Ring Page #8

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.

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