 
  tension continues to mount as nothing is said. Masami suddenly breaks 
  into a huge grin.

				MASAMI	
		I’ll put her on.

  Still grinning, she hands the phone to Tomoko.  Tomoko snatches it 
  quickly.

				TOMOKO
			(softly) 
		Yes?

  She is silent for a moment, then smiling widely.  

				TOMOKO
		Oh, man!

  She is so relieved that all the strength seeps out of her and she 
  sinks to the kitchen floor.  Masami, equally relieved, slides down 
  the wall and sits down next to her.

				TOMOKO
			(on the phone) 
		Yeah, I’ve got a friend over now.  
		Yeah.  Yeah, OK.  Bye.

  Tomoko stands to place the phone back in its wall cradle, and then 
  squats back down onto the kitchen floor.

				TOMOKO	
		The game’s gone into overtime, so 
		they’re gonna be a little late. 

  They burst out laughing with relief again, and are soon both 
  clutching their stomachs.

				TOMOKO	
		Jeeezus, my parents...

				MASAMI	
		Oh man, I’m tellin’ everybody about 
		this tomorrow!

  Tomoko shakes her head, -Don’t you dare-.

				MASAMI	
		I’m gonna use your bathroom.  Don’t 
		go anywhere.

				TOMOKO	
		‘K.

  Masami walks out of the kitchen. Alone now, Tomoko stands and walks 
  toward the SINK, where she takes a GLASS from the DISH RACK.  She 
  then goes to the FRIDGE and sticks her face in, looking for something 
  to drink.  Suddenly there is the SOUND of people clapping and 
  cheering.  Tomoko, startled, peers her head over the refrigerator 
  door to check for the source of the sound.  

  She begins walking slowly, following the sound to the DINING ROOM 
  adjacent the kitchen. 

  INT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD - DINING ROOM - NIGHT  

  The lights are off, and there is no one in the room.  Tomoko pauses a 
  moment, bathed in the garish LIGHT from the TV, which has been switched
  on.  Playing is the same baseball game they had on the TV upstairs; the 
  same game that Tomoko’s parents are currently at.  The VOLUME is up 
  quite high.

  A puzzled look on her face, Tomoko takes the REMOTE from the coffee 
  table and flicks the TV off.  She walks back to the kitchen.

  INT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD – KITCHEN - NIGHT  

  A bottle of SODA that Tomoko had earlier taken from the fridge is on 
  the kitchen table.  She picks the bottle up, pours herself a drink.  
  Before she can take a sip, however, the air around her becomes suddenly 
  charged, heavy.  Her body begins to shiver as somewhere out of sight 
  comes a popping, crackling SOUND underscored by a kind of GROANING.  
  Trembling now, Tomoko spins around to see what she has already felt 
  lurking behind her.  She draws in her breath to scream.

  The screen goes white, and fades into:

  CAMERA POV 

  The screen is filled with the visage of a nervous-looking YOUNG GIRL.  
  She is being interviewed by ASAKAWA, a female reporter seated offscreen.

				ASAKAWA (O.S.)
		There seems to be a popular rumor 
		going around about a ”cursed” 
		videotape.

				YOUNG GIRL	
		Uh-huh.

				ASAKAWA (O.S.) 
		Have you heard what kind of video 
		it might be?

				YOUNG GIRL	
		Uh-huh.

  The girl looks directly at the camera, her mouth dropping into an “O” 
  as she’s suddenly overcome by a kind of stage fright.  She continues 
  staring, silently, at the camera.

  INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY  

  KOMIYA, the cameraman, has lowered his camera. We can now see that 
  the young girl being interviewed is seated at a table between two 
  friends, a SHORT-HAIRED GIRL (GIRL#2) and a LONG-HAIRED GIRL (GIRL #3).  
  They are all dressed in the UNIFORMS of junior high school students.  
  Opposite them sits Komiya and Asakawa, a pretty woman in her mid-
  twenties.  A BOOM MIKE GUY stands to the left.
 
				KOMIYA	
		Uh, don’t look right at the camera, 
		OK?

				YOUNG GIRL	
		Sorry.

				ASAKAWA	
		Let’s do it again.

  Asakawa glances over her shoulder, makes sure that Komiya is ready.

 
				ASAKAWA
		Have you heard what kind of video 
		it might be?

				YOUNG GIRL
		What I heard was, all of a sudden 
		this scaaarry lady comes on the
		screen and says, “In one week, you
		will die.”


				GIRL #2	
		I heard that if you’re watching TV 
		late at night it’ll come on, and
		then your phone’ll ring.

				ASAKAWA
		Watching TV late at night... do you
 		know what station?

				GIRL #2	
		Mmmm... I heard some local station, 
		around Izu.

				ASAKAWA	
		Izu?

				GIRL #2	
		Mmm-hmm.	

				ASAKAWA
		And, do you know if anyone’s really 
		died from watching it?

  The girl flashes a look at her two friends.

				YOUNG GIRL
		Well, no one that we know, right?

  Girl #2 nods her head. Girl #3 nods slowly, opens and closes her 
  mouth as if deciding whether to say something or not.  The 
  reporter notices. 

				ASAKAWA	
		What is it?


				GIRL #3
		I heard this from a friend of mine 
		in high school.  She said that there 
		was this one girl who watched the 
		video, and then died a week later.  
		She was out on a drive with her 
		boyfriend.

				ASAKAWA
		They were in a wreck?

				GIRL #3
		No, their car was parked, but they 
		were both dead inside.  Her 
		boyfriend died because he’d watched 
		the video, too.  That’s what my 
		friend said.

  Girl #3 grows suddenly defensive.

				GIRL #3 (cont’d)	
		It’s true!  It was in the paper two 
		or three days ago.

				ASAKAWA
		Do you know the name of the high 
		school this girl went to?

				GIRL #3
		No... I heard this from my friend, 
		and it didn’t happen at her school.  
		She heard it from a friend at a 
		different school, she said.

  INT. NEWS STATION – DAY

  Asakawa is seated at her DESK.  The station is filled with PEOPLE, 
  scrabbling to meet deadlines.  Komiya walks up to Asakawa’s desk 
  and holds out a MANILA FOLDER.

				KOMIYA	
		Mrs. Asakawa?

				ASAKAWA
		Hm?

				KOMIYA	
		Here you are.

				ASAKAWA
			(taking the folder) 
		Thanks.

  Komiya has a seat.

				KOMIYA	
		This same kind of thing happened 
		about ten years ago too, didn’t it?  
		Some popular young singer committed 
		suicide, and then suddenly there was 
		all this talk about her ghost showing
		up on some music show.

				ASAKAWA	
		But I wonder what this rumor’s all 
		about. Everyone you ask always 
		mentions “Izu.”

				KOMIYA	
		Maybe that’s where it all started.  
		Hey, where was that Kuchi-sake
		Onna * story from again?


  >* Literally “Ripped-Mouth Lady,” a kind of ghastly spectre from 
  >Japanese folk stories who wears a veil to hide her mouth, which 
  >has been ripped or cut open from ear to ear. She wanders the 
  >countryside at night asking men “Do you think I’m beautiful?” then 
  >lowering her veil to reveal her true features.


				ASAKAWA	
		Gifu, but there was some big 
		accident out there, and that ended
		up being what started the rumor. 

				KOMIYA
		A big accident?

				ASAKAWA	
		Mmm-hmm.  Something terrible like 
		that is going to stay in people’s 
		minds.  Sometimes the story of what 
		happened gets twisted around, and 
		ends up coming back as a rumor like 
		this one. That’s what they say, at 
		least.

				KOMIYA
		D’you think something like that 
		happened out at Izu?

				ASAKAWA
		Maybe. Well, anyway, I’m off.  See you
		tomorrow.
   
				KOMIYA
		See you.

  Asakawa gets up from her desk and begins walking towards the exit.  
  She takes only a few steps before noticing a RACK of recent DAILY 
  EDITIONS.  

  She takes one from the rack, sets it on a nearby TABLE.  She begins 
  flipping the pages, and suddenly spies this story:  

    STRANGE AUTOMOBILE DEATH OF YOUNG COUPLE IN YOKOHAMA

    The bodies of a young man and woman were discovered in their 
    passenger car at around 10 A.M. September 6th.  The location was a 
    vacant lot parallel to Yokohama Prefectural Road.  Local authorities 
    identified the deceased as a 19-year old preparatory school student 
    of Tokyo, and a 16-year old Yokohama resident, a student of a 
    private all-girls’ high school. Because there were no external 
    injuries, police are investigating the possibility of drug-induced 
    suicide...

  Just then two men walk by, a GUY IN A BUSINESS SUIT and a youngish 
  intern named OKAZAKI.  Okazaki is carrying an armload of VIDEOTAPES.

				GUY IN SUIT
		OK, Okazaki, I’m counting on you.

				OKAZAKI	
		Yessir.

  The guy in the suit pats Okazaki on the shoulder and walks off.  

  Okazaki turns to walk away, spots Asakawa bent over the small table 
  and peering intently at the newspaper article.


				OKAZAKI	
		Miss Asakawa?  I thought you were 
		going home early today.

  Asakawa turns around and begins speaking excitedly.

				ASAKAWA
		Okazaki, can I ask you a favor?

				OKAZAKI
		Sure.

  Asakawa points to the newspaper.

				ASAKAWA
		Could you check out this article 
		for me?  Get me some more info.?	

				OKAZAKI
		I guess...

				ASAKAWA	
		Good.  Call me as soon as you know 
		more, OK?

				OKAZAKI	
		Ma’am.

  Asakawa walks off.  Okazaki, still carrying the videotapes, leans 
  forward to take a look at the article.
   
  EXT. APARTMENT PARKING LOT - DAY  

  Asakawa drives her car into the lot and parks quickly.  She gets 
  out, runs up the STAIRCASE to the third floor.  She stops in front 
  of a door, sticks her KEY in the lock, and opens it.

  INT. ASAKAWA’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM – DAY

  A BOY of about 7 is sitting in an ARMCHAIR facing the veranda.  We 
  can see only the back of his head.

				ASAKAWA (O.S.) 
		Yoichi!

  Hearing his name, the boy puts down the BOOK he was reading and 
  stands up, facing the door.  He is wearing a white DRESS SHIRT with 
  a brown sweater-type VEST over it.  He sees Asakawa, his mother, 
  run in the door.  She is panting lightly.

				ASAKAWA
		Sorry I’m late.  Oh, you’ve already 
		changed.

				YOICHI
		Yup. 

  He points over to his mother’s right.

				YOICHI (cont’d)
		I got your clothes out for you.

  Asakawa turns to see a DARK SUIT hanging from one of the living 
  room shelves.  She reaches out, takes it.

				ASAKAWA
		Aargh, we’ve gotta hurry!

  She runs into the next room to change.

  INT.  BEDROOM – DAY

  Asakawa has changed into all-black FUNERAL ATTIRE.  Her hair is 
  up, and she is fastening the clasp to a pearl NECKLACE.  Yoichi is 
  still in the living room.

				ASAKAWA	
		Did grandpa call?

				YOICHI (O.S.) 
		Nope.

  Yoichi walks into the room and faces his mother.

				YOICHI	
		Why did Tomo-chan die? *


  >* ”-chan” is a suffix in Japanese that denotes closeness or affection.  
  >It is most often used for young girls, though it can also be used for 
  >boys.


				ASAKAWA	
		Well... it looks like she was really, 
		really sick.

  She takes a seat on the bed.

				ASAKAWA	
		Will you do me up?

  Yoichi fastens the rear button of his mother’s dress and zips her up.  

				YOICHI	
		You can die even if you’re young?

				ASAKAWA
		If it’s something serious... well, yes.

  Asakawa turns to face her son, puts an arm around him.

				ASAKAWA	
		As hard as it is for us, what your 
		auntie and uncle are going through 
		right now is even harder, so let’s 
		not talk about this over there, OK?

  Yoichi nods.

				ASAKAWA
			(remembering)
		You and her used to play a lot 
		together, didn’t you?

  Yoichi says nothing.

  EXT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD - NIGHT  

  RED PAPER LANTERNS mark this place as the site of a wake.  Several 
  GIRLS in high school uniforms are standing together and talking in 
  groups. Asakawa and Yoichi, walking hand in hand, enter the house.

  INT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD - NIGHT 

  There are many PEOPLE milling about, speaking softly.  A MAN seated 
  at a counter is taking monetary donations from guests and entering 
  their information into a LEDGER.  Asakawa and Yoichi continue walking, 
  down a hallway.

  INT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD - NIGHT 

  Mother and son halt before the open DOOR to the main wake room, where 
  guests may show their respects to the departed.  The room is laid in 
  traditional Japanese-style tatami, a kind of woven straw mat that 
  serves as a carpet. Two GUESTS, their shoes off, are kneeling upon 
  zabuton cushions.  

