The Grudge Page #17

Then he walks down the hall to the REAR ROOM. Does the same.

Nothing but darkness beyond.

Doug closes the door and turns away from it, wondering why

he’s here, what he’s looking for.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cell phone.

Speed-dials Karen’s number. As he raises it to his ear -

-- he doesn’t notice the door to the rear room SLOWLY

SWINGING OPEN BEHIND HIM -

127

EXT. THE HOUSE - NIGHT 127

Karen runs towards us, breathless, stopping as she reaches ---

THE HOUSE. Looming over her. Waiting.

She only hesitates a moment before running inside.

128 INT. THE HOUSE - NIGHT 128

Karen enters, calling out:

KAREN:

Doug! Where are you???

A MUFFLED SOUND from upstairs. A voice.

KAREN:

Doug???

Karen immediately runs up the stairs to -THE

SECOND FLOOR. Before she reaches the top of the stairs,

Karen suddenly realizes:

THE VOICE she’s hearing isn’t Doug’s.

VOICE (O.S.)

Hey, Maria, it’s me. Yeah, I’m

still at school...

Karen slowly looks up to see -

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 87.

-- PETER. She recognizes him immediately. He’s standing in

the hallway, talking on his cell phone.

PETER (INTO PHONE)

...I know, I’m sorry -- these staff

meetings always run over -- maybe

another ten minutes or so -- okay,

I’ll be home soon -- I love you

too.

He hangs up. Leans against the wall. Looking into -

THE FRONT BEDROOM. Karen gasps as she sees TOSHIO through

the open door. He’s sitting on the ground, making drawings

of BLACK CATS. This is his bedroom.

PETER:

(under his breath)

Guess your mom’s late, huh?

Then Toshio suddenly looks up. Right at Karen.

Following Toshio’s gaze, Peter quickly turns to face Karen.

But even though she’s right there, he doesn’t see her:

She’s seeing something that happened three years ago.

As if sensing her presence, Peter walks right to the edge of

the stairs, looking down. Then:

A RUSTLING SOUND comes from the dark hallway. Peter turns

towards the REAR BEDROOM at the end of the hall.

129 INT. THE HOUSE - REAR BEDROOM - NIGHT 129

Peter stands in the doorway, looking into the MASTER BEDROOM

of Toshio’s parents. His attention is drawn to something

near the door -

-- a DESK. It’s got a computer, some files. Someone’s

personal work space.

Peter steps to the desk. He picks up A STACK OF PHOTOGRAPHS.

Family pictures:
with father (TAKEO), mother (KAYAKO), and

son (TOSHIO), holding his black CAT.

KAYAKO’S FACE has been torn out of every one.

Peter notices something underneath the pile of photos -- a

familiar JOURNAL. The same one Karen found in the closet.

He opens it.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 88.

HIS POV:
it’s a journal Kayako kept. As Peter flips through

it, KAYAKO’S VOICE speaks the words...

...and even though it’s mostly Japanese, there’s one word we

recognize, that she’s written repeatedly -

--“Peter”. It’s been written over and over, in both English

and Japanese, as if she couldn’t get enough of seeing it.

Past the early pages Karen saw, THE WRITING becomes more

manic, the delicate script becoming a frantic scrawl,

KAYAKO’S VOICE becomes more desperate and pleading.

Taped on the final page is A PHOTO: PETER with a group of

his University friends, at a party. Kayako has scribbled

hearts around his head, and SCRATCHED OUT the other faces.

A bloody THUMBPRINT distorts Peter’s face. It’s still wet.

Peter slams the book shut and drops it. As he does, a

PHOTOGRAPH falls out from inside, landing right-side up.

THE PHOTO is of PETER at a college party, talking with MARIA.

It’s clear they’re having a great time with one another...

...but the photo is TORN IN HALF, splitting Maria’s face.

And KAYAKO is visible between them, sadly and stoically

watching Peter, strands of hair falling down her face.

Peter and Karen both reach to pick up the photo at the same

time -- and they BUMP SHOULDERS. Karen falls backwards,

against the wall.

In disbelief, Peter looks around wildly. He reaches out a

tentative hand, feeling around... Karen moves out of the way.

She can’t understand how this could be happening.

As Peter is about to stand back up, SOMETHING small flutters

down from above, landing on the floor in front of him.

It’s KAYAKO’S FACE. One of the missing pieces from the torn-

out photographs.

Peter slowly looks up to see -

-- ALL THE MISSING KAYAKO FACES have been pinned to the

closet door. Many of the pins go through HER EYES.

And that’s when Peter and Karen hear THE FLIES. Buzzing

anxiously. Sounds like there’s a lot of them.

It’s coming from THE CLOSET. Just behind the torn-out faces.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 88A.

Karen watches, terrified, as Peter reaches out a hand ---

and slides the door open.

He immediately recoils. A terrible stench inside.

The BUZZING of the flies is louder. Coming from above.

Peter pulls a book of matches from his pocket. Lights one.

And looks up.

HIS POV:
the attic panel is slightly open.

Peter reaches up to open it fully ---

AND THE UPPER HALF OF KAYAKO swings down.

She’s been wrapped in plastic sheeting, mottled splotches of

blood on the inside. Her neck hangs at an odd angle.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 89.

Peter backs away in horror -130

INT. THE HOUSE - SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT 130

Peter backs into the hallway, breathing hard.

Then a familiar sound reaches our ears: THUD. THUD. THUD.

It’s coming from Toshio’s room. And it’s the same rhythmic

THUDDING we’ve heard coming from this room before.

Peter wrenches his gaze from the horrific sight and heads

quickly down the hall (with Karen following him):

PETER:

Toshio! We have to -He

stops short at the door, as he sees ---

TAKEO, Toshio’s father. Eyes rolled back in his head,

tongue swollen and lolling from his blue lips.

He’s dead -- he’s hanging from the ceiling by BLACK HAIR that

seems to cover its entire surface. Kayako’s hair.

TOSHIO, now back to his “dead” appearance, playfully swings

the body. Takeo’s feet THUD rhythmically against the wall.

KAREN:

Oh my God...

Peter doesn’t stay to see any more. He runs.

131 INT. THE HOUSE - ENTRANCE - NIGHT 131

Peter tears down the stairs and runs for the front door,

passing a mirror ---

he freezes. He saw SOMETHING in the reflection as he

passed. Something wrong.

He takes a step back and looks ---

it’s not his reflection in the mirror. It’s KAYAKO.

Peter stares at the image in disbelief. Then he notices

TOSHIO standing next to Kayako, looking up at her.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 89A.

As Peter slowly turns to look down, a small PALE HAND slips

into his own. Peter jerks backward in shock as -

A SERIES OF IMAGES, THE ORIGIN OF “THE GRUDGE”, FLASH BY:

-- TAKEO, looking down at THE JOURNAL, reading his wife’s

words, his face contorted with rage... he turns to see

KAYAKO, home from work, standing in the doorway...

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 90.

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