The Grudge Page #18

-- KAYAKO running down the steps, TAKEO chasing her, tackling

her before she can reach the door... sitting on top of her,

he wraps his hands around her neck...

-- KAYAKO seeing TOSHIO, her son, watching through the bars

of the second floor railing as...

-- TAKEO snaps Kayako’s neck with an audible CRACK...

-- KAYAKO, not dead, but paralyzed, watching as...

-- TAKEO drowns a flailing TOSHIO in the bathroom tub...

-- TAKEO tears apart TOSHIO’S CAT, still alive, in the

bathroom sink...

-- KAYAKO letting out a HORRIBLE CROAKING, the only sound her

broken neck can emit, as TAKEO advances on her with a knife,

his eyes filled with a manic madness...

-- TAKEO in THE ATTIC, stuffing KAYAKO and TOSHIO, both very

dead, wrapped in plastic sheeting, into a corner...

-- KAYAKO suddenly TURNING HER HEAD and GRABBING TAKEO’S

ARM... her lifeless eyes focusing on Takeo’s as she CROAKS...

Takeo’s eyes go wide with fear... and TOSHIO suddenly reaches

from his plastic grave, grabbing Takeo’s other arm...

BACK TO THE PRESENT:

We PAN FROM Peter to THE REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR -

It’s not the pale, frightening Kayako anymore. Rather: a

beautiful, young Kayako with eyes filled with sorrow.

We PAN BACK to see KAREN standing there, instead of Peter.

Karen slumps to the ground in front of the mirror, the

revelation taking everything out of her.

A beat. Then:

THUMP. That came from upstairs.

Karen looks up as the sound continues. We PAN OVER towards

the stairs as A DRAGGING sound moves across the ceiling.

Accompanied by a strange SCRAPING, like plastic.

KAREN:

No more... please, no more...

She suddenly freezes, sensing something next to her. We see

it now, as she turns her head, almost hidden in the darkness-

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 91.

-- a PALE FACE in the darkened hallway, staring up at the

ceiling. Eyes wide and rolled back, mouth yawning open in

abject terror --

-- it’s DOUG’S BODY. He lies on his back, his top half

sticking out from a niche by the stairwell. It’s been right

next to her all along.

KAREN:

DOUG! NO!!!

Karen takes Doug into her arms as the SOUNDS continue above,

growing closer. But it’s no use -- he’s dead.

And now there’s a new sound, moving down the stairs. A

familiar THROATY CROAKING SOUND, along with a strange

SKITTERING, like the world’s biggest cockroach.

Karen turns to the staircase to see -

-- KAYAKO, crawling down the stairs. Still wrapped in the

plastic sheeting, she moves like a wounded animal, neck

hanging limply, struggling to pull herself forward -

-- her eyes locked on Karen, CROAKING horribly -

Karen sorrow turns to abject terror. She tries to lift

Doug’s body and pull it to the front door. It’s too heavy.

And KAYAKO is getting closer.

Sobbing, Karen drops Doug and falls back against the front

door, bumping into --

THE GAS CANS. The one Nakagawa unscrewed TIPS OVER, spilling

gasoline into the entryway.

As Doug’s arm flops to the floor, his outstretched HAND lands

next to Karen. She sees something clenched in his fingers -

-- his ZIPPO LIGHTER.

Realization dawns over Karen as she feels the liquid spilling

onto her hands. The odor is unmistakable.

Karen immediately reaches forward, trying to loosen Doug’s

grip on the lighter as --

-- Kayako reaches the bottom of the stairs. Her broken neck

makes a horrific CRACKING as she swivels to face Karen.

Karen finally gets the lighter. She pushes back against the

door with legs too numb to stand. Her eyes drift up to see -

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 91A.

-- TOSHIO, watching from the railing above, as before, his

cold eyes locked on hers.

Karen grabs another can, and spins the lid until it pops off.

She tips it onto the floor, spilling more gas.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 92.

Kayako doesn’t seem to care. She crawls over Doug’s body and

pulls herself through the gasoline, slowly, drawing

inexorably closer -

Karen drops the empty gas can and opens DOUG’S LIGHTER.

She flicks it. Nothing.

Karen tries the lighter again. And again. Nothing.

Kayako reaches out, blood dripping from her gaping mouth -The

lighter CATCHES.

Karen flails with her free arm and opens the front door ---

just as Kayako GRABS HER ANKLE.

Karen reaches outside, anchoring a hand to the door frame ---

but she can’t pull herself free, as ---

Kayako pulls herself closer, her CROAKING intensifying ---

resigned, Karen slowly lowers the flame to the gas can ---

and ignites the gas! There’s a sudden BRIGHT FLASH that

overtakes the screen -FADE

TO WHITE:

132 OMITTED 132

132a EXT. THE HOUSE - NIGHT 132a

The flashing lights of POLICE CARS wash over the formerly

quiet neighborhood, illuminating -

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 93.

KAREN. She’s lying on a gurney, regaining consciousness.

Japanese EMTS are speaking to her as she’s being loaded into

the back of an ambulance.

KAREN’S POV:
the blurry forms of FIREMEN rush by in slow

motion. Everything is dizzy and incoherent...

Karen tries to sit up -- but a YOUNG EMT lays a gentle hand

on her arm, deftly sliding a needle under her skin. The

sedative takes hold almost immediately.

Karen sinks back into the gurney, her eyes rolling back in

her head. She’s fading fast.

132b INT. AMBULANCE - NIGHT 132b

The EMTs secure the gurney inside and close the doors. Karen

fights the drug, but its grip is inevitable: she finally

gives up, sliding into a medicated sleep.

We slowly MOVE IN on her face, until it fills the screen.

Then...

132c INT. AMBULANCE - DAY 132c

...the light CHANGES. Darkness becomes morning sunlight

spilling across Karen’s face. The tranquil sound of birds

CHIRPING surrounds us. But it sounds like a distant echo.

Karen’s eyelids flutter. She opens her eyes and sits up, now

wide awake -- but peaceful and calm.

She gently swings her legs from the gurney and walks to the

window, confused by the daylight. She looks out to see -

132d EXT. THE HOUSE - DAY 132d

It’s the most beautiful we’ve ever seen it. A lush

springtime bloom fills the trees and bushes around the place.

VOICES off-screen (Japanese) are audible, getting closer -

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 93A.

ON KAREN, as she is surprised to see...

KAYAKO. Beautiful and meek. She’s smiling, walking hand-inhand

with TAKEO. A happy couple.

As they reach the front door and go inside, Kayako turns back

to the front gate. She smiles and gestures, “come on”.

And then TOSHIO walks forward, through the gate. His

attention is on a tiny BLACK KITTEN in his arms.

At the door, Toshio turns to look back over his shoulder ---

DIRECTLY AT KAREN. They hold each other’s gaze for a

moment, as if he somehow sees her in the ambulance.

Then Kayako gestures to Toshio, and he turns away, entering

The House and closing the door.

CUT TO BLACK.

THE END:

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 94.

133 OMITTED 133

134 OMITTED 134

134a OMITTED 134a

135 OMITTED 135

136 OMITTED 136

137 OMITTED 137

138 OMITTED 138

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