Ring Page #11

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.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes