The Offerings Page #2

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the streets are empty,

and no one goes out

after dark.

I should go inside now.

It's late.

I didn't scare you,

did I?

No.

Good night.

Good night.

[whispering indistinctly]

[strange howling]

[whispering voices]

[woman speaking in Chinese]

[sobbing,

continues in Chinese]

[whispers fade]

No!

No!

That's for the ghosts!

That's bad luck!

I'm sorry, Miss Wu.

I thought it was trash.

Be quiet! Go back inside.

[speaking Chinese]

[continues in Chinese]

Ah!

[slithering]

[Woman, echoing]

Alyssa.

[thudding, scraping]

Alyssa...

[creaking]

Alyssa.

[whispering voices]

[footsteps]

[gasping]

[scraping]

Alyssa.

Alyssa.

Alyssa.

Aah!

[panting]

Alyssa.

Are you okay?

[panting]

[whistling]

Alyssa?

I'm going into town

for a while,

and I'll be back later.

Did you finish

the laundry?

Yes, it's drying now.

Good.

You work so hard.

Why don't you

finish up out here

and take the rest

of the day to yourself?

Thanks. I have a book

I've been wanting to get into.

You should.

Take a walk.

I'll we back later.

Okay.

Bye.

[door closes]

[Man]

Hey! What are you

doing here?

Uh, just here reading,

that's all.

You're trespassing.

Oh, uh...

This is private

property here.

The property line

is just over there.

Didn't you see?

Oh. I wasn't aware.

I thought I was on

the Wu estate still.

I must have just

wandered a bit too far.

Are you a friend

of hers?

I'm her new housekeeper.

Oh, so you're

their new maid.

I prefer the term

housekeeper, but yes.

That crazy b*tch thinks

she owns most of the mountain.

I'm not surprised you thought

you were still on her land.

Are you the neighbor?

Yeah, I live

just down the path here.

Listen, I'm really sorry

about this.

No worries.

It's just that every year

during the same month,

her and that old lady

are always burning things

in the middle of the night.

Last year, the wind kicked up

and blew some ashes this way

and burned down

this part of the forest

and almost my house,

so I have to keep

a close eye on those two.

I see.

Yeah.

So what's your name?

Alyssa.

Nice to meet you, Alyssa.

Blake.

What are you reading?

A Room of One's Own

by Virginia Woolf.

Oh, great author.

Really? What's your

favorite book of hers?

I don't know.

There's too many to name.

I like them all.

Yeah. It's nice to meet a man

who likes feminist authors.

Touch.

Well, I should get going.

Hey, you can come back

any time you'd like,

as long as you don't

light any fires.

Bye.

Wow. So pretty.

[phone rings]

[ring]

[ring]

Hello. Wu residence.

Alyssa?

Yes, this is she.

It's Tessa at the agency.

Oh, hi.

We left a few

messages for you.

Did you get them?

Oh, no. Sorry.

There's a Nicole

who's called here

a few times

asking for

your work number.

I told her our policy against

giving out clients' numbers,

but I told her I would

call you personally

to relay the message.

Thanks. I'll call her.

Okay. No problem.

[sighs]

[ring]

[ring]

[ring]

Hello.

Hey. It's me.

Hey! I've been

worried about you.

I haven't heard

from you in a while.

I left, like,

ten messages.

Yeah, I don't have

that number anymore.

Why not?

No one seems to call my cell

except Jacob, so I tossed it.

He's still bothering you?

Isn't he always?

Well, he's called

my phone,

like, a hundred times

looking for you.

He just doesn't get it.

He'll get over you.

They always do.

Are you okay?

[sighs]

I think I'm seeing things.

What do you mean?

Mm, it's nothing.

I'm sure you're

just stressed.

You just need to relax.

Yeah, I know.

So how is your new job?

It's good.

It's... It's different from

anything I've done before,

but I like it.

It's real quiet

and peaceful out here.

How's your new boss?

She's nice.

Kind of strange sometimes.

They have a lot

of strange customs.

I'm always seeing them

burning things

in the front yard.

Well, as long as it's

not your paycheck,

who cares, right?

[laughs]

Right.

Hey, I'm not really allowed

to use this phone,

so if you want to reach me,

just call the agency.

They'll give me

the message.

I can still

e-mail you, right?

Well, no.

Um, there's no Internet

or cable here.

Oh.

[laughs]

Well, that sucks.

She's a bit old-fashioned.

I don't mind.

I mean, I like not being

so available all the time.

Well, hang in there.

You need this job.

But once you get

enough money saved up,

you can get your own place

and get on with your life.

[door opens]

Listen...

I gotta go.

I'll talk to you soon.

Okay?

Okay.

Bye.

Where did you get

that dress?

It was in my closet.

It was so beautiful,

I wanted to try it on.

It fits perfectly.

Do you like it?

Take it off now.

I have some other

business to attend to.

Yes, ma'am.

Mei-Ling.

[man singing

on phonograph]

[knocking]

[singing continues]

[woman crying]

[singing continues]

[indistinct whispering]

Hello?

Hello?

[indistinct whispering]

[scratching,

phonograph stops]

[indistinct conversation]

[crash]

Miss Wu?

Yeah. What is it, dear?

I finished cleaning

all the tiles like you asked,

and all the rugs

are washed.

Thank you.

Was there anything else?

No, I think that's it.

Why don't you go relax,

take a hot bath?

You're doing

a great job here.

Is there something else?

I found this in my room.

Who's Mei-Ling?

That's a name I haven't

heard in a while.

Did she

used to live here?

Yeah.

She was the housekeeper

before you.

She lived here

for a few years.

She's pretty.

Yeah.

Actually, you remind me

a lot of her.

But girls are girls.

One day, she left.

Why?

A man.

[glass shatters]

Aya!

[clicks tongue,

speaking Chinese]

[speaking Chinese]

[Miss Wu speaking Chinese

in distance]

[fire crackling]

Alyssa.

[panting]

I'm not going to

hurt you.

[water dripping]

Is anyone out there?

Somebody help me!

[woman speaking

indistinctly]

Is anyone there?

[screeching]

[eerie noises receding]

[door opens]

[footsteps]

Alyssa.

Alyssa, wake up.

Wake up.

What?

Are you okay?

Yeah. Ow.

[sniffles]

What's going on?

Let's go inside.

[speaking Chinese]

[thunder rumbling]

[no audible dialogue]

[thunderclap]

[dialing]

Hey. This is Alyssa's cell.

Leave a message, please.

[beep]

Alyssa, it's me.

Where are you?

I'm really worried

about you.

I've been driving around

all night looking for you,

hoping you're okay.

I don't even know

where I'm at right now.

[sighs]

I can't take this.

I... I really need

to talk to you.

Why aren't you

answering my calls?

What did I do to you?

Why are you doing this?

You know what?

You're a real f***in' b*tch.

I hate you!

You're probably out f***ing

some other guy, is that it?

What... What, you dump me

and then you go f***

somebody else's life up?

You're just a f***ing whore

like my mother!

Well, fine, you can have

your other boyfriend.

I don't care!

Don't ever call me again!

It's over!

And I am f***ing over you!

[hanging up]

F***!

F***! F***!

[dialing]

Hey. This is Alyssa's cell.

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