  Kneeling opposite the guests is KOUICHI, Asakawa’s father.  The two 
  guests are bowing deeply, and Kouichi bows in response.

				ASAKAWA	
		Dad.

  Kouichi turns to see her.

				KOUICHI
		Ah!

				ASAKAWA
		How is sis holding up?

				KOUICHI
		She’s resting inside right now.  
		She’s shaken up pretty badly, you 
		know.  It’s best she just take 
		things easy for a while.

  Asakawa nods.

				ASAKAWA
		I’ll go check on auntie and them, 
		then.

				KOUICHI
		OK.  Ah, Yoichi.  Why don’t you sit 
		here for a little while?

  He grabs the young boy and seats him on a cushion next to the two guests.  
  As the guests resume their conversation with Asakawa’s father, Yoichi’s 
  eyes wander to the ALTAR at the front of the room set up to honor the 
  deceased.  It is made of wood, and surrounded by candles, flowers, and 
  small paper lanterns.  At the center is a PICTURE of the deceased, a 
  teenage girl.  A small wooden PLAQUE reads her name: Tomoko Ouishi. It 
  is the same Tomoko from the first scene.

  Yoichi continues to stare at Tomoko’s picture.  He makes a peculiar 
  gesture as he does so, rubbing his index finger in small circles just 
  between his eyes.

  INT. HALLWAY – NIGHT

  Asakawa walks down the hallway, looking for her aunt.  She walks until 
  finding the open doorway to the kitchen.  There are a few people in 
  there, preparing busily. Asakawa sees her AUNT, who rushes into the 
  hallway to meet her, holds her fast by the arm.  The aunt speaks in a 
  fierce, quick whisper.

				AUNT		
		Have you heard anything more about 
		Tomo-chan’s death?

				ASAKAWA	
		No, I...

				AUNT		
		But the police have already finished 
		their autopsy!

				ASAKAWA	
		Well, they said there was no sign of 
		foul play.

				AUNT	
			(shaking her head) 
		That was no normal death.  They haven’t 
		once opened the casket to let us see
		the body.  Don’t you think that’s 
		strange?
 
  Asakawa looks away, thinking.

  INT. HALLWAY – NIGHT

  Yoichi has wandered off by himself.  He stops at the foot of the 
  steps, looking up-- and catches a glimpse of a pair of BARE FEET 
  running up to the second floor.  

  A guarded expression on his face, Yoichi walks slowly up the 
  stairs.  

  INT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD - TOMOKO’S BEDROOM - NIGHT  

  Yoichi has wandered into Tomoko’s bedroom.  The lights are all off, 
  and there is an eerie feel to it.  Yoichi’s eyes wander about the 
  room, finally coming to rest on the TELEVISION SET.  Suddenly, he 
  hears his mother’s voice from behind him.

				ASAKWAWA (O.S.) 
		Yoichi?

  Yoichi turns to face her as she approaches, puts an arm around him.

				ASAKAWA	
		What are you doing up here?  You
		shouldn’t just walk into other 
		people’s rooms.

  Without replying, Yoichi’s gaze slowly returns to the television 
  set.  Asakawa holds him by the shoulders, turning him to meet 
  her.

				ASAKAWA	
		You go on downstairs, OK?

				YOICHI	
		OK.

  He turns to leave, and Asakawa follows.

  INT. OUSHI HOUSEHOLD - TOP OF THE STAIRS – NIGHT

  Just as Yoichi and Asakawa are about to descend the steps, 
  Asakawa’s CELL PHONE rings.  She opens the clasp to her PURSE.

				ASAKAWA	
			(to Yoichi) 
		You go on ahead.

				YOICHI	
		‘K.

  He walks down the steps.  Asakawa brings out her cell phone, 
  answers it.

				ASAKAWA	
		Hello?

				OKAZAKI	
		Uh... this is Okazaki.  I’ve got 
		some more info on that article for
		you.  The girl was a student of 
		the uh, Seikei School for Women in 
		Yokahama City.

  Asakawa blinks at this, looks disturbed.


				ASAKAWA	
			(softly) 
		Thanks.

  She hangs up the phone.

  EXT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD - NIGHT  

  Asakawa stands now at the entrance of the house.  Dazedly, she 
  walks toward a large, hand-painted PLACARD.  The placard reads 
  that the wake is being held for a student of the Seikei School 
  for Women. 

  Asakawa stares at that placard, making the mental connections.  
  She turns abruptly, walks towards a nearby TRIO of HIGH SCHOOL 
  GIRLS.

				ASAKAWA	
		Excuse me.  This is, um, kind of a
		strange question, but by any chance 
		were you friends of that young girl
		that died in the car as well?

  The three girls turn their faces to the ground.

				ASAKAWA	
		Please.  If you know anything...

				GIRL RIGHT	
		They all died the same day.  Youko.  
		Tomoko.  Even Iwata, he was in a
		motorcycle accident.

				GIRL LEFT	
		Because they watched the video.

				ASAKAWA	
		Video?

				GIRL LEFT	
		That’s what Youko said.  They all
		watched some weird video, and 
		after that their phone rang.

				ASAKAWA	
		Tomoko-chan watched it, too?  
		Where?

  Girl Left shakes her head.

				GIRL LEFT	
		She just said they all stayed 
		somewhere.

				GIRL RIGHT	
		There was a girl with Tomoko when 
		she died.  She’s had to be 
		hospitalized for shock.

				GIRL MIDDLE
		They say she won’t go anywhere 
		near a television.


  INT. NEWS STATION - VIEWING BOOTH – DAY

  Asakawa and YOSHINO, another news reporter, are watching scenes 
  from the Yokohama car death.  In the footage there are lots of 
  POLICEMEN milling about, one of them trying to pick the door to 
  the passenger side.  Yoshino is giving Asakawa the blow-by-blow.

				YOSHINO
		The bodies of those found were 
		Tsuji Youko, age 17, a student of 
		the Seikei School for Women, and 
		Nomi Takehiko, age 19, preparatory 
		school student.  Both their doors 
		were securely locked.

  Onscreen, the policeman has finally picked the lock.  The door opens, 
  and a girl’s BODY half–falls out, head facing upwards.  Yoshino flicks 
  a BUTTON on the control panel, scans the footage frame by frame.  He 
  stops when he gets a good close-up of the victim. 

  Her face is twisted into an insane rictus of fear, mouth open, eyes 
  wide and glassy. Yoshino and Asakawa lean back in their seats.

				YOSHINO
		This is the first time I’ve -ever- 
		seen something like this.

				ASAKAWA
		Cause of death?

				YOSHINO
		Couldn’t say, aside from sudden 
		heart failure.

				ASAKAWA	
		Drugs?

				YOSHINO	
		The autopsy came up negative.


  Yoshino takes the video off pause.  Onscreen, a policeman has caught 
  the young girl’s body from completely falling out, and is pushing it 
  back into the car.  As the body moves into an upright position, we 
  can see that the girl’s PANTIES are mid-way around her left thigh.

				YOSHINO
		These two, about to go at it, 
		suddenly up and die for no 
		apparent reason. 

  He sighs.

				YOSHINO (cont’d)
		Do -you- get it?


  EXT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD - DAY  

  Asakawa’s CAR is already halted before a modest-sized, two-story HOUSE 
  with a small covered parkway for a garage.  She gets out of her car, 
  closes the door.  She stares at the house, unmoving.

  INT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD – KITCHEN - DAY  

  Asakawa stands before her SISTER RYOMI, who is seated at the kitchen 
  TABLE.  Ryomi is staring blankly away, making no sign of acknowledging 
  her sister.  The silence continues unabated, and Asakawa, pensive, 
  wanders idly into the adjoining dining room.  She takes a long look at 
  the television, the same television that had puzzled Tomoko by suddenly 
  switching itself on, sitting darkly in one corner.  Her reflection in 
  the screen looks stretched, distorted.


				RYOMI	(O.S.) 
		They tell me that Yoichi came to 
		the funeral, too. 

  Asakawa steps back into the kitchen.  She addresses her sister, who 
  continues to stare out at nothing.

				ASAKAWA
		Mmm-hmm.

				RYOMI
		They used to play a lot together, didn’t they?  Upstairs.

				ASAKAWA	
		Yeah...

  Ryomi lapses back into a silence.  Asakawa waits for her to say more, 
  but when it is clear that nothing else is forthcoming, she quietly gives 
  up and exits the kitchen.

  INT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD – STAIRCASE - DAY  

  Asakawa climbs the steps to the second floor.  She makes her way down 
  the hall.

  INT. OUISHI HOUSEHOLD - TOMOKO’S ROOM - DAY  

  As if intruding, Asakawa walks slowly, cautiously into Tomoko’s room.  
  The window to the room is open, and a single piece of folded white PAPER 
  on Tomoko’s desk flutters in the breeze.  Asakawa walks towards it, picks 
  it up.  It is a RECEIPT from a photo shop.  The developed photos have yet 
  to be claimed.  

  Asakawa senses something, spins to look over her shoulder.  Her sister 
  has crept quietly up the stairs and down the hall, and stands now in the 
  doorway to Tomoko’s room.  She appears not to notice what Asakawa has in 
  her hands, as her gaze has already shifted to the sliding closet door.  
  She regards it almost druggedly.

				RYOMI
			(haltingly) 
		This... this is where Tomoko died.

  FLASHBACK
				RYOMI (O.S.)
		Tomoko!

  Ryomi’s hands fling aside the CLOSET DOOR.  Within, she finds the pale 
  blue CARCASS of her daughter, curled up into an unnatural fetal position.  
  Tomoko’s mouth yawns gaping, her eyes glassy and rolled up into the back 
  of her head.  Her hands are caught in her hair, as if trying to pull it 
  out by the roots.  It is a horrific scene, one that says Tomoko died as 
  if from some unspeakable fear.

  PRESENT

  Ryomi sinks to her knees, hitting the wooden floor hard.  She puts her 
  face into her hands and begins sobbing loudly.  Asakawa says nothing.

  EXT. CAMERA SHOP – DAY

  Asakawa leaves the camera shop clutching Tomoko’s unclaimed PHOTOS.  She 
  walks out onto the sidewalk and begins flipping through them.  We see 
  Tomoko standing arm-in-arm with Iwata, her secret boyfriend. Tomoko and 
  her friends eating lunch.  The camera had its date-and-time function 
  enabled, and the photos are marked

    97 8 29.

  The next shot is of Tomoko, Iwata, and another young couple posing in 
  front of a SIGN for a bed and breakfast.  The sign reads:

    IZU PACIFIC LAND

				ASAKAWA	
		Izu...

  Asakawa continues looking through the photos, various shots of the 
  four friends clowning around in their room.  Suddenly she comes to a 
  shot taken the next day, at check out.  The friends are lined up, arms 
  linked-- and all four of their faces are blurred, distorted as if 
  someone had taken an eraser to them and tried to rub them out of 
  existence.

  INT. ASAKAWA’S APARTMENT – KITCHEN - DAY

  Asakawa wears an APRON, and is frying something up on the STOVE.  Yoichi 
  stands watching.

				ASAKAWA	
		Look, I’m probably going to be late
		coming home tonight, so just stick 
		your dinner in the microwave when 
		you’re ready to eat, OK?

				YOICHI	
		‘K... Mom?

				ASAKAWA	
		Hmm?

				YOICHI	
		Tomo-chan watched some cursed video!


  Asakawa leaves the food on the stove, runs over to Yoichi and grabs him 
  by the shoulders.  She shakes him roughly.

				ASAKAWA	
		What did you say?  You are not to 
		speak of this at school, do you 
		hear me?

				YOICHI	
			(utterly unfazed) 
		I won’t.  I’m going to school now.

  Yoichi walks off.  Asakawa goes back to the stove, but stops after only 
  a few stirs, staring off and thinking.

  Caption-- “September 13th.  Monday.”

  EXT. ROAD – DAY

  Asakawa drives her car speedily along a narrow country road, LEAVES 
  blowing up in her wake.

  INT. ASAKAWA’S CAR - DAY  

  Asakawa mutters to herself, deep in thought.

				ASAKAWA	
		There’s no way...

  EXT. COUNTRY ROAD – DAY

  Asakawa’s car drives past a sign reading:

	IZU PACIFIC LAND

  EXT. IZU PACIFIC LAND - DRIVEWAY – DAY

  Asakawa has left her car and is walking around the driveway of what is 
  less a bed and breakfast and more like a series of cabin-style rental 
  COTTAGES. 

  She wanders about for a while, trying to get her bearings.  She pauses 
  now in front of a particular cottage and reaches into her PURSE.  She 
  withdraws the PICTURE from the photomat, the one that showed Tomoko and 
  her friends with their faces all blurred.  The four are posing in front 
  of their cottage, marked in the photograph as “B4.”  Asakawa lowers the 
  photo to regard the cottage before her.

    B4

  She walks to the door, turns the handle experimentally.  It’s open.  
  Asakawa walks in.

