A Ring Story 2: Children of the Ring DAY 2 (Part 1)
Oct 28 '03 (Updated Nov 01 '03)
The Bottom Line Lani, Chris, and their daughter Samara leave America for the Home of the Rising Sun, to help Mai, Schleppy, and their daughter Shizuko. What will Sadako have waiting for them?
DAY 2
Lani, Chris, and a sleeping Samara were at the airport where Lani and Chris saw a familiar face from 6 years ago. It was Lindsey, the luggage clerk at the airport. Chris and Lani pulled out their passports and Samara's passport.
"I haven't seen you two for a long time! So did you get to meet the guy who made Ring?" Lindsey asked them
"Yeah, and Koji Suzuki." Lani said, thinking of Suzuki- the man who had died helping them.
"And you're going back. Wow," sighed Lindsey sighed, wishing she could go to Japan one day.
"We're going to visit some friends there," said Chris.
"Put your bags on the conveyor belt."
They did and this time there weren't any images.
"Have fun in Japan." Lindsey said to them as they left carrying their bags, heading to their gate.
Sunrise in Japan. The phone rings.
Schleppy, who was still awake, got up off the bed and answered it. "Hello?" he said weakly.
"Schleppy?" It was J. "You sound exhausted."
"I'd rather not talk about it right now- did you track down the book?"
"You're lucky- it's in the Tokyo area. I'll fax the adress to you." J hung up, and a few moments later the fax machine started up.
Schleppy picked up the warm piece of paper, and pocketed it. He went into the bedroom to wake Mai.
"Good morning, beautiful," he said with a smile.
Mai smiled back, though weakly. She had no clue that Schleppy had saved her life the last night.
"J called. The book's right outside of town, we should go get it soon."
Mai nodded, and got out of bed.
Mai froze a minute as there was a subliminal flash and the room turned grey and grainy- almost like an old video screen. Time seemed to slow down as Schleppy seemed to be almost frozen and barely moving.
Sadako appeared above her
Mai looked up
Sadako hissed "The third sister joins our father's circle. You have one day left!"
Mai was horrified- "One day? what do you mean- I have six days, not 2! You can't kill me or my daughter before then." She started crying. "Please let my daughter live- It was me! It was me!"
Sadako hissed again "One day left to save her!"
Then she was gone.
Mai burst into tears in Schleppy's arms.
Mai looked up at Schleppy "The curse is accelerated. We only have today left!"
Schleppy was horrified "What?" for a moment he considered telling Mai that she was going to live because he had saved her. "How do you know?"
Mai "Sadako was here. She said I had one day left."
Schleppy "But that could mean anything Mai. I see no reason why Sadako would change her deadline."
Mai "I have to be sure...... We must see someone who can tell us....It's Miya. She will know."
Schleppy shook his head, his _expression making it clear he did not want that. "Miya will have turned evil again. She will just play mind games with you."
Mai "I don't care- I must know how long i have to save our daughter. I'll link with her if I must."
She went to the phone and called the institute where Miya was being kept.
Schleppy: "Mai this is ridiculous. Nothing good will come of this."
Mai ignored him and spoke in Japanese to the receptionist who answered the phone. "I'd like an appontment to see Miss Miya Dolarhyde, your recently transferred patient from the US."
Schleppy went up close to her and muttered angrily "And what about that thing in the papers where that Doctor from there was killed in a car wreck. You know it was because of her! That freak could kill you too if you go to her."
Mai turned and said sternly "Well I don't really have anything to lose now, do I?"
He wanted to tell her that she was saved, but he was so afraid that she'd hate him for it.
She listened over the phone and gave her name and Schleppy's. Then after the receptionist's reply she gave her goodbye and hung up.
Mai didn't smile but she looked satisfied "Well it's agreed then. We have an appointment to see her in three hours "
"Alright," said Schleppy. "But we sould at least go to this place first," he said, showing her the adress.
Half an hour, they were almost at the house. The place seemed very backwoods, especially for this region of Japan. Schleppy got out of the car and knocked on the door.
It opened- there was a small and elderly man standing there.
"Hello, Mr. Fujii," he said. "My name is Schleppy Lundo. I came here to look at the book."
The man was confused for a moment, then nodded. "You mean Suzuki's book?"
"Yes."
"What about it?" The man was very suspicious.
"Well, I was wondering if I might buy it for... what did you pay for it?"
"50,000 yen."
"Alright then, I'll give you 70 grand."
The man smiled, as Schleppy took out the money. "I'll get the book."
He returned a few minutes later with the heavy book. "Here it is," he said.
They traded money for book, and Schleppy got back to the car.
"That was quick," said Mai with a smile.
"A little heavy on the pocket, but this is important. Alright, let's get to the clinic now."
A few minutes later, another car showed up at the house. A young man stepped out, and yelled for the old man. "Dad?"
The old one stepped out of the house again.
"Dad, I need that book you were talking about."
"What for?"
The young man looked around sheepishly. "This and that, father. This and that."
"Well, I'm sorry- I just sold it to a young foreign man, for a very good price."
"Did you get any information?"
"No, he payed in cash. He said his name was Schleppy Lundo, though."
The boy swore. "What sort of car was he driving?"
The old man described the car, and the boy jumped into his own. He had to get that book!
---
Schleppy spoke as they drove, gesturing to the spellbook. "Well we can now find out what went wrong with the spell."
Mai "En No probably destroyed the sorcerer's soul."
As they got closer to the hospital, Mai could feel Miya's presence.
Images came to her of a dead girl in the arctic, buried, hidden and forgotten. Then another corpse in a boat with a circle of red roses.
Then Miya's sadistically teasing voice could be heard in her head "Can you feel me? I can feel you too."
Mai's eyes bulged
Miya "I feel much confusion in your head. You're so anxious- choices, choices, choices, choices, choices!"
Mai spoke aloud. "Why only two days?! Why does my daughter die tonight? Why will i never see her again after tonight"
there was a pause.
Miya "Your daughter has been allowed seven days of life, just like all the others. But only for the first two can she save herself with a sacrifice."
Mai "Why!?"
Miya "Sadako knows your tricks! So time can no longer be your luxury. Time for thinking runs out tonight, he he he. And you won't make the choice of sacrifice. It is now out of your grasp. So Sadako will decide."
Mai "what does that mean? Will I die tonight"
Miya laughed. then her voice faded away.
Mai turned to Schleppy. "Drive faster!" She said angrily. "We must get there."
Schleppy put his foot on the pedal.
Mai looked through the side mirror and saw a car behind them accelerate to match their speed.
Mai "Damn! I think that car's following us."
The plane landed and Chris, Lani, and Samara got off the plane and got their luggage at the baggage claim.
"With all that's happening, I'm surprised the flight went soo smoothly," Chris said to Lani as they left the airport parking lot in their rental car.
"SMOOTHLY?!?! You have got to be kidding me! They served food that made me throw up, we had a lot of turbulance, and they showed Gigli! I don't think the flight went that smoothly," Lani said make Chris chuckle at her little outburst.
"You just can't be pleased, can you?"
"Nope. But at least it was really nice to look out the window. It reminded me of, well..."
"It reminded you of what?"
"Remember how Mai killed me?"
"How can I forget, I thought you tried to forget about it."
"I did try to forget. Well, it made me think of when I was going to Suzuki's shop and I was flying. I felt so at peace with myself and it reminded me of riding my cousin's motorcycle. I didn't get the same blast of air in my face this time though, but the feeling of flying's just so surreal."
There was an uncomfortable silence in the car for 15 minutes.
"Don't you think you should call Schleppy and Mai?"
"Yeah."
As Chris drived to the hotel, Lani pulled out her cell phone and dialed Schleppy's cell phone.
"Please be there, Schleppy, please be there."
Miya: he he people are coming to visit, they are back home in japan.
They are all coming home. he he he he he
A dark figure approached Miya from behind.
Dark figure: My twin, Myelf, my other me, it has begun. The truth will be finally revealed.
--------------------
Schleppy had realised that Mai was right- they were being pursued. He turned a corner and stopped the car suddenly. Their pursuer couldn't be seen yet.
"O.K." he said. "I'll try to lead whoever's chasing us off. You get out the car now. Get out of sight when the car comes and make your way to the institute."
Mai opened the door: "What about the spellbook? Should I keep that safe?"
Schleppy: "I think it will be safer with me than with Miya if she now serves En No. she's bound to try and destroy it. Besides it will look suspicious bringing a magical cult book to see a mental patient."
Schleppy's phone rang, but he ignored it for the moment.
