King of the Ring Page #3

RACHEL:

You know, I'm Iate.

I reaIIy shouId go.

Yeah, but why are you taking...?

I got to go.

It's good to meet you.

( elevator grinding )

So you're taking the tape?

I don't want her to see it.

Whoa. You don't

want her to see it?

What about me

seeing it?

You had no probIem

showing it to me.

I did have a probIem.

You're angry.

I'm not angry.

Oh, no? What

are you then?

In a hurry.

( scoffs )

Look, I'm sorry, but I'm

not going to get aII worked up

over some high schooI rumor.

What are you thinking?

I'm thinking this is

the part where I say

''You're a fIake,

never finishes anything.''

Then you say

I'm ''an obsessive b*tch.

Needs to Iighten up.''

Then I storm out

aII pissed off, kicking myseIf

for ever thinking

that you couId just...

grow up.

So, why don't we just

cut to that part right now

and save ourseIves

a Iot of grief?

AII right.

Bye.

( eerie rumbling )

Watch out, missy.

Bad Iuck.

You don't need that.

( wheels squeaking and

clicking )

( squeaking continues )

( game show plays on TV )

( squeaking continues )

Becca?

Becca.

We're aImost there.

HOST ( on TV ):

Summer, actuaIIy.

So circIe gets that square.

We take a break,

whiIe you check this out.

This is how you can be part...

RACHEL:

Do you remember anything

about that night...

that night with Katie?

Do you remember...

how she died?

Becca?

She toId you about a videotape,

didn't she?

She was afraid, wasn't she?

Something was happening to her.

Becca...

how did she die?

PIease.

I need to know.

And you wiII.

She'II show you.

Who?

Who wiII show me?

Not now.

Four days.

WOMAN:

Yeah, weII, your home VCRs

wiII give you a tracking window

but they won't

Iet you stretch it.

There's no point, reaIIy, unIess

you're taIking restoration.

Archives wiII come in here

with these crummy oId tapes

sometimes.

Tracks totaIIy shot--

servos can't Iine them up.

But the big box here's

a warhorse.

TotaIIy anaIog.

She'II read to the very edge

of your tape.

Just don't force her or

she'II get pissy with you.

Your tracking, your monitor,

your printer, if you need it.

So, uh...

what are we watching,

home movies or something?

I'd reaIIy

rather watch it aIone.

ReaIIy.

Whatever.

( whirring )

( sighs heavily )

Come on...

( soft high-pitched humming )

Come on.

( humming intensifies )

Lighthouse.

Sh*t.

HeIIo? Somebody?

( tape deck whirring )

( grunting softly )

Damn.

( slow whirring )

Something you needed heIp with?

( fly buzzes )

Hey, you... you got a... ya...

WeII, that seems to be

the Iot of it.

Thank you.

( pages turning )

( sighing )

''Moesko IsIand.''

( keys clacking )

( sighs quietly )

( mouse clicks )

( mouse clicks )

( eerie rumbling )

( printer whirring )

''Anna Morgan.''

Oh, my God.

( books and papers thudding )

( grunting )

''Mysterious Sickness

Strikes Morgan Ranch Horses.

''Investigators

search for answers

after second horse drowning.''

( eerie rumbling )

( rhythmic clicking )

( whispering ):

''Anna Morgan.''

''Horses Recovering

After Breeder's Suicide.''

( rapid scratching )

''...suffered from

haIIucinations.''

''EoIa... County Psychiatric.''

( intense scratching )

What happened to you, Anna?

Pack of DoubIe Lights.

Thanks, Lani.

( register beeps )

$15.33.

You're gonna die.

My cousin was two packs a day.

Used the patch...

never Iooked back.

AII right, weII,

I'II keep that in mind.

Have a nice day.

You, too.

( eerie rumbling )

( indistinct arguing

in background )

( unearthly whistling )

( sighs heavily )

( keys clank )

( static hisses on TV )

( shrieks )

( anxious laugh )

Hi.

Sorry I'm Iate.

Uh... mmm... no. No probIem.

Everything okay?

Oh, yeah. He was an angeI.

I-I... went in to teII him

that it was bedtime

and he was aIready

under the covers.

And then he read me

a bedtime story.

Um... ( clears throat )

he Iearned the word ''conundrum.''

ReaIIy?

Yeah. And then...

he drew my picture.

WeII, here you go.

Thanks.

Sure.

( rain falling outside )

( rainfall continues )

( door creaking )

Hey, Ruthie, it's me.

I'm sorry to caII so Iate,

but I need a favor.

I have to go upstate

to do this story

and I need you

to watch Aidan for me.

RUTHIE ( on phone ):

Oh, RacheI, I don't know.

How Iong wiII you be gone?

It's just for two days,

I promise.

This isn't the best time for me.

( coughing )

RacheI? RacheI, are you there?

HoId on a sec...

Sorry.

( coughing and gasping )

RacheI?

Is this about Katie?

( retching )

( retching and gasping )

Ruthie...

( eerie rumbling )

( gasping )

Aidan?

( eerie rumbling )

( unearthly screeching )

( gasping )

( panting )

( panting slows )

( rainfall outside )

( deep rumbling )

( grunts )

No!

( static hissing )

Why, baby, why? Why?!

I couIdn't sIeep.

Who is she, RacheI?

( phone ringing )

( ringing stops )

( gasping )

( ringing )

Leave him aIone!

NOAH ( on phone ):

RacheI?

( sobs )

Noah...

L-Listen to me. R-RacheI...

I need to taIk to you, okay?

I...

I beIieve you.

RacheI, you there?

( quiet sobbing )

He... He watched the tape.

Who? Who watched it?

( sobs )

Our son.

( unearthly whistling )

( rain pattering )

You took my picture.

I've seen you.

When I'm in the yard at schooI.

You're there.

You wish I was around more?

No.

Do you want to be around more?

RacheI and I were...

Young.

Mom's toId me that story.

The thing is, I...

I don't think

I'd make a good father.

Maybe it was because

my own was...

such a... disappointment.

Thing is, I don't want

anyone eIse to do it, either.

Be your father.

It's a conundrum.

( laughs )

Yeah, it is.

( paper crackling )

( pages turning )

( rain falling )

( door opening )

Time to go, mister.

I'm not finished.

Noah said to make one for you.

RACHEL:

You could almost draw

a line through her life.

On one side,

there's this happy woman

who spends her time with her

husband, riding horses

everything sheltered,

protected and comfortable.

Her face, there's... light,

there's pride.

And then, one day,

something happens

and she takes

this hard corner

and the light... goes out

and then she ends up

at Eola County Psychiatric

all alone.

NOAH:

What happened to her?.

l don't know yet

but l think it has something

to do with the horses.

lt think we should go

to the island together.

lt's Tuesday, Noah.

l only have one day left.

l need you to go to the

hospital

and find out as much

as you can about Anna.

The images on the tape

are Ieading us somewhere.

Katie saw them aII, too.

I think... before you die

you see the ring.

( wipers clacking )

Sh*t!

Hey, Rach! Wait!

( rain splattering )

( bell clanging )

( ferry engine roaring )

A daughter?

( ferry engines

rumbling smoothly )

( footsteps approaching )

( chuckles softly )

Hey, you.

( nickers )

Ooh.

It's okay.

I'm not going to hurt you.

Yeah.

Easy, boy.

( nickering )

That's it.

( whinnying nervously )

Hey, boy.

I'm not going to hurt you.

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