  INT. PACIFIC LAND - COTTAGE B4 – DAY

  Asakawa lets her eyes wander around the cottage.  It looks very modern, 
  all wood paneling and spacious comfort.  

  Her eyes rest on the TV/VCR setup at the front of the room.  Crouching 
  before the VCR now, she presses the eject button.  Nothing happens.  
  She fingers the inside of the deck, finds it empty, then reaches behind 
  to the rear of the VCR, searching.  Again, there is nothing.  Asakawa 
  presses the power button on the television, picks up the REMOTE, and 
  takes a seat on the SOFA.  She runs through a few channels but they’re 
  all talk shows, no clues whatsoever.  She flicks the TV off and leans 
  back in the sofa, sighing.

  Just then, she spies a LEDGER on the coffee table.  These things are 
  sometimes left in hotels in Japan, so that guests can write a few 
  comments about their stay for others to read.  Asakawa picks the 
  ledger up, begins thumbing through it.  She stops at a strange PICTURE
  obviously drawn by a child, that shows three rotund, almost entirely 
  round personages.  She reads the handwritten MESSAGE.

				ASAKAWA	
		"My dad is fat.  My mom is fat.  
		That’s why I’m fat, too."

  She smiles in spite of herself.  

  Asakawa flips through the rest of the ledger, but there’s nothing else 
  of any import.  

  She tosses it back onto the coffee table and, sighing again, leans into 
  the sofa and closes her eyes.

  EXT. OUTDOOR CAFÉ - DUSK  

  Asakawa eats silently, alone.

  INT. PACIFIC LAND - FRONT RECEPTION - NIGHT  

  Asakawa has returned to the bed and breakfast.  As she walks in the 
  door, the COUNTER CLERK rises out of his chair to greet her.

				CLERK
		Room for one?

				ASAKAWA	
		Um, actually I’m here on business.

  She passes the clerk a picture of Tomoko and her three other friends.  
  He stares at it for a moment.



				ASAKAWA
		They would have stayed here on 
		August 29th, all four of them.  
		If there’s any information you 
		might have...

				CLERK
		Uh, hang on just a minute.  

  The clerk turns his back to her, begins leafing through a guest log.

				CLERK	
			(to himself) 
		August 29th...

  While she waits, Asakawa’s eyes start to wander around the room.  
  Behind the desk is a sign reading “Rental Video,” and a large wooden 
  BOOKSHELF filled with VIDEOTAPES. They are all in their original boxes, 
  and she lets her eyes glance over the titles.  Raiders of the Lost Ark, 
  48 Hours--

  --and then, suddenly, she spies a VIDEOTAPE in a plain, unmarked 
  sleeve, tucked away in the back of the very bottom shelf.  She feels 
  the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

				ASAKAWA	
		That...

  The clerk looks up.

				CLERK
		Hmm?

  Asakawa stabs a finger excitedly towards the shelf.


				ASAKAWA
		That!  What tape is that?

  The clerk reaches out for it, grabs it.

				CLERK	
		This?  Hmm...

  The clerk pulls the tape out of its SLEEVE and checks for a label.  
  It’s unmarked.

				CLERK
		Maybe one of the guests left it behind…

  INT. PACIFIC LAND – COTTAGE B4 - NIGHT 

  Asakawa flips on the TV.  It’s on channel 2, and there is nothing but 
  static. She kneels down to slide the tape into the deck and pauses a 
  moment, framed in the vaguely spectral LIGHT from the television 
  screen.  Steeling her nerves, she puts the tape into the machine, picks 
  up the remote, and presses play.


  NOTE: This next scene is entirely visual.  If you are reading this 
  translation before watching the movie, do yourself a favor; STOP 
  reading this now and watch the scene for itself.  Afterwards, you can 
  come back here to check the meaning of the Japanese characters 
  displayed.


  THE VIDEOTAPE

  At first it looks like nothing has happened-- then Asakawa realizes that 
  she is now viewing recorded static instead of broadcast static.  She 
  watches, waiting, but the static continues unbroken.  Asakawa looks 
  down at the remote, is about to press fast forward, when suddenly the 
  picture on the screen clears and for a moment she thinks she’s looking 
  at the moon.

  It’s not the moon at all, she realizes.  The shape is round like a full 
  moon, but it seems to be made up of thin RIBBONS of cloud streaking 
  against a night sky.  And there’s a FACE, she sees, a face hidden in 
  shadows, looking down from above.  

  What is this?

  The scene changes now, and Asakawa notes that the tape has that kind of 
  grainy quality one sees in 3rd or 4th generation copies.  The scene is of 
  a WOMAN brushing her long hair before an oval-shaped MIRROR.  The nerve-
  wracking grating as if of some giant metallic insect sounds in the 
  background, but the lady doesn’t seem to notice.  The mirror the lady is 
  using to brush her hair suddenly changes position from the left part of 
  the wall before which she stands, to the right.  Almost instantly the 
  mirror returns to its original position, but in that one moment in its 
  changed location we see a small FIGURE in a white GOWN.  The woman turns 
  towards where that figure stood, and smiles.

  The screen next becomes a twitching, undulating impenetrable sea of the 
  kanji characters used in the Japanese language.  Asakawa can pick out 
  only two things recognizable:

    local     volcanic eruption

  Now the screen is awash in PEOPLE-- crawling, scrabbling, shambling 
  masses, some of them moving in reverse.  A sound like moaning accompanies 
  them.
  -

  A FIGURE stands upon a shore, its face shrouded.  It points accusingly, 
  not towards the screen, but at something unseen off to one side.  The 
  insect-like screeching sounds louder. 
  --

  Close up on inhuman, alien-looking EYE.  Inside that eye a single 
  character is reflected in reverse:  SADA, meaning "chastity."

  The eye blinks once, twice.  The symbol remains.
  ---

  A long shot of an outdoor, uncovered WELL.
  ----

  Sudden loud, blinding STATIC as the tape ends.

  Asakawa turns the TV off, looking physically drained.  She sighs shakily 
  and slumps forward, resting on her knees.  Just then, she glances at the 
  television screen.  She sees, reflected, a small FIGURE in a white gown 
  standing at the rear of the room.  Shocked, Asakawa draws in breath, 
  spins around.

  The room is empty.  Asakawa runs to the sofa to collect her jacket--

  --and the RINGING of the telephone stops her dead in her tracks.  Zombie-
  like, she walks towards the telephone, picks it up wordlessly.  

  From the other end comes the same metallic, insectoid SQUEAKING heard on 
  the video.  Asakawa slams the phone down and glances up at the CLOCK.  
  It’s about seven minutes after 7 P.M.

				ASAKAWA	
			(to herself) 
		One week…

  Asakawa grabs her coat, pops the tape out of the deck, and runs out the 
  door.

  EXT. STREET – DAY

  It is dark and raining heavily.  Yoichi, Asakawa’s son, is walking to 
  school, UMBRELLA firmly in hand.  The sidewalk is quite narrow, and Yoichi 
  comes to a halt when a second PERSON comes from the opposite direction, 
  blocking his way. Yoichi slowly raises his umbrella, peers up to look at 
  this other pedestrian.  It is a MAN, a BAG slung over one shoulder.  He 
  has a beard; unusual for Japan where clean-shaven is the norm.  

  The two continue looking directly at each other, neither moving nor 
  speaking.  Yoichi then walks around the person’s left and continues on his
   way.  The man resumes walking as well.

  Caption-- “September 14th.  Tuesday.”

  EXT. OUTSIDE AN APARTMENT DOOR - DAY  

  The bearded man, whose name is RYUJI, reaches out to press the DOORBELL, 
  but the door has already opened from within.  Asakawa leans out, holding 
  the door open for him.  Neither of them speaks.  Wordlessly, Ryuji enters 
  the apartment.

  INT. ASAKAWA’S APARTMENT - DAY  

  Ryuji puts his bag down, looks around the apartment.  The interior is dark, 
  ominous somehow.  He takes his JACKET off and wanders into the living room.  
  Asakawa is in the kitchen behind him, preparing TEA.  Ryuji spies the 
  collection of FRAMED PHOTOGRAPHS in living room.

				RYUJI
		Yoichi’s in elementary school 
		already, is he?

				ASAKAWA	
		His first year.  What about you, 
		Ryuji?  How have you been 
		recently?

				RYUJI		
		Same as always.

  She takes a seat next to him, serves the tea.  On the coffee table 
  before them is a VIDEOTAPE in a plain, unmarked case.

				ASAKAWA
		And money is...?

				RYUJI
		I’m teaching at university.

  Ryuji picks up his cup of tea but stops, grimacing, before it is to his 
  lips.  He rubs his forehead as if experiencing a sudden headache.  Ryuji 
  shakes it off and quickly regains his composure.

				RYUJI
		Anyway.  You said that the phone rang?

				ASAKAWA
		That’s right.

				RYUJI		
		So if I watch it too, that phone over 
		there--

  He gestures with his mug 

				RYUJI (cont’d)
		--should ring.

				ASAKAWA
		Ryuji, four people have already 
		died.  On the same day!

				RYUJI
			(flippant) 
		Well, why don’t you try calling 
		an exorcist?

  He takes a sip of his tea.  Asakawa reaches quickly, grabs something 
  from the bookshelf behind her-- a POLAROID CAMERA.    She shoves it 
  into Ryuji’s hands, then turns to look down at the floor.

				ASAKAWA	
		Take my picture.

  Ryuji raises the camera to his eye.

				RYUJI		
		Turn this way.


				ASAKAWA	
			(unmoving) 
		Hurry up and take it.

  Ryuji snaps off a shot.  It comes out the other end and he takes it, 
  waits impatiently for an image to appear.  When it does, all he can 
  do is pass it wordlessly over to Asakawa.  Her face is twisted, 
  misshapen.  

  Just like the picture of Tomoko and her friends.

  Asakawa stares at it, horrified.  By the time she finally looks up, 
  Ryuji has already risen from his seat and slid the videotape into the 
  VCR.  Again, the screen is filled with static, only to be replaced 
  with what looks like the moon.  Asakawa slams the Polaroid on the 
  coffee table and goes outside onto the veranda.  

  EXT. VERANDA - DAY  

  Asakawa stares out at a view of the houses shaded in cloud and rain. 
  There is a knock on the glass door behind her.  A moment later, 
  Ryuji slides the door open.

				RYUJI		
		It’s over.

  Asakawa re-enters her apartment.

  INT. ASAKAWA’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAY

				RYUJI		
		Well, it looks like your phone’s not 
		ringing.

  Ryuji pops the tape from the deck, hands it to Asakawa.

				RYUJI	
		Make me a copy of this, will you?  
		I’d like to do a little research
		of my own. There’s no reason to 
		write us off as dead just yet. 

  He dramatically takes a seat.

				RYUJI	(cont’d)
		If there’s a video, that means that 
		somebody had to make it.

				ASAKAWA	
		There’s the guest list from the 
		cottage to look into... and the 
		possibility of someone hacking 
		into the local station’s broadcast 
		signals.

  Asakawa pulls a NOTEPAD from her purse and begins busily scribbling 
  away.


  INT. NEWS STATION - DAY  

  Okazaki putters around.

  Caption-— “September 15th.  Tuesday.”

  INT. NEWS STATION - VIEWING BOOTH – DAY

  Asakawa sits by herself, reviewing the videotape.  She is replaying 
  the very last scene, an outdoor shot of a well.  She stares at it 
  carefully, and notices...

  The tape ends, filling the screen with static.  A split-second 
  afterwards, there is a KNOCK on the door and Okazaki enters, holding 
  a FILE.  Asakawa momentarily forgets about the video.

				OKAZAKI	
			(handing her the file)
		Here’s that guest list you wanted.

				ASAKAWA	
		Oh, thanks.

				OKAZAKI	
		What are you gonna do with this?

				ASAKAWA	
		Uh... sorry, I’m working on 
		something personal.

  EXT. IN FRONT OF A TRAIN STATION - DAY  

  Some quick shots of a FOUNTAIN gushing water, PIGEONS flapping away 
  looking agitated.  CUT to Ryuji sitting on a BENCH.  He’s deep in 
  thought, writing in a NOTEPAD. There are multitudes of PEOPLE about 
  him, and we can hear the sounds of their coming and going.  A PAIR 
  OF LEGS attached to a woman in white dress, hose, and pumps appears, 
  heading directly for Ryuji.  Her pace is slow, rhythmical, and as 
  that pace progresses all other sounds FADE into the background, so 
  that all we can hear is the CLOMP, CLOMP as those legs walk to stand 
  just before Ryuji.  The pumps are scuffed, dirtied with grime.  

  A gust of WIND rips by.  Ryuji fights the urge to look up as in his 
  ears rings the same hollowed, multi-voiced BABBLING heard on the 
  videotape.  The sound grows stronger.

				RYUJI (VO)
 		So, it was you.  You did it.

  The babbling fades, disappears as slowly the world’s normal 
  background sounds return.  Ryuji looks up, but the woman in white 
  is nowhere to be seen.

  EXT. OUTSIDE RYUJI’S APARTMENT – AFTERNOON

  Ryuji rides up on a BICYCLE. He turns the corner towards his 
  apartment and finds Asakawa seated on the steps, waiting for him.

				RYUJI		
		Hey.

  Asakawa notes in his face that something is wrong.

				ASAKAWA
 		What happened to you?

				RYUJI
			(gruffly)
		Nothing.

  He enters the building, carrying his bicycle.  Asakawa follows.

  INT. HALLWAY - AFTERNOON  

  The two walk down the hallway towards the FRONT DOOR to Ryuji’s 
  apartment.  He unlocks the door and they enter.

  INT. RYUJI’S APARTMENT – AFTERNOON

  Ryuji and Asakawa enter the living room.

				RYUJI
		So, what’d you come up with?

				ASAKAWA
		I don’t think any of the guests on 
		the list brought the tape with them.  
		I couldn’t confirm it face-to-face 
		of course, but even over the phone I 
		got the feeling they were all being 
		upfront with me.

 				RYUJI
		How about the other angle?  Pirate 
		signals or...

  Asakawa shakes her head.

				ASAKAWA
		There’re no traces of any illegal 
		television signals being broadcast 
		around Izu. 

  She reaches into her purse, pulls out a large white ENVELOPE.


				ASAKAWA
		Here’s that copy of the videotape 
		you wanted.

  Ryuji tears the package open.  He squats down on the tatami in 
  frontof his TV and slides the tape in.  Asakawa sits on the 
  tatami as well, but positions herself away from the TV and keeps 
  her eyes averted.  Ryuji glares over his shoulder at her.

				RYUJI
			(sternly) 
		Asakawa.

  She reluctantly scoots closer, looks up at the screen.  Ryuji 
  fast-forwards the tape a bit, stopping at the scene where the 
  woman is brushing her long hair before an oval mirror.  He puts 
  the video on frame-by-frame. 

				RYUJI
		Have you ever seen this woman?

  Asakawa regards the screen intently.

				ASAKAWA
 		No...

  The tape advances to the scene where the mirror suddenly changes 
  positions.  When it does, we can again see the small figure in the 
  white gown, a figure with long black hair. When Ryuji sees this 
  his body stiffens, becomes tense.  Asakawa notices but says nothing.  
  She also notices something else.

				ASAKAWA
			(excitedly) 
		There’s something strange about 
		this shot.

  She takes the remote from Ryuji, rewinds it a ways.  Onscreen, the 
  woman begins coming her long hair again.

				ASAKAWA	
		From this angle, the mirror should 
		be reflecting whoever’s filming.

				RYUJI		
		So, what does that mean?

  Asakawa lets out a short sigh.

				ASAKAWA	
		Well, if the person who made this 
		is a pro, there’d be a way around 
		that, I guess, but still...

  The screen changes, showing the mass of squiggling kanji characters 
  again.

				RYUJI		
			(reading) 
		Volcanic eruption... Eruption where?

  He pauses the screen, trying to make sense of what is written.


				ASAKAWA	
		This is gonna be impossible to figure 
		out on just a regular TV screen, 
		don’t you think?

  They are both still staring at the screen when from behind them comes 
  the SOUND of someone opening the front door.  Ryuji turns off the TV, 
  ejects the tape from the deck.

				RYUJI	
		Come on in.

  Asakawa flashes a look at Ryuji and then turns her head back towards 
  the front door to see who has entered.  A cute, nervous-looking young 
  GIRL with short hair approaches slowly.  She is carrying a PLASTIC BAG 
  filled with groceries.

				RYUJI	
		Asakawa, meet my student, Takano Mai.

  He turns, addresses Mai.

				RYUJI	(cont’d)	
		This is Asakawa, my ex-wife.

  Ryuji gets up and walks conveniently away.

				MAI		
		Nice to meet you.  I’m Takano.

				ASAKAWA	
		Asakawa. *


  > * As you may already be aware, Japanese name order is the 
  >opposite of English’s, and even close friends may continue to
  >address one another by their last names.  Incidentally, Asakawa’s
  >first name is “Reiko.”  In this scene, Mai deferentially refers
  >to Ryuji as sensei, meaning “teacher.”


  Mai sets the bag of groceries down and chases after Ryuji.  He is 
  putting on his jacket and getting ready to leave.

				MAI	
		Sensei, the people from the 
		publishing company called about 
		the deadline on your thesis again. 

				RYUJI		
			(brusquely) 
		What’re they talkin’ to you 
		about it for?

				MAI		
		Because they can never get a 
		hold of you.

  Ryuji picks up his keys, video firmly in hand.

				RYUJI		
		Ask them to wait another week.

				MAI		
		Sensei, ask them yourself, 
		please.

  Ryuji is already headed for the door.  His back is to her as he 
  responds.

				RYUJI	
		OK, OK.

  Asakawa walks after him.  They leave.

  Mai pouts unhappily a bit, and then breaks into a smile as an idea 
  crosses her mind.  She walks across the room to where Ryuji has set 
  up a large BLACKBOARD filled with mathematical equations.  Grinning, 
  Mai rubs out part of one equation with her sleeve and writes in a 
  new value.

  INT. NEWS STATION – HALLWAY - NIGHT  

  Asakawa and Ryuji stride purposefully.  They stop before a DOOR to 
  the right, which Asakawa unlocks.  They both walk in.

  INT. NEWS STATION - VIEWING BOOTH - NIGHT 

  Asakawa and Ryuji sit in a completely darkened room, their eyes 
  glued to the television MONITOR.  They are again watching the scene 
  with the fragmented kanji characters, but despite their efforts have 
  been able to identify only one additional word, bringing the total 
  to three:

	volcanic eruption	  local	     residents

				RYUJI		
		This is impossible.

  Ryuji fast forwards, stopping at the scene with the kanji reflected
  inside an alien-looking EYE.  He reads the kanji aloud. 

				RYUJI
		Sada... 

  Ryuji moves to make a note of this, notices the time.

				RYUJI
		Is Yoichi gonna be all right?

				ASAKAWA	
			(sadly) 
		He’s used to it...

  Short silence.  Ryuji breaks it by gesturing towards the screen. 


				RYUJI
		Whoever made this had to have left 
		some kind of clue behind.  They’re 
		probably waiting for us to find it.

  Asakawa turns a DIAL to bring up the volume, which up until now has 
  been  on mute.  The room is filled with an eerie, metallic GRATING, 
  and Asakawa spins the dial again, shutting it off.  Just as she does, 
  Ryuji’s eyes widen.

				RYUJI	
		Wait a minute.

  He turns the dial again, punches a few buttons as if searching for 
  something.  He listens carefully, and when he hears that strange 
  something again he stops, looks at the screen.

  It is paused at the scene with the figure, pointing, a CLOTH draped 
  over its head.  The figure now looks oddly like a messenger.

  Ryuji and Asakawa exchange glances.  This could be it.  Ryuji flips 
  some more switches, setting the sound for super-slow mo.  What follows 
  is a strange, labored sort of speech-— a hidden message-- framed in 
  the skittering distortion of the tape in slow motion. 

				TAPE	
		Shoooomonnn bakkkkkarrri toou...  
		boooouuuukonn ga kuuru zouuu...

				RYUJI	
			(repeating) 
		Shoumon bakkari, boukon ga kuru 
		zo.  Did you hear that, too?

  Asakawa nods.  Ryuji is already writing it down excitedly.

				ASAKAWA	
		What does that mean?

  Ryuji tears the sheet of paper off the notepad, folds it, and tucks 
  it into his shirt pocket.

				RYUJI		
		I’m gonna check it out.

  EXT. ASAKAWA’S APARTMENT COMPLEX - MORNING  

  Yoichi is walking to school.  He looks back over his shoulder, just 
  once,then resumes walking.

  INT. ASAKAWA’S APARTMENT - MORNING

  All the lights are turned off, and she is sitting on the living room 
  couch watching the footage of her café interview with the junior high 
  school girls.  

  Caption-- “September 16th.  Thursday.”

  Just when the girl in the interview mentions that whomever watches 
  the video is supposed to afterwards receive a phone call, Asakawa’s 
  own phone RINGS, startling her. She runs to answer it.

				ASAKAWA	
		Hello?

				RYUJI (O.S.)
		I’ve got it.  It’s a dialect, just 
		like I thought.  SHOUMON means 
		“playing in the water” and BOUKON
 		means “monster.” *


  >* Translated from standard Japanese, the phrase from the videotape 
  >would initially have sounded like, "If only SHOUMON then the 
  >BOUKON will come."  These two capitalized words, later identified to 
  >be dialectical, were at the time completely incomprehensible to Ryuji 
  >and Asakawa.  Dialect can vary dramatically from region to region in 
  >Japan, to the point of speakers of different dialect being unable to
  >understand one another.  

  >The phrase on the tape can now be rendered, "If you keep playing in 
  >the water, the monster will come for you."


				ASAKAWA	
		But, dialect from where?

				RYUJI	
		Oshima.  And the site of our 
		“eruption” is Mt. Mihara.

  INT. LIBRARY - NIGHT  

  Ryuji and Asakawa are seated at cubicles, looking through bound 
  ARCHIVES of old newspaper articles.  Asakawa sneaks a look at Ryuji, 
  stands up and walks off a little ways.  She has already pulled out her 
  cell phone.

				ASAKAWA	
			(whispering, on phone) 
		Yoichi?  I’m gonna be a little 
		late tonight, honey. 

  Ryuji looks over his shoulder at her, scowls.

				ASAKAWA
		You can do it yourself, right?  OK.  
		Sorry.  Bye.

  She hangs up, returns to her seat at the cubicle.  She resumes her 
  scanning of the newspaper articles, and Ryuji shoots her another scowl.  
  Asakawa turns a page and then stops, frowning.  She has spied an article 
  that looks like...

  Nervously, Asakawa puts the thumb and forefinger of each hand together, 
  forming the shape of a rectangle.  Or a screen.  She places the rectangle
  over the article she has just discovered, its headlines reading:

    Mount Mihara Erupts 	Local Residents Urged to Take Precautions

  Ryuji notices her, leans forward excitedly.

				ASAKAWA	
		I’ve got it!  This old article...

  The two scan the remainder of the page, and find a smaller, related 
  article.	

    Did Local Girl Predict Eruption?
    A young lady from Sashikiji prefecture...

  The two read over both articles, absorbing the details.  Ryuji stands 
  suddenly, gathering his things.

				ASAKAWA
		What are you doing?

				RYUJI		
		Has your newspaper got someone out 
		there at Oshima?

				ASAKAWA	
		I think so.  There should be a 
		correspondent out there.

				RYUJI	
		I need you to find out, and let me 
		know how to get hold of him.
		Tonight.

  He begins walking briskly away.  Asakawa chases after him.

				ASAKAWA	
		What do you think you’re--?

				RYUJI	
			(angrily) 
		You’ve only got four days left, 
		Asakawa!  Your newspaper contact 
		and I can handle this from here 
		on out.  You just stay with Yoichi.

  Ryuji strides off.  Asakawa stands motionless.

  EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY  

  A car speeds along.  CUT to a gravel DRIVEWAY leading up to a wooden, 
  traditional-style HOUSE.  Kouichi, Asakawa’s father, is standing before 
  the entrance and puttering around in his GARDEN.  The car from the 
  previous shot drives up, comes to a halt.  The passenger door opens and 
  Yoichi hops out, running towards the old man.  Asakawa walks leisurely 
  after her son.


				YOICHI	
		Grandpa!

				KOUICHI	
		Whoa, there!  So, you made it, huh?

  Caption-- “September 17th.  Friday.”

				ASAKAWA
		Yoichi says he’s looking forward to 
		doing some fishing with you.

				KOUICHI	
		Is that so?

  Yoichi begins tugging excitedly at his grandfather’s arm.

				YOICHI	
		C’mon grandpa, let’s go!

				KOUICHI	
		OK, OK.  We’ll get our things 
		together and then we can go.


  EXT. RIVER — DAY  

  Asakawa stands on a RIVERBANK while her father and Yoichi, GUMBOOTS on, 
  are ankle-deep in a shallow river.  Yoichi holds a small NET, and 
  Asakawa’s dad is pointing and chattering excitedly. 

				KOUICHI
		There he is!  C’mon, there he is, 
		don’t let him go!

  Yoichi tries to scoop up the fish his grandfather is pointing out.

				KOUICHI
		Oh, oh!  Ah... guess he got away, 
		huh?

				YOICHI	
		That was your fault, grandpa.

  Asakawa’s father laughs.

				KOUICHI	
		Well, whaddya say we try again?

  He begins sloshing noisily out to the center of the stream, Yoichi in 
  tow.

				KOUICHI
		We’ll get ‘im this time.

  Asakawa looks away, pensive.

  INT. KOUICHI’S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT  

  Yoichi is passed out asleep on the tatami mats.  A TELEVISION looms 
  inone corner of the living room, but it is switched off.  The 
  SLIDING DOORS to the adjacent guest room are open and we can see 
  futons set out, ready for bed.

  Asakawa enters the living room and, seeing Yoichi, scoops him up in
  her arms and carries him over to the guest room.

				YOICHI
			(sleepily) 
		How was work, mommy?

  Asakawa tucks him into the futons and walks silently off.

  INT. KOUICHI’S HOUSE - STAIRCASE — NIGHT  

  Asakawa stands at the foot of the staircase, telephone RECEIVER in 
  hand.  The phone rests on a small STAND by the staircase.

				ASAKAWA	
		Hello?

				RYUJI (O.S.)
		Yeah.  Your Oshima contact came 
		through.  It looks like the woman 
		who predicted the Mihara eruption 
		is the same woman from the video.

  INT. RYUJI’S APARTMENT — NIGHT

  Ryuji is crouched in front of the TV, REMOTE in hand.  The screen is 
  paused on the scene of the woman brushing her long hair.

				RYUJI
		Her name is Yamamura Shizuko.  She 
		committed suicide forty years ago 
		by throwing herself into Mt. Mihara.

  INT. KOUJI’S HOUSE – STAIRCASE - NIGHT  

				ASAKAWA
		Have you got anything else?

				RYUJI (O.S.) 
		I’m gonna have to check it for 
		myself.  I’ll be leaving for 
		Oshima tomorrow morning.

				ASAKAWA
		Oshima?  I’ve only got three days 
		left!

				RYUJI (O.S.)
		I know.  And I’ve got four.

  Short silence.

				RYUJI (O.S.)
		I’ll be in touch.

  Ryuji hangs up.  Asakawa, deep in thought, slowly places the phone 
  back in its CRADLE.  She turns around to walk back down the hallway 
  only to find her father standing there, face full of concern.

				KOUJI
		What’s happened?

  Asakawa shakes her head.

				ASAKAWA
		Nothing.  I just had some things 
		left over from work.

  She walks past her father, who glances worriedly after her over his 
  shoulder.

  INT. KOUJI’S HOUSE - GUEST ROOM — NIGHT

  The lights are all off and Asakawa is asleep in her futon.  Her eyes 
  suddenly fly open as a VOICE sounding eerily like her deceased niece 
  Tomoko calls out to her.


				TOMOKO (O.S.) 
		Auntie?

  Asakawa looks around the room, gets her bearings.  Her eyes fall on 
  the futon next to hers.

				ASAKAWA
		Yoichi?

  There is a BODY in that futon, but it is full-grown, dressed all in 
  black.  It is curled into a fetal position and has its head turned 
  away.

  Suddenly, the IMAGE from the video of the figure with its face 
  shrouded springs to Asakawa’s mind.  Just an instant, its pointing 
  visage materializes, and then disappears.  It reappears a moment 
  later, pointing more insistently now, and disappears again.  

  Asakawa blinks her eyes and realizes that the futon next to hers is 
  empty.  Yoichi is nowhere to be seen.

  Just then, she hears that high-pitched, metallic SQUEAKING from the 
  video.  Eyes wide with horror, she flings the sliding doors apart--
  --and there, seated before the television, is Yoichi.

  He is watching the video.

  It is already at the very last scene, the shot of the outdoor well. 
  CLOSEUP on the screen now, and for just an instant we can see that 
  something is trying to claw its way out of the well.  The video cuts 
  off, and the screen fills with static.  

  Shrieking, Asakawa races over to Yoichi, covers his eyes though it is 
  already too late.  She scoots over to the VCR, ejects the tape and 
  stares at it uncomprehendingly.  She is then at Yoichi’s side again, 
  shaking him roughly.

				ASAKAWA
		Yoichi!  You brought this with you, 
		didn’t you?  Why?!?

				YOICHI	
		Tomo-chan...

  Asakawa freezes, her eyes wide.

				YOICHI	
		Tomo-chan told me to watch it.

  EXT. OCEAN — DAY
  
  WAVES are being kicked up by a large PASSENGER SHIP as it speeds on 
  its way.  CUT to Asakawa and Ryuji standing on deck, looking out over 
  the waves.

				RYUJI	
		I should’ve been more careful.  
		When I was at your place that 
		day, I could feel something 
		there.  I thought it was just 
		because of the video... 

				ASAKAWA	
		You mean that Tomoko—

				RYUJI		
		That’s not Tomoko.  Not anymore.



				ASAKAWA	
		Yoichi... he can see them too, 
		can’t he?

  Ryuji nods his head, lowers it sadly.

				ASAKAWA	
		It’s all my fault.  First Tomoko 
		died, then those three others.  It 
		should have stopped there, but it 
		didn’t.  Because of me.

				RYUJI	
		I wonder...

  Asakawa turns to Ryuji suddenly.

				ASAKAWA
		How did the rumors about the 
		video even start in the first 
		place?


				RYUJI	
		This kind of thing... it doesn’t 
		start by one person telling a 
		story.  It’s more like everyone’s 
		fear just takes on a life of its 
		own.

				ASAKAWA	
		Fear...

				RYUJI
		Or maybe it’s not fear at all.  
		Maybe it’s what we were 
		secretly hoping for all along.

  EXT. PORT — DAY  

  The ship has docked, its GANGPLANK extended.  Ryuji and Asakawa walk 
  the length of the gangplank towards the shore.  A man named MR. 
  HAYATSU is already waiting for them.  He holds up a white SIGNBOARD 
  in both hands.
 
				ASAKAWA	
		Mr. Hayatsu?

				HAYATSU	
		Aah, welcome!  You must be tired 
		after your long trip.  Please, 
		this way.

  Mr. Hayatsu leads Asakawa and Ryuji to an awaiting minivan.

  Caption-- “September 18th.  Saturday.”

  INT. HAYATSU’S MINIVAN - DAY  

  Ryuji and Asakawa sit in the back.  Mr. Hayatsu is behind the wheel, 
  chattering away.

				HAYATSU	
		Back in the old days, the Yamamuras
		used to head fishing boats out in 
		Sashikiji, though they don’t much 
		anymore.  You know, one of Shizuko’s 
		cousins is still alive. He’s just an 
		old man now.  His son and his 
		daughter-in-law run an old-fashioned 
		inn.  I went ahead and booked 
		reservations for y’all, hope that’s 
		alright...

  Asakawa gives the briefest of nods in reply, after which the 
  minivan lapses into silence.  Asakawa looks dreamily out at the 
  mountain-studded landscape, then suddenly snaps to.

				ASAKAWA
			(to Ryuji) 
		Why did Yamamura Shizuko commit 
		suicide?

				RYUJI	
		She was taking a real beating 
		in the press, being called a 
		fraud and all sorts of names.  
		After a while she just lost it. 

  CUT to a scene of the minivan speeding along a country road.

  INT. HAYATSU’S MINIVAN — DAY 

				RYUJI
		Shizuko was getting a lot of 
		attention around the island after
		predicting the eruption of Mt. 
		Mihara.  Seems that for some time 
		she’d had a rather unique ability:
		precognition. It was around then
		that she attracted the attention 
		of a certain scholar whom you may 
		have heard of; Ikuma Heihachiro.   

				ASAKAWA
		He was driven out of the university, 
		wasn’t he?

  Ryuji nods.

				RYUJI
		This Professor Ikuma convinces 
		Shizuko to go to Tokyo with him, 
		where he uses her in a series of 
		demonstrations meant to prove the 
		existence of ESP.  At first she’s 
		the darling of the press, but the 
		next thing you know they’re 
		knocking her down, calling her a 
		fraud.  Hmph.  Forty years later,
		the media still hasn’t changed that
		much.

  Asakawa continues, ignoring Ryuji’s barb.

				ASAKAWA
		I’ve heard this story.  But... I’m 
		sure I remember hearing that somebody 
		died at one of those demonstrations.

  A strange look crosses Ryuji’s face.  He looks away, ignores her 
  for a moment.

				RYUJI
		After getting kicked out of 
		university, Ikuma just vanished, 
		and no one’s been able to get hold 
		of him since.  He’s probably not 
		even alive anymore.

				ASAKAWA
		But, why even try looking for him?

				RYUJI
		Because he’s supposed to have had a 
		child with Shizuko.  A daughter.

  Asakawa freezes.  In her mind, she sees a small FIGURE dressed in 
  white, its face hidden by long, black HAIR.  It is the figure from 
  the video.

  EXT. OUTSIDE YAMAMURA VILLA - DAY  

  Mr. Hayatsu leads Asakawa and Ryuji to the entrance.

				HAYATSU	
		Hello?

  The INKEEPER, a middle-aged lady named KAZUE wearing a traditional 
  KIMONO, comes shuffling up.  She addresses Mr. Hayatsu.

				KAZUE	
		Thank you.

  She turns to Asakawa and Ryuji.

				KAZUE (cont’d)
		Welcome.

				HAYATSU
		Well, I’ll be off then.

  He gives a little bow and is off.  Kazue, meanwhile, has produced 
  two pairs of SLIPPERS, which she offers to Ryuji and Asakawa.

				KAZUE
		Please.

  Ryuji and Asakawa begin removing their shoes. 

  INT. YAMAMURA VILLA – STAIRCASE - DAY  

  Kazue leads Ryuji and Asakawa up a shadowed, wooden STAIRCASE.

				KAZUE
		And for your rooms, how shall we...? 

				RYUJI
		Separate, please.

				KAZUE
		‘Sir.

  INT. YAMAMURA VILLA - 2ND FLOOR – DAY

  Kazue gives a little bow.

				KAZUE
		This way.

  Kazue turns to the right.  Almost immediately after reaching the 
  top of the steps, however, a strange look crosses Ryuji’s face.  
  He heads down the opposite end of the corridor, Asakawa close 
  behind.

				KAZUE
			(alarmed) 
		Sir!

  Ryuji flings open the SLIDING DOOR to one of the older rooms.  There, 
  hanging from one of the walls, is the oval-shaped MIRROR from the 
  video, the one used by the mysterious lady to brush her long hair.  
  Ryuji stares at the mirror, almost wincing.  He turns around as if 
  to look at Asakawa,but continues turning, looks past her.  Asakawa 
  follows his gaze, as does Kazue.  Standing at the end of the corridor 
  is an old man, MR. YAMAMURA. 

  Yamamura regards them silently, balefully.  Breaking the silence, 
  Kazue gestures for Asakawa and Ryuji to follow.

				KAZUE
			(softly) 
		Please, this way.

  Asakawa races past the innkeeper towards the old man.  He keeps his 
  back turned towards her.

				ASAKAWA
		Please!  If you could just answer 
		a few questions, about Shizuko...

				YAMAMURA
		I got nuthin’ to say.

				ASAKAWA
		It’s about Shizuko’s daughter.

  The old man says nothing.

				ASAKAWA
		She did have a daughter, didn’t she?

  Yamamura regards her for a moment, then turns to walk away.

				YAMAMURA	
  		You’re wasting your time.

  INT. YAMAMURA VILLA - DINING ROOM – NIGHT

  The TABLE is laid out with an elaborate-looking DINNER.  Asakawa 
  sits alone, knees curled up to her chin, eyes wide and frightened.  
  She is whimpering softly to herself.  Just then, the DOOR slides 
  open and Ryuji walks in.  He sits at the table and picks up a 
  pair of CHOPSTICKS.

				RYUJI		
		Aren’t you gonna eat?

				ASAKAWA	
		Umm...

				RYUJI		
		Hm?

				ASAKAWA	
		You’ll stay with me won’t you?  
		When it’s time for me to die.

				RYUJI		
		Oh, stop it.

  Asakawa scoots across the tatami mats towards the table, grabs 
  Ryuji fiercely by the arm.

				ASAKAWA
		You’ll stay, won’t you?  If you 
		stayed, maybe you’d learn something
		that could help Yoichi--

				RYUJI
		I said stop it!  Have you forgotten 
		There was a girl with Tomoko when 
		she died?  That girl’s now in a 
		mental institution.  Who knows what 
		could happen. 

				ASAKAWA	
		But you could stay with me, Ryuji.  
		You’d be OK.


				RYUJI
			(angrily)
		Why, because I’m already not 
		right in the head?

  Asakawa releases her hold on Ryuji’s arm, lowers her head.  Ryuji 
  slams his chopsticks down angrily.

				RYUJI	
		If that’s the case, why not just
		let things run its course, get rid
		of father -and- son?  Yoichi was a
		mistake, anyway.

				ASAKAWA
		Stop it!

  Short silence.  When Ryuji speaks up again, his voice is soft, 
  reassuring.

				RYUJI	
		We still have two days left...

  Just then the VOICE of the innkeeper calls tentatively out from 
  the other side of the sliding door.

				KAZUE (O.S.) 
		Excuse me?

				RYUJI	
		Come in.

  Kazue slides the door open.  She stands hesitantly in the doorway, 
  something tucked under one arm.


				KAZUE	
		It’s about Miss Shizuko.  

  Ryuji shoots a glance at Asakawa and stands up from the table, 
  walks towards the innkeeper.

				KAZUE	
		This is all that there is...

  Kazue produces an old black and white PHOTOGRAPH.  The photo shows a 
  WOMAN, seated, dressed in a KIMONO.  A MAN in a Western-style SUIT 
  stands beside her.  

				RYUJI	
		Is this Professor Ikuma?

  Hearing this Asakawa leaps up, walks over to examine the picture for 
  herself.

				KAZUE
		...yes.  This picture is from before 
		I’d entered the household.  

  She pauses a moment.

				KAZUE (cont’d)
		I should go now.

  The innkeeper scuttles off, leaving Asakawa and Ryuji alone with the 
  photograph.  Unbidden, the VOICE from the video enters their 
  thoughts.

				VOICE
		Shoumon bakkari... boukon ga kuru zo...


  EXT. IZU SEASHORE - DAY

  Asakawa watches Ryuji stride down the shore.

  Caption-- “September 19th.  Monday.”

  Ryuji strolls up to find old man Yamamura sitting alone, staring 
  out at the sea.  Yamamura glances up to see Ryuji approaching.  
  Ryuji takes a seat next to the old man, but it’s Yamamura who speaks 
  first.  The deep basso of his voice emphasizes the drawl of his 
  accent.

				YAMAMURA	
		Y’all’d do best to be off soon.  
		Sea’s probably gonna be rough 
		tonight.

				RYUJI		
		What kind of a child was Shizuko?

				YAMAMURA 
		Shizuko was... different.  She’d come 
		out here by herself ever’day an’ just
		stare out at the ocean.  The fishermen 
		all took a dislikin’ to her.  Ocean’s 
		an unlucky place for us, y’see: every 
		year it swallows up more of our own. 
		You keep starin’ out at somethin’ 
		ike that... 

				RYUJI
      		Shoumon bakkari shite’ru to, boukon ga 
		kuru zo.  “If you keep playing in the 
		water, the monster will come for you.”

  Yamamura looks at Ryuji, surprised.  

				RYUJI
		Shizuko could see “inside” people, 
		couldn’t she?  Down to the places 
		they’d most like to keep hidden.  It 
		must have been difficult for her...

  Yamamura rises unsteadily to his feet, features twisted angrily.

				YAMAMURA
 		Please leave!  Now!

  Ryuji stands, takes hold of Yamamura’s arm.

				RYUJI
		I’ve got a little of that ability 
		myself.  It was you who spread the 
		word about Shizuko, wasn’t it?  
		And you who first contacted 
		Professor Ikuma?

				YAMAMURA	
		What’re you--?

				RYUJI
		You thought you’d be able to make 
		some money off her.  You even got 
		some, from one of the newspapers.

				YAMAMURA		
		Leave me the hell alone!

  Mr. Yamamura strides angrily off.  Both Ryuji and Asakawa take 
  pursuit, Ryuji calling out from behind Yamamura’s back.


				RYUJI		
		Tell us about Shizuko’s daughter.  
		Who was she?

				YAMAMURA	
		I don’t know!

				RYUJI		
		She was there, with Shizuko. She 
		had to be.

  Yamamura’s pace, which has become increasingly erratic, finally 
  causes him to stumble and fall.  Ryuji comes up behind him, 
  grasping him firmly.  At their touch Ryuji’s power awakens, and as 
  he peers into the old man’s mind there is a sudden blinding

  FLASH

  The setting is a large MEETING HALL.  A number of people are seated 
  in folding chairs before a STAGE, on which are a four MEN in BUSINESS 
  SUITS and a WOMAN in a KIMONO.  A BANNER hangs above the stage, which 
  reads PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION ON THE EXISTENCE OF CLAIRVOYANCE.  

  FLASH

  Ryuji eyes widen as he realizes he is seeing Shizuko’s demonstration 
  before the press.  He also realizes--

				RYUJI
			(to Yamamura)
		You were there!

  FLASH

  YAMAMURA SHIZUKO, the woman in the kimono, is sitting at a TABLE 
  onstage. Her face is calm and expressionless.  Standing off to one 
  side and peering from behind the curtains is a young Mr. Yamamura.

				RYUJI	(O.S.) 
		You stood there and watched the 
		demonstration.

  CUT back to the beach.  Asakawa comes running up toward Ryuji and the 
  prone Mr. Yamamura.  Suddenly there is another

  FLASH

  Asakawa, her eyes wide, finds herself inside the scene, reliving it 
  as if she had actually been there.  She watches as Shizuko receives 
  a sealed clay POT in both hands.  Shizuko regards the pot a moment 
  and then places it gently on the table before her.  She takes a 
  calligraphy STYLUS from the table, begins writing on a thin, 
  rectangular sheet of RICE PAPER.  The members of the press talk 
  excitedly, craning their necks for a better look.

  Onstage, a JUDGE holds up the phrase written by Shizuko and the 
  folded sheet of paper taken from the sealed pot.  The phrase on both 
  sheets is identical.

				JUDGE		
		Match.

  Cameras begin FLASHING excitedly.  Shizuko’s features melt into a soft 
  smile. 

  The experiment is performed again, and again the phrase written by 
  Shizuko corresponds to the sealed sheet of paper.

				JUDGE
		Match.

  Again and again, Shizuko unerringly demonstrates her power to “see” 
  the unseen.  Finally, a bearded REPORTER explodes from his chair, 
  begins striding angrily towards the stage.

				REPORTER	
		Faker!  This is nothing but trickery, 
		and the lowest form of trickery at 
		that. 

  The reporter stops at the foot of the stage, points his finger 
  accusingly at Shizuko.

				REPORTER	
		What are you trying to pull, woman?

  A SECOND REPORTER sitting in the front row also rises to his feet.

				REPORTER #2	
		That’s right!  Professor Ikuma, 
		you’re being fooled!

  By now most of the press has risen from their chairs, pointing and 
  shouting angrily. Onstage, Shizuko backs away, eyes wide and 
  frightened.  She covers both ears, trying to block out the increasing 
  din.  Professor Ikuma holds her protectively by the shoulders.  The 
  first reporter is still shouting angrily, his voice rising above the 
  others.  Suddenly, a pained look crosses his face and he collapses to 
  the floor.  The crowd, and Asakawa as well, see that the reporter’s 
  face is contorted into a grotesque mask of fear.

				REPORTER #3	
		What’s happened?

				REPORTER #4	
		He’s dead!



				REPORTER #5	
			(to Shizuko) 
		Witch!

  Professor Ikuma begins leading Shizuko offstage.  They stop as someone 
  unseen steps up, blocking their passage.  Shizuko’s eyes widen, her 
  head shaking in disbelief.

				SHIZUKO
		Sadako?  Was it you?

  CUT to Ryuji on the beach.  He looks up excitedly.

				RYUJI		
		Sadako?!

  He recalls the image from the video, the alien eye with the single 
  character SADA reflected in reverse. *


  >* The majority of girls' names in Japanese end in either -mi ("beauty") 
  >or -ko ("child").  Thus, Sadako means "Chaste child."  Sadako is, of 
  >course, the mysterious daughter of Shizuko and Professor Ikuma.


				RYUJI
		Sadako killed him?  She can kill 
		just with a thought?

				YAMAMURA	
		She’s... a devil spawn.

  CUT back to the demonstration hall.  Sadako, her face completely hidden 
  by her long hair, runs offstage... and heads directly for Asakawa.  
  Asakawa instinctively raises her arm, and Sadako grasps it fiercely.  
  All the nails on Sadako’ hand are stripped away; her fingers are raw, 
  bloody stumps.

  CUT back to the beach.  Asakawa, still caught in the throes of the 
  vision, has begun to swoon.  Finally her legs give out and she crumples 
  to the beach.  Ryuji grabs hold of her supportively.  He glances down at 
  her wrist, sees an ugly, purple BRUISE already beginning to form.  

  The bruise is in the shape of five long, spindly fingers.

  Mr. Yamamura slowly rises to a sitting position, and together the three 
  watch the approach of ominous, dark STORM CLOUDS.

  INT. MR. HAYATSU’S HOUSE – DUSK

  Asakawa is on the phone, her voice almost frantic.

				ASAKAWA
		That’s right. After Yamamura Shizuko 
		committed suicide, Professor Ikuma
		took the daughter and ran.  No, no one
		knows where they went.  That’s why I 
		need -you- to find out where they are.  
		Even if the professor’s dead, Sadako 
		should still be in her forties.  I’ll 
		explain it all later, but right now 
		just hurry!

  Asakawa slams the phone down.  PAN to show Ryuji slumped in one corner 
  of the room, his back to the wall.

				RYUJI	
		Sadako’s probably already dead.  She
		could kill people with just a thought, 
		remember?  Her mother wasn’t even 
		close to that.


				ASAKAWA	
			(flustered) 
		Well, what about that video?  If 
		Sadako’s dead then who made it?

				RYUJI	
		Nobody made it. It wasn’t made at 
		all. That video... is the pure, 
		physical manifestation of Sadako’s 
		hatred.

  Ryuji turns to regard Asakawa, his eyes blank.

				RYUJI
		We’ve been cursed.

  There is a moment of silence before Mr. Hayatsu slides the door open, 
  almost falling into the room.  He is out of breath, and speaks rapidly.

				HAYATSU	
		It’s no good.  With the typhoon 
		coming in, all ships are 
		temporarily staying docked.

				RYUJI	
		What about the fishing boats?  
		Tell their captains I’ll pay.

				HAYATSU
		Fishing boats?  Sir, without knowing 
		whether this typhoon is going to hit 
		us or not, I think it’d be better to 
		wait and see how things turn--

  Ryuji interrupts him, slamming both palms on the table.  Glasses 
  rattle wildly.

				RYUJI	
		Fine!  I’ll try searching myself!

  Ryuji stands and races past Mr. Hayatsu out into the rain.  Hayatsu 
  takes pursuit, calling after him.

				HAYATSU	
		Mr. Takayama!?  Mr. Takayama...

  Asakawa, left alone, stares down at the tatami mats.

  EXT. OCEAN - NIGHT  

  White-capped waves roll angrily in a black sea.

  INT. MR. HAYATSU’S HOUSE – NIGHT

  Asakawa sits at a table, alone, her hands clasped as if in prayer.  Her 
  eyes are wide and glassy.  The phone RINGS suddenly and Asakawa dives 
  for it, wrenching it from the cradle before it can ring a second time.

				ASAKAWA	
		Hello?

				OKAZAKI (O.S.) 
		Mrs. Asakawa?  I’m sorry.  I tried, 
		but I couldn’t come up with any 
		leads at all.

  A look of abject fear crosses Asakawa’s face.  She begins retreating 
  into herself.


				OKAZAKI (O.S.) 
		Hello?

				ASAKAWA
			(softly) 
		Thank you...

  Asakawa slowly places the phone back in its cradle.  Almost immediately, 
  her face begins to crumple.  She falls to her knees, sobbing into the 
  floor.

				ASAKAWA	
		Yoichi...

  She cries a while longer but suddenly stops.  Her face, eyes streaked 
  with tears, shoots suddenly up, stares directly at the telephone.

				ASAKAWA	 
			(softly) 
		Izu...

  EXT. IZU WHARF – NIGHT

  Asakawa stands looking down on the wharf, scanning. 

  Several FISHING BOATS are docked.  The wind whips her hair crazily 
  around.   She continues scanning, and suddenly she spies--

				ASAKAWA	
			(calling) 
		Ryuji!

  Asakawa runs down onto the wharf, heading towards Ryuji.  He is 
  in mid-conversation with Mr. Hayatsu.

				ASAKAWA	
		Ryuji!  The phone in my apartment 
		never rang!  It only ever rang at
		the rental cottage!  Professor 
		Ikuma must’ve...

				RYUJI	
		And we’ve got no way of going back.

				HAYATSU	
		It’s too dangerous!  The thought of 
		anybody going out in this weather...

  The three fall into silence as they realize the powerlessness of their 
  situation.  Suddenly, a deep VOICE booms from behind them.

				YAMAMURA (O.S.) 
		I’ll take you out.

  The three spin around to see Mr. Yamamura, his ROBES flapping in the 
  gusty night air. He begins walking towards them.

				YAMAMURA	
		Sadako is callin’ y’all, reckon.  
		Mayhap to drag you down under the 
		water.

  Short silence.  Ryuji shoots a short questioning glance at Asakawa, 
  turns back to face Mr. Yamamura.

				RYUJI	
		Please.  Take us out.



