The Grudge Page #3

As she looks for an outlet, she hears a SCRATCHING SOUND.

Karen stands there for a moment, listening. Silence.

Then she walks towards the open door at the end of the hall.

17 INT. THE HOUSE - REAR ROOM - DUSK 17

Karen steps inside. MOVING BOXES are stacked against the

wall, next to a desk. It’s an unfinished room.

She listens. No scratching. Nothing unusual here. Except -Karen

notices a lone object sitting on an otherwise empty

shelf. It’s a BLACK CERAMIC CAT. Facing the wall. Strange.

And then Karen hears the SCRATCHING SOUND again.

18 INT. THE HOUSE - SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY - DUSK 18

Karen steps into the hallway and listens. There it is again,

and this time there’s no doubt --

The sounds are coming from the room by the stairs.

Karen walks to the door. She pauses, disturbed by the eerie

sounds from inside. Then she reaches for the doorknob.

THUD. THUD. Karen hesitates. The strange rhythmic THUDDING

continues, coming from beyond the door.

KAREN:

(nervous:
)

Hello?

Karen takes a breath. And turns the doorknob.

19 INT. THE HOUSE - FRONT ROOM - DUSK 19

The sounds immediately stop as Karen enters the MASTER

BEDROOM. It’s dark, thick blinds covering the windows. A

frosted window, overlooking the foyer, isn’t helping much.

She stands there for a moment, listening. Silence.

Then -

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 12.

SCRATCH SCRATCH. Startled, she gasps and turns towards THE

CLOSED CLOSET DOORS. That’s where the sound is coming from.

And then she notices something strange about the closet door:

It’s been sealed shut with duct tape.

The SCRATCHING quickens, as if sensing a presence nearby.

And then there’s a muffled MEOW. There’s a cat in there?

Karen pulls off the duct tape. She reaches for the door

handle, slowly sliding it open a crack and peering inside -

The closet seems empty, except for a large BOOK on a shelf.

Karen reaches inside and picks it up.

Then she sees, in the darkened far corner of the closet, a

SMALL BLACK CAT. It’s sitting on something, watching her.

Karen slides the door the rest of the way open -

-- revealing A YOUNG JAPANESE BOY (age 7) sitting in the

corner, staring at Karen. The cat is curled up on his lap.

Startled, Karen drops the book and falls backwards.

20 INT. THE HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT 20

Karen is on her cell phone:

KAREN (INTO PHONE)

Yes, he was shut in a closet!

There was tape around the -- No,

they’re not home yet. I don’t

know, Emma hasn’t said a word to me

-- He’s still upstairs -- yes, I’m

sure he’s Japanese -- But -- Yes,

alright, Alex. Just please get

here as soon as you can.

Karen hangs up, putting the phone down on the kitchen table.

She leans against the counter, exasperated.

Then her attention turns to THE BOOK she found in the closet.

Karen can’t resist. She opens it.

THE BOOK is a large journal, filled with elegant Japanese

writing. Karen flips through it, stopping on -

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 13.

A PHOTOGRAPH. A handsome young man, smiling at the camera.

We recognize him. It’s PETER, from the opening scene.

21 INT. THE HOUSE - ENTRANCE - NIGHT 21

Karen walks to the front door, reaching out to unlock it ---

but she pauses, realizing something.

She reaches into her pocket, pulling out THE PHOTO she found.

It only takes a second to verify ---

THE BOY in the photo is the one she found in the closet.

Karen lowers the photo, bewildered. Then she looks up,

startled by --

THE BOY. He’s kneeling on the second floor landing above,

watching her through the bars of the metal railing. Creepy.

Karen takes a step forward, forcing a smile.

KAREN (IN JAPANESE)

Hello there.

The boy just stares at her. Really creepy.

KAREN (IN JAPANESE)

My name is Karen. What’s yours?

THE BOY:

Toshio.

Before she can respond -RING!

RING! The phone in the next room startles her.

22 INT. THE HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 22

Karen enters the room as the ANSWERING MACHINE picks up, the

voices of a happy couple on the GREETING (in English):

MATTHEW & JENNIFER (ON MACHINE)

“Konnichiwa! Matt and Jennifer

aren’t around, leave a message.”

SUSAN (ON MACHINE)

“Hey, guys, it’s Susan. Matt, are

you there? Pick up...

(MORE)

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 14.

SUSAN (ON MACHINE) (cont'd)

Okay, well, I’m leaving work now so

you can try my cell, or just call

me at home later.”

The caller pauses. Karen steps closer to the phone base,

curious, listening:

SUSAN (ON MACHINE)

“I just wanted to make sure Mom is

okay. Yesterday was... a bit

weird, and -- I’m just a little

worried.“

Karen, reluctant but realizing she should pick up, reaches

for the phone...

...but the PHONE BASE is empty. The cordless is missing.

As Karen tries to figure out how to answer with the base:

SUSAN (ON MACHINE)

“Listen, just give me a call when

you can, okay?”

CLICK. Too late -- the caller hangs up.

Silence returns to the room... but not completely. Karen

hears the soft sound of WHISPERING from nearby.

Beyond her, we see a PALE FACE (KAYAKO) pressed against the

frosted window of the sliding door of the TATAMI ROOM.

The face pulls away from the glass just before Karen turns

towards it. But the sound of WHISPERING continues.

As she slowly walks to the door, we can make out some words:

EMMA (O.S.)

...I’ve told them over and over...

I’ve told them over and over...

Karen listens for a moment, then slides the door open.

23 INT. THE HOUSE -TATAMI ROOM - NIGHT 23

It’s very dark in the room -- the lights have been turned

off. Emma, sitting up in bed, turns towards Karen.

KAREN:

Emma, who were you talking to?

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 15.

That’s when Karen notices THE INDENTATION in the mattress,

across from where Emma is sitting. Where someone else would

be, if the old woman was having a conversation.

Emma looks up at Karen with pleading eyes.

EMMA:

I just want her to leave me alone.

Karen sits down next to her.

KAREN:

You should get some rest, Emma.

She helps Emma lie back ---

but as the old woman’s eyes move to the ceiling, they

suddenly grow wide, her mouth opening in fear ---

Karen follows her gaze, looking up ---

and she SCREAMS, falling off the mattress, backing away -A

MURKY BLACKNESS is lowering from the ceiling. Formless at

first, but flowing and shifting... like a FIGURE draped with

black silk. Drifting down until the shadowy “head” is only

inches from Emma’s terrified face.

And then the “head” slowly turns, rotating towards Karen.

In the midst of the blackness are TWO DISEMBODIED EYES.

Filled with an intense rage. Focused directly on Karen.

Off Karen’s NERVE-SHATTERING SCREAM, we...

CUT TO BLACK.

24 INT. THE HOUSE - FRONT ROOM - NIGHT 24

MATTHEW and his wife JENNIFER are in bed. He sleeps soundly,

she doesn’t. She’s staring at the ceiling, listening to -

-- SOUNDS coming in through the open bedroom door. Someone

moving downstairs, fumbling around, bumping into things.

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