The Offerings Page #3

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Leave a message, please.

[beep]

Hey.

I'm sorry

I said those things.

I'm just...

feeling a little hurt,

you know?

I need you to call me

when you get this, okay?

I'll be here.

Just call me back.

Talk to you soon.

[distorted voice]

Alyssa.

[wind blowing]

[Girl]

Alyssa.

Come over here.

[groans]

[water dripping]

D.W.

[wood breaking]

[gasps]

[scratching]

[snarling]

[indistinct voices]

Leave me alone!

Leave me alone!

Oh, God. Oh, God.

Aah!

[crying]

F***!

[struggling]

Help!

[indistinct whispering]

[slash]

[water dripping]

Oh, my God.

What are they doing?

[Girl]

Come over here.

Come over here.

Stop!

Come over here.

[voice continues

indistinctly]

[voice continues

indistinctly]

What do you want from me?

[voice continues

indistinctly]

Stop!

Please, just stop!

[gasps]

[sighs heavily]

[speaking Chinese]

[Alyssa weeping]

[weeping continues]

[whispering]

Oh, God.

[voices speaking Chinese]

Leave me alone!

I can't take it anymore.

[Miss Wu]

Alyssa.

[gasps]

Oh, G...

Are you okay?

I can't take this

any longer.

They won't stop.

Why can't they just

leave me alone?

Who won't?

Them.

These people.

The ghosts.

[speaking Chinese]

[continues in Chinese]

Listen, Alyssa.

During the Chinese

Ghost Month,

if you offend the ghosts,

you have bad luck

the whole month.

It's very important

to follow the rules.

What rules?

Every custom has its rules.

During this month,

you must not whistle,

because that will only

invite them into your house.

And if you're outside

and you hear someone

calling your name

from behind,

you must never turn back.

[Girl, echoing]

Alyssa.

But most important of all

is that you have to

respect the offerings

and never disturb

their food or ash.

[voices whispering]

But I...

Shh.

Say no more.

Tomorrow I'll bring

more offerings

and you'll be fine.

But remember...

if you leave them alone,

they will leave you alone.

Okay?

If I leave them alone,

they'll leave me alone.

Yes. You'll be okay.

[hammering]

[hammering continues]

Oh. Good morning.

Did you sleep okay?

No, not really.

What's this?

This is the Chinese god

called Zhong Kui.

He's a ghost catcher,

and all the ghosts

are afraid of him.

I put him here

to protect your room.

Thanks. I think.

[doorbell rings]

Blake.

Hi. What are you

doing here?

This is for you.

Since you like

to read and all.

The Biology of Horses

by Dr. Blake Reesy.

Is that you?

Um, yeah.

I signed it for you

right there.

[laughs]

Wow.

Thanks. I'm honored.

I'll give it a read

as soon as I can.

Wow! This is a nice place.

You know, I've lived

up here a long time

and never stepped

foot in here.

Not very neighborly,

I suppose.

Um, I'm not supposed

to have anyone inside

and no one else

is here right now.

It's one of Miss Wu's

golden rules.

Haven't you ever

broken one?

[laughs]

Well, I like my job

and I'd like to keep it.

Please, you probably

should go.

Don't worry, I seen her

drive past my house

a few minutes ago

with the old lady.

Would you like

something to drink?

Sure.

What do you have?

Let's see.

Martini,

double scotch...

Water?

Water's fine.

So you're an author, then?

Sometimes.

I just have the one book,

but I'm working on another.

I mainly raise horses

on my estate.

I'm a vet.

A vet?

Wow. How exciting.

Are you married?

No.

So you're a single

part-time writer, a vet,

and you like

to raise horses

on your estate.

Are you gay?

[sputters]

[laughing]

Good one.

[Blake]

This was the first house

built up in these parts.

The Wu family bought

most of the land around here

and then eventually

sold it off.

She's definitely

from old money.

How long have you

lived here?

I bought my place

about six years ago.

Took a while to get

used to the isolation,

but I've grown to like it.

How about you?

I'm sick of city life.

That bad, huh?

That bad.

I found this

in my room.

Do you know her?

No, I don't.

Why... Why do you ask?

Her name's Mei-Ling.

She was the housekeeper

here before me,

and I was just wondering...

[speaking Chinese]

Dr. Reesy.

What did I tell you

about having people over

without my permission?

Well, I-I know,

but he...

I should be going now.

Um, thanks for the water.

I'll show you out.

What are you doing here?

I was just coming

to get to know your new girl.

She doesn't need

any friends,

especially

ones like you.

What's that

supposed to mean?

Good-bye, Dr. Reesy.

You know, I was thinking

that maybe...

[water dripping]

[clang]

[hissing]

[key tinkling]

[indistinct voices]

[voices whispering]

[loud thunderclap]

[Miss Wu]

Alyssa?

Yes, ma'am?

Come over here.

All right.

Do you like wine?

Uh, sure.

Here. This red wine

is good for you.

What's the occasion?

Let's take a seat.

I'm sorry I was short

with you earlier.

I seem to be having

a stretch of bad luck.

Remember you asked me

about Mei-Ling

a few days ago?

Yeah.

Well, the man she was

involved with was Blake.

Really?

He told me

he didn't know her.

Well, I'm not surprised.

He's a liar.

What happened?

Are you sure you want

to hear this?

I'm sure.

Well, she was a good girl.

Very quiet.

It gets lonely

out here, you know?

I didn't think anything

of it at the beginning.

But then I started noticing

her not coming home at night.

I saw them kissing

in the woods a few times.

It's really none

of my business.

But then, she started

forgetting about her chores

and arguing with me

over things.

[no audible dialogue]

I was hoping things

would get better.

But then, one night,

she ran to the house,

screaming and dripping

with blood.

I was terrified.

Something

had happened to her.

She was beaten.

Oh, my God.

Blake did it?

He was the last

to see her that night.

But he denied it.

So we cleaned her up,

and her wounds healed.

She wouldn't tell us

what happened to her

that night

and who did it.

She just accepted it.

As time went on,

Blake stopped

coming around.

And she became

more and more depressed.

The life force

seemed to have been

sucked out of her.

Where is she now?

I honestly don't know.

She vanished.

One day,

we found her room empty.

And this was on her bed.

[Mei-Ling]

"My dear Miss Wu,

"my life has become empty.

"I can't bear the loneliness.

"I'm sorry, but I must go.

Mei-Ling."

That was two months ago.

Well, didn't the police

or her family try to find her?

Well, she ran away

and didn't want to be found.

Plus, she was illegal

in this country.

I think the police

would be the last people

she'd want to see.

That's so sad.

Well, Alyssa,

I don't mean to scare you,

but if I were you, I would

stay away from him, okay?

[screeching]

[whispering voices]

[clock ticking]

[dialing]

[typing]

[phone ringing]

Hello?

Hey, Nicole.

Hey. You're up late.

Yeah. I can't sleep.

What's wrong?

I don't know what's

wrong with me lately.

I think I'm going crazy.

You getting lonely

out there or what?

Have you ever had a dream

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