  EXT. OCEAN – NIGHT

  A tiny FISHING BOAT is tossed about on the waves.  Mr. Yamamura stands 
  at the wheel, his face expressionless.

  INT. MR. YAMAMURA’S FISHING BOAT – NIGHT

  Ryuji and Asakawa are crouched close together in the cabin.  Asakawa’s 
  expression is dreamy, faraway.

				ASAKAWA
		It’s funny.  I’m not afraid at all.  

  Ryuji leans over, rubs her hand comfortingly.  Suddenly he switches 
  back into analytical mode.

				RYUJI	
		Sadako probably died back out there
		at Izu, before the rental cottages 
		were ever built.

				ASAKAWA	
		So, Sadako was Professor Ikuma’s 
		daughter?

				RYUJI
			(nodding) 
		Ikuma smuggled her out in secret.  
		His relationship with Shizuko was 
		already a scandal, and one of the 
		reasons he got drummed out of the 
		university... We’ve gotta find 
		Sadako’s body.



				ASAKAWA
			(excitedly) 
		Is that going to break the curse?  
		Will Yoichi be all right?

				RYUJI	
		It’s all we’ve got left to try.

				ASAKAWA	
		Just one more day...

  Ryuji puts his arm around Asakawa.

  EXT. MR. YAMAMURA’S FISHING BOAT - DAWN  

  Ryuji stands on deck, looking out over the water.  He heads down 
  below toward the captain’s area.  Mr. Yamamura is at the wheel.

				RYUJI	
		We made it.  Maybe Sadako doesn’t 
		have it out for us after all.

  Long pause as Mr. Yamamura says nothing.

				YAMAMURA
		Shizuko... she used to -speak- to 
		the ocean, just ramble away.  One 
		time I hid, listenin’ to one of her 
		conversations.

  Mr. Yamamura pauses again.

				YAMAMURA (cont’d)	
		And it weren’t in no human language.


  EXT. MR. YAMAMURA’S FISHING BOAT – DAWN

  Asakawa has climbed out on deck and is looking up towards the sunrise.

  Caption-- “September 20th.  Monday.”

  EXT. HARDWARE STORE – DAY

  Ryuji races out of the store, loaded down with supplies.  He holds a 
  pair of BUCKETS in one hand and a CROWBAR and SHOVEL in the other.  A 
  length of ROPE is coiled over his left shoulder.  He runs towards a 
  RENTAL CAR, passing by Asakawa who stands at a PAYPHONE, receiver in 
  hand.

				YOICHI (O.S.) 
		Hello?

				ASAKAWA	
		Yoichi?  It’s mommy.  I just called 
		to say I’ll be coming home tomorrow.

  Ryuji shoots a look at her over his shoulder.

				YOICHI (O.S.) 
		I’m tired of it here, mom!  I wanna
		go back to school.

				ASAKAWA
			(smiling) 
		Yoichi, it’s rude to your grandpa 
		to talk like that.

				YOICHI (O.S.) 
		He’s laughing.  You wanna talk to him?

				ASAKAWA	
		No, that’s...

  Asakawa pauses, her voice hitching.  She seems about to lose 
  her composure.

				ASAKAWA	
		I’m sorry, Yoichi.  I’ll... I’ll 
		see you tomorrow.  

				YOICHI (O.S.)	
		What’s wrong?

  Asakawa’s face scrunches up in an effort to hold back tears.

				ASAKAWA	
		Mommy’s got something she has to do.  
		Say hello to grandpa for me, OK?

  Ryuji stands by the car, scowling over at Asakawa.  He shuts the DOOR 
  just short of a slam.  CUT to Asakawa hanging up the phone.  She half-
  runs towards the rental car and enters the passenger side, staring 
  blankly into space.  Ryuji slides into the driver’s seat, buckles his 
  SEATBELT.  

				RYUJI		
		What time was it when you first 
		watched the video?

  Asakawa glances at her watch.

				ASAKAWA	
		Seven or eight minutes past 
		seven.  PM.  No more than ten 
		minutes past.
 		
				RYUJI
		If the rumors are true, that 
		time is gonna be our deadline.

  Asakawa buckles up as Ryuji steps on the gas.

  INT. RENTAL CAR – DAY

  Asakawa sits in the passenger side.  Her face is almost angelic, 
  with the faintest hint of a smile.  Ryuji shoots a questioning look 
  at her.

  EXT. COUNTRY ROAD – DAY

  The white rental car tears past the SIGN reading Izu Pacific Land.  
  The car continues into the LOT, screeching around corners before 
  coming to an abrupt halt.  Asakawa, her face still oddly expressionless, 
  gets out of the passenger side.  Ryuji exits as well, the hint of a 
  shudder running through him as he regards the series of rental cabins.

				RYUJI		
		-Here-.

  CUT to Asakawa and Ryuji walking up the gravel PATH towards the rental 
  cabins.  Ryuji looks back over his shoulder as both he and Asakawa stop 
  before cabin B4.  The cabin is on STILTS, its underbelly fenced off by 
  wooden LATICEWORK.  Ryuji drops most of his supplies to the ground, but 
  keeps hold of the PICK.  He raises the pick over one shoulder and begins 
  smashing away at the latticework.  When he has cleared enough space for   
  passage, he begins picking up supplies and tossing them hastily within.  
  When finished, he holds a hand out for Asakawa.  The two enter the 
  earthen basement.


  UNDER COTTAGE B4 - DAY  

  Ryuji pulls a FLASHLIGHT out, flicks it on.  The BEAM arcs outwards, 
  illuminating what looks more like an old mine shaft than a modern 
  rental cottage.  The beam halts when it suddenly encounters an old 
  STONE WELL.  The well is badly chipped on one side, and sealed off 
  with a solid-looking stone LID.  Ryuji rushes quickly towards it.

				RYUJI
		I knew it!  The well.

  He squats down beside the well, setting the flashlight on the 
  lid.  Asakawa sinks slowly down beside him.

				ASAKAWA
		The well...

  Ryuji reaches out and takes Asakawa’s hand.  He sets their enclasped 
  hands onto the lid, and together they begin lightly tracing the 
  surface of the lid with their free hands.  Asakawa closes her eyes in 
  concentration... and suddenly, as with the incident on the beach, 
  Asakawa finds herself drawn into Ryuji’s psychometric VISION.

  FLASH

  The picture is black and white, grainy like old film.  A YOUNG GIRL in 
  a WHITE GOWN walks slowly towards an open well. She places her hand on 
  the LIP of the well, peers curiously down.  

  FLASH

  Asakawa looks up, her eyes wide open.

  FLASH
  
  There is now a second person in the vision, an ELDERLY MAN in an old-
  fashioned tweed SUIT standing behind the young girl.  He suddenly 
  produces some BLADED OBJECT, and strikes the girl savagely across the 
  back of the head.  

  The girl falls forward. The man drops to the ground, grabbing the girl 
  behind the knees and hoisting her limp BODY over the lip and into the 
  well.  The body falls into its depths.

  Panting heavily, the man leans forward and grasps the lip of the well 
  with both hands, looking down.  He flashes a guilty look in either 
  direction, checking that his crime has gone unnoticed, and as he does 
  so Asakawa realizes that she knows this face.  The image from the 
  videotape, like a face in the moon: it had been Sadako inside the well, 
  looking up to see this man staring back down at her.

  This man whose name is Professor Ikuma Heihachiro.

  FLASH

				ASAKAWA
		Her own father!

  The energy seems to drain out of Asakawa in a rush, and her body 
  crumbles.  Ryuji catches hold of her.

				RYUJI		
		It was Ikuma who put this lid on.  
		And Sadako’s still inside.

  Ryuji stands quickly, takes hold of the crowbar.  He inserts it under 
  the lid and begins trying to pry it off, face scrunched with effort.  
  Asakawa digs her fingers in and lends her own strength as well. Slowly,
  the lid begins to move.  Ryuji tosses the crowbar aside and the two 
  lean the combined weight of their bodies into it.  The lid slides off, 
  dropping to the earth with a dull THUD.  Ryuji sits to one side, winded 
  with effort, as Asakawa takes hold of the flashlight.  She shines it 
  down into the well, but it only seems to intensify the gloom. What 
  WATER she can see looks fetid and brackish.  Ryuji sees her expression 
  and begins removing his JACKET.

				RYUJI
		I’ll go.

  He walks off, leaving Asakawa alone.

  CUT to an overhead shot of the well.  A ROPE is fastened to one side, 
  and Ryuji has already begun lowering himself down.  His eyes wander 
  overthe grime-smeared WALLS, and with a shudder he begins to pick out 
  human FINGERNAILS.  Torn loose and spattered with blood, countless 
  fingernails line the sides of the well. 

				RYUJI
 		Sadako was alive!  She’d tried to 
		climb her way out.

  Ryuji’s face twists into a grimace as if momentarily experiencing 
  Sadako’sterrible agony.  He waits a moment longer before edging his 
  way down the rope again, finally SPLASHING to rest at the bottom of 
  the well.  He holds his flashlight above the brackish water, calls up 
  to Asakawa.

				RYUJI
		Lower the buckets!

  Asakawa nods and lowers two plastic BUCKETS fastened to a rope.  Ryuji 
  grabs one and scoops up a bucketful of water, tugging on the rope when 
  finished.

				RYUJI
		Take it up!

  Asakawa hoists the bucket up to the rim of the well.  She walks a small 
  distance and tosses the contents out onto the ground.  She happens to 
  glance through the wooden lattice to the outside, and with a start 
  realizes that the sun has already started to set.  A nervous glance at 
  her WATCH later and she is back at the well, lowering the empty bucket 
  to find another full one already awaiting her.

				RYUJI
		Take it up!

  In the well, Ryuji glances at his watch.  He looks at it for a long 
  moment, the expression on his face saying We’re not going to make it.  
  Time passes as Asakawa pulls up bucketload after bucketload, her 
  strength beginning to fade.  She half-stumbles, glances up... and is 
  shocked to realize that NIGHT has fallen.

  CUT to Asakawa slowly pulling up yet another bucket, her strength 
  almost gone.  She looks at her watch and sees that it is now past 
  6:00.  She calls frantically down to Ryuji.

				ASAKAWA
		It’s already six!

				RYUJI
			(explosively) 
		I know!  Hurry up and TAKE IT UP!!

  The bucket slowly jerks into motion.  Asakawa pulls it up to the rim 
  of the well, holds it unsteadily.  She takes one faltering step and 
  falls, spilling the bucket’s contents onto the ground.  

  CUT to Ryuji in the well, standing ready with another bucketful.


				RYUJI
 		Take it up!

  Nothing happens.  

				RYUJI
		Asakawa!

  The bucket begins moving, even slower than before.  CUT to Asakawa, 
  her body trembling with effort. By now it’s all she can do to simply 
  keep her body moving.  She glances behind her, sees through the wooden 
  lattice that it is now pitch black.  A look of resignation crosses her 
  face and she releases her hold on the bucket, her body crumpling and 
  falling in on itself. 
  
  CUT to the bucket splashing back into the well, narrowly missing 
  Ryuji.

				RYUJI	
			(fuming) 
		What the hell are you doing?  Trying 
		to get me killed?

  CUT back to Asakawa, her face dead.  Ryuji calls out from the well.

				RYUJI (O.S.) 
		Hey!

  Asakawa falls backward onto the ground, arms splayed. CUT to the rim 
  of the well.  Ryuji pulls himself up over the rim, catches sight of 
  Asakawa.

				RYUJI
		Asakawa!

  She lifts her head up but says nothing as Ryuji walks over to her.

				RYUJI
		We’ll change.  You’re in no condition 
		to keep this up.

  Asakawa suddenly springs into life.  Her voice is frantic, fearful.

				ASAKAWA:	
		No!

				RYUJI
		Who do you expect to pull up these 
		buckets, then?

				ASAKAWA
		But, we don’t even know if it’s doing 
		any good...

  Ryuji strides forward and slaps Asakawa painfully across the cheek.  
  He begins shaking her roughly for good measure.

				RYUJI
		And what about Yoichi, huh?  Is his
		mother not coming to pick him up 
		after all?

  He releases his hold on her.  The two stare at each other a long time, 
  saying nothing.
 
  CUT to an overhead shot of Asakawa being lowered into the well. CUT 
  now to Asakawa inside the well, her face and clothes covered with 
  grime, body simultaneously limp with exhaustion and tense with fright.  
  Unable to resist the impulse, Asakawa slowly looks over her shoulder 
  and down into the well.  The dankness, the claustrophobia seeps in 
  and she draws in her breath in the first signs of panic.

				RYUJI
		Don’t look down!

  She returns her gaze, cranes her neck upward.  CUT to Ryuji leaning 
  over the rim of the well, peering down at her.  For an instant, 
  everything becomes monochrome. It’s not Ryuji looking down at her at 
  all; it’s Professor Ikuma, checking to see if she’s still alive or 
  if the blow to the back of her head has finished her off.  CUT to 
  Asakawa, her eyes wide with fright.

  Asakawa comes to rest at the bottom of the well.  A FLASHLIGHT hangs 
  from another rope, but its beam has almost no effect on the darkness.  
  Asakawa crouches forward, hands moving searchingly through the water.  
  She calls out pleadingly.

				ASAKAWA
		Where are you?  Please, come out.

  Asakawa straightens, unties herself from the rope.  A full bucket 
  already awaits.  She tugs on the rope and Ryuji pulls it up.  

  She scoops up a second bucket, but something stops her from sending 
  it up.  Instead, she begins running her arms through the water again, 
  her voice close to tears.

				ASAKAWA
		Please.  Where are you?

  Asakawa continues her blind fumbling, which sends up little splashes 
  of stagnant water.  With a start, she realizes that her fingers have 
  caught something.  Seaweed?  Asakawa draws her hands close for a 
  better look... and sees that is HAIR.  A thick clump of long, black 
  hair.

  Suddenly a pale, thin ARM shoots out from beneath the water, catching 
  Asakawa just below the wrist.  Asakawa’s ears are filled with a SOUND 
  like moaning as something slowly rises from its watery slumber.  It 
  is a GIRL, her face completely hidden by long, black hair.  CUT to a 
  shot of Asakawa’s face.  Far from being frightened, her features are 
  oddly placid.  She regards the fearsome thing before her with an 
  almost tender look.  Asakawa reaches out, lightly strokes that long 
  hair.  

				ASAKAWA
		It’s you...

  She strokes the hair again, and abruptly it peels right off the head 
  with a loud SQUELCH. Revealed is not a face at all but a SKULL.  Its 
  sockets are at first menacingly empty, but then begin to ooze the 
  green SLUDGE it has pulled up from the bottom of the well.  Like a 
  mother comforting a frightened child, Asakawa pulls the skeletal 
  remains to her breast, strokes the bony head comfortingly. Her eyes 
  begin to glaze.

  CUT to Ryuji racing up to the rim of the well, leaning down intently.

				RYUJI
		Hey!  Asakawa!  It’s already 10 
		minutes past seven!  We did it!

  Down in the well, Asakawa continues staring blankly ahead.  Her body 
  suddenly falls forward, limp.

  EXT. OUTSIDE COTTAGE B4 – NIGHT

  Three POLICE CARS are parked outside the rental cottages, crimson 
  headlights flashing.   A few COPS walk by, two of them carrying 
  something off in white PLASTIC BAGS.  CUT to Ryuji and Asakawa 
  sitting on the curb.  Asakawa is staring off at something, a BLANKET 
  draped over her shoulder.  

				ASAKAWA	
		Why would Ikuma have killed her?  
		His own daughter...

				RYUJI
		Maybe she wasn’t his daughter at all.  

				ASAKAWA
		What?

				RYUJI
		Maybe her father... wasn’t even human.

  The two exchange glances.  Ryuji’s gaze falls to Asakawa’s WRIST, 
  which he suddenly takes and holds close to his face.  The ugly 
  bruise where Sadako had grabbed her has disappeared.

				RYUJI
		It’s gone...  

  He shakes his head, clearing his analytical mind of their ordeal.

				RYUJI
		Enough, already.  It’s over.  C’mon.  
		I’ll take you home.

  Ryuji stands, pulls Asakawa to her feet.

  EXT. OUTSIDE ASKAWA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT  

  Ryuji’s white CAR pulls up into the parking lot.  He and Asakawa 
  get out, regard each other from opposite sides of the car. There is 
  a long moment where neither of them says anything.

				RYUJI	
		Get some rest.  

  He flashes her the slightest of grins. 

				RYUJI (cont’d)
		I still have a thesis to finish. 

  CUT to a shot of Ryuji and Asakawa, the car creating an almost 
  metaphoric distance between them. 

				ASAKAWA
		...thank you.

  Ryuji nods silently by way of reply.  He gets into his car and 
  drives off.  Asakawa watches him go, and then walks towards the 
  entrance of her apartment.

  INT. ASAKAWA’S APARTMENT – BEDROOM – MORNING

  Asakawa walks into her room, sits on the edge of her bed.  It is 
  now morning, and she sits dazedly watching the sun come up.

  INT. RYUJI’S APARTMENT – MORNING

  Ryuji sits busily scribbling into a NOTEBOOK.  He stops writing a 
  moment to regard his notes while taking a sip of COFFEE.  He 
  glances over at his BLACKBOARD for confirmation when a small scowl 
  crosses his brow.  It’s gone a moment later as he chuckles wryly 
  to himself.

				RYUJI
		That girl...

  Ryuji stands, walks over to the blackboard.  He fixes Mai’s little 
  prank with a single chalk stroke. 

  EXT. ASAKAWA’S APARTMENT – VERANDA – MORNING

  Asakawa emerges, taking in the dawn.  At first her face is calm and 
  tranquil... but her features change as the sun almost noticeably 
  darkens and a WIND begins to kick up her hair.  She now looks very 
  anxious.

  Caption-- “September 21st.  Tuesday.”


  NOTE: This next scene is entirely visual.  If you are reading this 
  translation before watching the movie, do yourself a favor; STOP 
  reading this now and watch the scene for itself.


  INT. RYUJI’S APARTMENT – MORNING

  Ryuji is busy scribbling away at his notes again.  His hand suddenly 
  ceases, eyes dancing worriedly as he hears a faint...

  No.

  Breath rattling fearfully in his throat, Ryuji spins around to face 
  the TELEVISION SET.  He gets out of his seat for a better look, 
  falling to his knees on the tatami. 

  The image that fills the screen is the last scene from the videotape; 
  the shot of the well.  

  The SOUND from before comes louder now, more insistent, a metallic 
  screeching that both repulses and beckons him closer. Ryuji crawls on 
  all fours towards the SCREEN, stares at its unchanging image with 
  terrible foreboding.

  There is a flash of MOTION as something shoots out of the well. A 
  hand. First one, and then another, as Sadako, still in her grimy white 
  dress, face hidden beneath long, oily strands of hair, begins slowly 
  pulling herself out.  The television screen jumps unsteadily, fills 
  with static as if barely able to contain her image.  

  CUT back and forth between Ryuji, who is beginning to visibly panic, 
  and the television, which shows Sadako lurching ever closer.

				RYUJI
			(almost frantic) 
		Why?!

  The TELEPHONE rings, and Ryuji spins round towards it, breath catching 
  in his throat.  He looks at the phone, over his shoulder at the 
  television, back to the phone.

				RYUJI
		That’s it!  Asakawa...

  Ryuji scrambles wildly towards the phone.  He takes the receiver but 
  is unable to do more than clutch it fearfully as his gaze is drawn 
  inexorably back to the television.  Sadako’s shrouded face has filled 
  the entire screen... and then, television popping and crackling, she 
  jerks forward and emerges from the television onto the floor of 
  Ryuji’s apartment.  Ryuji backs away, screaming in terror.

				RYUJI
		Aaargh!

  Sadako lies prone, collapsed, hair splayed out like a drowned corpse.  
  Only her FINGERS are active, crawling, feeling.  The TIPS of her 
  fingers are little more than bloodied stumps, not a single fingernail 
  on them.  She uses the strength in those fingers to pull herself 
  forward, coming jerkily to her feet.  The joints of her body twist 
  unnaturally, more insect-like than human.

  Ryuji flings the phone aside and begins scrambling about the apartment 
  as if looking for cover.  The strength has already begun to fade from 
  his body, however, and his movements are clumsy, exaggerated. He falls 
  to the floor, panting heavily.  

  Sadako turns to regard him, and for just an instant we can see beneath 
  her impenetrable shroud of hair; a single EYE burns with manic, 
  unbridled hatred.   

  Its gaze meets Ryuji’s, and his face twists into a grimace as he 
  SCREAMS loudly.

  FLASH

  EXT. KOUJI’S HOUSE - FRONT YARD – DAY

  Yoichi sits on the lawn, doodling into a large SKETCHPAD.  He 
  suddenly stops, eyes registering that he has somehow felt his father’s 
  death.
  
  INT. ASAKAWA’S APARTMENT – DAY

  Asakawa clutches the RECEIVER to her ear.  She can still hear the 
  sounds of metallic SCREECHING coming from the video, though they are 
  now becoming softer.

  EXT. OUTSIDE RYUJI’S APARTMENT BUILDING – DAY

  Asakawa comes running down a side street, turning the corner and 
  making for the entrance to Ryuji’s apartment building.  There is a 
  single GUARD posted at the entrance. He reaches out, catches Asakawa 
  lightly by the arm.


				GUARD
		Are you a resident here, ma’am?

				ASAKAWA
		I’m Takayama Ryuji’s wife!

  The guard drops his hand, and Asakawa makes for the entrance.

				GUARD
		I’m sorry ma’am, but they’ve already 
		taken the body away.

  Asakawa’s spins around, eyes wide.  Body?

  INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE RYUJI’S APARTMENT – DAY

  Mai is there, slumped against one wall. Asakawa comes running up, 
  dropping to her knees and grasping Mai by the shoulders.

				ASAKAWA
		What happened?

  Mai shakes her head dreamily.

				MAI
		When I got here he was just 
		lying there...

				ASAKAWA	
		Did he say anything to you?  About 
		a videotape?

  Mai shakes her head again, shakes it harder until the breath 
  catches in her throat.


				MAI
		His face...

  Mai falls into silence, curls up on herself.  Asakawa leaves her 
  and crosses toward the door to Ryuji’s apartment.

  INT. RYUJI’S APARTMENT - DAY  

  The front DOOR opens wildly, noisily forward.  Asakawa comes 
  rushing in, eyes darting about the apartment.  She thinks 
  frantically to herself.

				ASAKAWA (VO)
		Ryuji... why?  Does this mean that
		Yoichi will die, too?  Is the curse 
		not broken yet?

  Her gaze falls to the television set.  She dives forward, presses 
  the eject button on the VCR.  Sure enough, the TAPE is still in 
  the deck.  She takes the tape and leaves.

  INT. ASAKAWA’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

  Asakawa walks slowly, dreamily forward.  She drops the videotape 
  loudly onto the coffee table and slouches into a CHAIR.  Her eyes 
  fall to the framed photographs of Yoichi on one of the shelves.  
  This snaps Asakawa out of her daze and she begins whispering 
  intently to herself, thinking.

				ASAKAWA
		I was the only one to break 
		Sadako’s curse.  Ryuji... why...?  
		Something I did that you didn’t...  
		Something I did that you didn’t...  

  Asakawa gives up, lowers her face into her hands.  When she looks 
  up again, she happens to glance at the television screen-- and 
  its GLARE reveals that there is someone ELSE in the room with her.  
  It is the figure from the videotape, the silent accuser with the 
  cloth draped over its face.  With a start, Asakawa realizes that 
  the figure is wearing Ryuji’s clothes.

				ASAKAWA
		Ryuji?!

  She spins around, but the room is empty.  Asakawa’s mind races.  
  The figure had been pointing towards her BAG.  She stands, 
  rummages in her bag to produce her copy of the cursed videotape.  
  She takes Ryuji’s COPY in her other hand, her eyes darting 
  between the two tapes.

				ASAKAWA
		Something I did that you didn’t...

  It suddenly clicks home as Asakawa looks full-on at Ryuji’s 
  version of the tape, plainly marked COPY.

				ASAKAWA
		What broke the curse was that I copied 
		the tape and showed it to someone else!

  CUT to Asakawa slowly pulling her VCR from the television stand.  
  A look of almost frightening resolve etches her face.

  EXT. HIGHWAY – DAY

  ARIAL SHOT of Asakawa’s car.  We hear her VOICE on the cell 
  phone.

				ASAKAWA (O.S.)
  		Dad?  It’s me.  I’m on my way over.
  		Look, dad, I’ve got something to ask. 
		It’s for Yoichi...

  INT. ASAKAWA’S CAR – DAY

  CLOSEUP on the VCR in the passenger side.  CUT to Asakawa at the 
  wheel as time spirals forward, the decisions of the present 
  already become rumor of the future.

				GIRL A (VO) 
		They say there’s a way you can stay 
		alive after you watch the video.  
		You’ve gotta make a copy of it, and 
		show it to somebody else inside a week.

				GIRL B (VO) 
		But what about the person you show it 
		to?

				GIRL A (VO) 
		Well, then they make a copy and show it 
		to somebody else.  Again, inside a week.

				GIRL C (VO) 
			(laughing)
		Then there’s no end to it.

				GIRL A (VO) 
		That’s just it.  There -is- no end.  But 
		if it meant not dying... you’d do it, 
		wouldn’t you?

  Asakawa’s eyes begin to well.  Her car speeds along the highway, 
  to the direction of menacing-looking STORM CLOUDS.

  Caption-- “September 22nd.  Wednesday.”




                      FADE TO BLACK as the CAPTION turns blood red.