The Grudge Page #4

Jennifer, frustrated, lets out a sigh.

25 INT. THE HOUSE - ENTRANCE - MORNING 25

Matthew comes downstairs, dressed in a business suit. He

pauses to pick up some of the RUBBISH on the stairs.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 16.

26 INT. THE HOUSE - KITCHEN - MORNING 26

Jennifer watches the last drops of coffee fall into the pot.

She pours herself a mug, takes a big sip. Looks exhausted.

Matthew enters, surprised to see her.

MATTHEW:

You’re up?

JENNIFER:

Mmmmmm.

Matthew glances into the back room through another sliding

door -- the windows on this one are clear, not frosted like

the living room.

HIS POV:
Emma is asleep on her mattress.

MATTHEW:

I wonder if Mom’s okay. She’s been

sleeping ever since we got here.

JENNIFER:

Not at night.

Matthew turns to her, surprised.

JENNIFER:

I told you, Matthew, you can sleep

through anything.

Matthew comes over, kisses her.

MATTHEW:

I’m sorry, sweetheart. It was

probably just the move -- I’m sure

she’ll get back on schedule.

Jennifer nods, not convinced.

MATTHEW:

You seen my travel mug?

JENNIFER:

I didn’t unpack it yet.

Matthew kneels down next to a pair of MOVING BOXES in the

corner --‘KITCHEN’ written on the side. He explores it.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 17.

MATTHEW:

Maybe you should say something to

the helper, what’s her name?

JENNIFER:

Yoko.

MATTHEW:

Who knows? Maybe there’s something

she can suggest.

JENNIFER:

Yeah. Maybe.

He finds his travel mug, wrapped in the sports section of an

American newspaper. Matthew scans it as he fills his mug.

MATTHEW:

I miss seeing this every morning.

No response from his wife. He turns to see Jennifer looking

down at Emma through the window.

Matthew walks over, puts an arm around her.

MATTHEW:

Hey, kiddo. You okay?

JENNIFER:

I went for a walk yesterday. Just

to explore. I got lost and

couldn’t find anyone who could

speak English, who could help me.

I felt so... stupid.

MATTHEW:

This will get easier soon, for Mom,

for all of us. I promise.

She turns to him.

JENNIFER:

Or else?

MATTHEW:

Or else I’ll tell the company it’s

just not working out, and that

we’re going back to the States with

or without my old job. They can

get someone else to crunch their

numbers.

This makes Jennifer feel better.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 18.

MATTHEW:

But until then -- promise me you’ll

give it a good try, okay Jen?

JENNIFER:

Deal.

27 EXT. THE HOUSE - MORNING 27

The door opens and Matthew walks outside, stopping to look at

a familiar BICYCLE, leaning against the house near the door.

MATTHEW:

Is this Yoko’s bike?

JENNIFER:

I think so.

MATTHEW:

It’s been here all night.

Matthew rolls the bike from the porch to the gate, leaning it

against the wall (where we saw it earlier).

He turns back to Jennifer, giving her a kiss.

MATTHEW:

I’ll probably be home late, maybe

around nine or so.

Jennifer gives him a look.

JENNIFER:

I knew you’d forget.

Matthew pauses, looks back blankly. Jennifer just smiles.

JENNIFER:

Dinner, your sister? At seven?

MATTHEW:

Oh yeah. Right.

JENNIFER:

You were going to cook.

MATTHEW:

I have a big conference. They

usually run long.

Jennifer rolls her eyes.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 19.

JENNIFER:

I’ll do the shopping. Just call me

if you’re going to be late.

She goes back inside, closes the door.

28 INT. GROCERY STORE - DAY 28

Jennifer stands by a cart, looking pale under the stark

fluorescent lighting. She also looks shell-shocked.

HER POV:
before her is a WALL OF JAPANESE PRODUCTS. Barely

a lick of English on any of the brightly-colored packages.

Jennifer is, in a word, clueless. She looks around for

assistance -- but she’s lost in a whirl of Japanese faces.

She tentatively reaches towards a bowl-shaped package.

Studies the Japanese writing.

Stealing a glance around her, she quietly tears open a corner

of the bowl. Peeks inside. Sniffs it. She smiles.

29 INT. THE HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY 29

CLOSE ON the same package, a microwaveable soup bowl, now

open with a spoon sticking out of it. Resting, with a glass

of water, atop the kotatsu table.

PAN TO REVEAL a pair of feet on the lip of a MOVING BOX next

to the table. It’s Jennifer, asleep on the couch.

A CLATTERING sound wakes her, followed by the sound of

FOOTSTEPS running away. We PULL BACK as Jennifer sees her

bowl, and the glass next to it, have been knocked over.

She sits up, looking into the TATAMI ROOM. Emma sits on the

edge of her mattress, staring blankly at her.

Jennifer gets up, sternly walks over.

JENNIFER:

If you need something, all you have

to do is say so -

She stops short as she sees...

FOOTPRINTS. Formed from the broth, and noodles, of her

spilled soup. They’re the footprints of a child.

And they lead away from the back room, down the main hallway.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 20.

Jennifer looks back up to see Emma watching her.

30 INT. THE HOUSE - ENTRANCE - DAY 30

Jennifer follows the DAMP FOOTPRINTS. They’re getting

lighter, and cease altogether in the foyer.

She stands there for a moment, bewildered. Then she tenses,

as if sensing she’s being watched. She slowly turns to see -

-- A BLACK CAT. Sitting on the first landing of the stairs.

Staring at her with bright yellow eyes.

As Jennifer takes a step towards it -TWO

CHILD’S HANDS reach around the corner, and pick up the

cat, pulling it out of view.

Jennifer freezes.

JENNIFER:

Who’s -- who’s there?

No response. She walks up the stairs and looks around the

corner. Nothing there.

She takes a deep breath, and starts to climb.

31 INT. THE HOUSE - SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY - DAY 31

Reaching the top, Jennifer catches a glimpse of a familiar

BOY running into the FRONT ROOM.

She slowly walks towards the open door -- we can’t see inside

the room from the hallway. But she pauses as she hears -

THUD. THUD. The same rhythmic thumping that Karen heard.

After a moment, Jennifer steps inside the room, disappearing

from our sight.

We hear her suddenly draw a GASP.

A beat. As we DRIFT CLOSER to the doorway, we notice

something strange: the room appears to be growing darker.

A SHARP BREATHING can be heard from inside... quick, panicked

gulps of air. Growing faster.

Just as we reach the doorway, the harsh breathing stops.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 20A.

A moment of stillness.

Then the door is SLAMMED SHUT from the inside.

Revisions (Blue) -- 1/26/04 21.

32 INT. THE HOUSE - ENTRANCE - NIGHT 32

Matthew enters from work, jacket slung over his shoulder.

MATTHEW:

(calling out)

Sorry I’m late, it took awhile to

wrap things up.

He leaves his briefcase by the door and turns to the hall -

-- noticing the house is completely DARK.

MATTHEW:

Jen? Susan?

33 INT. THE HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 33

Matthew turns on the lights. The room has reverted to its

messy state, even worse than before.

He looks down at A PICTURE, formerly hanging on the wall, now

lying on the ground. The glass is broken.

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