Mai nodded. Then stepped out and ducked behind a parked car as Schleppy drove off and their pursuer drove after him. She was worried now about Schleppy and the men pursuing him, but she had more pressing concerns. She got out of hiding when the coast was clear and ran down the street, and got to the institute.
The Doctors approved her and she was led by a strict security guard to Miya's cell.
--------------------
Schleppy finally picked the phone up. "Hello?" he asked, looking behind him at the car.
"Hi Schleppy."
"Oh, hi Lani! Are you here already?"
"Yeah, we're waiting at the airport. Where are you?"
Schleppy swore under his breath. "Listen, we can't pick you up right now. Mai's going to see Miya at the institute, and I'm being chased by a mysterious car. Just wait at my house."
Lani nodded. She remembered where Schleppy and Mai lived- Chris, Zebu and she had all been there for the Lundo's wedding party.
"There's a key in one of the bonzai arrangements," Schleppy continued. "The one that looks like Oshima, it's in the cave."
"Thank you." She hung up.
"He said to wait at his house- he hid the housekey in a bonzai replica of Oshima Island."
"Alright, let's go over there," said Chris, picking up their luggage. Lani stood up with Samara in her arms, and followed him outside to the rental.
Schleppy hung up, and looked behind him- but the car was gone.
The boy got out of his car and swore- he had run out of gas just a minute ago. He wrote down the car's lisence plate, and called a towing company.
---
--------------------
Lani got out of the car and found the key in the bonzai arrangement with the key. Chris came up behind her holding Samara.
"I can't believe we're here because En No got loose." Chris said once the walked inside. "I thought that the next time we would come back would be because of something more..."
"More joyful? I know the feeling." Lani replied as she took Samara out of Chris's arms. Chris went out to the car and brought in the bags.
"So, when do you think they'll get back?"
"Not a clue."
Both Chris and Lani sat down and Lani rocked Samara to sleep in her arms.
--------------------
Schleppy got home- he was sure the man in the car was gone. "Let me see..." he said, checking the Oshima cave. "Yep, they're here."
He opened the door.
"Hey, Lani and Chris."
"Schleppy!" shouted Chris. Lani gave him a hug.
"So is Mai still out?"
"Yeah- you want me to fix you some Sencha?"
"Sure," said Chris, though he was not knowledgeable about Japanese culture to even know that Sencha was tea.
Schleppy disappeared into the kitchen, which gave Lani and Chris some time to look around the house.
It seemed like some sort of bizarre mix of traditional Japanese and Western influences. The furniture was arranged as it was in Ryuji's house- Mai's decision, no doubt- but was almost entirely American in construction, save for the computer and television. Chris looked through their videos and DVDs- Battle Royale, Mosters Inc., the first Godzilla movie, and, of course, all incarnations of Ring.
And on top of the VCR was a blank tape. Chris looked it over- although he needed no confirmation that this was the tape they had watched six years before.
Lani, holding Samara, was looking over the pictures they had of the family. There was Mai, Schleppy and Shizuko at Pacific Land, with Schleppy moving his head in order to try and capture the "cursed" effect, though it was nowhere near the blurriness needed. Lani laughed- it was just like Schleppy to do that.
Then she picked up the other picture on the table, and smiled. It Mai and Schleppy, as well as her, Chris and Zebu. Mai was wearing her wedding dress, and everybody was five years younger. They were all so happy- but now, that moment was farthest from their minds. Mai and Shizuko were cursed, her and Chris were most likely next, and nobody even knew where Zebu was.
She put the picture down, and turned around- brushing a few papers to the ground. She bent over to pick them up, and there was another picture in them.
It was Miya. She looked like she had not sleeped in months, but she carried an eerie smile. But her face was obscured, by an odd shadow. Lani looked hard at it, then somebody's hand was on her shoulder.
She jumped, and the picture fell back to the floor. It was Schleppy.
"Tea's done..." he said, looking at the picture. He picked it up and set it back on the table. He did not want to talk about it.
"Thank you," said Lani, taking tea from the saucer. Chris got up and took his cup.
They sipped their tea, and Schleppy described what had happened since his call on the previous day.
---
--------------------
Mai entered, she saw the insane shell that once was Miya, sitting on her bed.
Miya: hello, come to visit? my friends do not visit, I think they do not like me, do you?
