Ring Page #12

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?

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