Mai: Miya what is happening? has En No come back?
Miya: silly girl, I am En no, part of him, a fraction, he he he, I can see right through you, you want to kill me don't you? you hate me, you are scared of me, don't you want to play the game? see the surprise? discover the truth?
Mai: Miya give me a clue?
Miya: A clue is bad, a cheat it is, a riddle is fine though.
Mai: Okay Miya give me a riddle
Miya: "lovers come and go, and familys grow, forms change and diverge, the roots can be as important as the first.
Mai: the first?
Miya: Naughty girl do you thibk I would tell, he he he he ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Mai left the cell, she could still here Miyas laughter as she left through the hospitals doors. She phoned up home and Schleppy answered.
Schleppy: did she tell you anything?
Mai: Not a word, she is mad, she has lost it. Though...
Schleppy: what do you mean?
Mai: she said somthing about the first, I think she may mean somthing to do with the first reported deaths, though I do not know which one. I'm going to pick up Shizuko anyway. I'll be back in two hours.
She then hung up
--------------------
Mai made her way from the institute on foot, and arrived at Ryomi's house. Ryomi answered the door.
Mai put on a smile "I forgot to tell you that Shizuko has to see the doctor today. I have to take her now."
Ryomi nodded. She went in and came out a minute later with Shizuko. Mai bent down to her. "you're going to see the doctor. About your bad dreams."
Shizuko smiled back. Mai took her hand and walked away. "I'll bring her back later."
As they walked down the street, Mai spoke "I'm right aren't I. you had a bad dream last night because of the video you watched."
Shizuko shyly said "Yes. About this girl with long hair over her face, and I know underneath she's mean and wants to hurt me. And I dream about being trapped in water."
Mai: "Well I've figured out that what you need is to watch the video again, with me there so I can let you know its not real and you don't have to be scared."
Shizuko "I don't want to see it again. It frightens me."
Mai "But I don't think it would frighten you as much if I was there to hold your hand and let you know that I'm there to protect you. You must face your fears Shizuko. That's how you become stronger"
Shizuko: "Alright mommy."
Well that was it then. She'd get her daughter to copy the tape, and then try to get someone to watch it somehow. There was nothing else she could do to save her. This was the last day she could do it, and right now she didn't care who would have to die so her daughter could live.
------
--------------------
"...So that's what's happened, so far," Schleppy finished. "Listen, there's not much we can do until Mai comes home- I definitely learned a lot of Japanese in my time here, but not enough to find the right page of this book. So is this little Samara?"
Samara gurgled a little.
Schleppy laughed. "You know how confusing this will be now that the Evil Samara is back."
Lani and Chris laughed. Schleppy's phone rang. "Hello," he said, answering it.
"Hey Schleppy. Listen- I picked up Shizuko, I'm going to try and save her."
Schleppy paused. "Are you sure it's a good idea, Mai?"
"Of course not! Hell, I killed Lani to keep her from doing it six years ago. But this is Shizuko. I don't care if I die, so long as you and Shizuko are still around."
Schleppy felt a sudden pang of guilt. He changed the subject. "Lani and Chris are here."
"Already? Alright, I'll be over in a few hours. I have to get this done tonight."
Schleppy nodded. "Alright, Mai. I love you."
"I love you, too."
Schleppy hung up, and sighed.
"What is it, Schleppy?" asked Lani. Schleppy was her oldest friend who hadn't gone insane, and she could tell what he was feeling- although her limited psychic abilities may also be to blame.
"Do you two promise you can tell a secret?"
"Sure, anything."
Scheppy took a breath. "Last night, when Mai was asleep... I used her finger to make a copy of the tape. I couldn't possibly let her die. I watched it, and I destroyed it."
Lani gaped. "But- but if the tape's destroyed, there'll be no way to save you!"
"There might not be. But if it means that Mai will be alright, then I'll do anything."
Schleppy looked up at them. "You have to promise, not to tell Mai. She's going to save Shizuko, and they'll be fine."
Lani nodded. She understood- if Chris was going to die, she'd certainly watch the tape herself. She could only imagine how much that could grow over an extra three years. "Don't worry," she said. "I won't tell her until after you're gone."
"Thank you," Schleppy said.
They sat back down and tried to talk about other things. Mostly, though, they waited for Mai to return.
Mai entered with Shizuko and saw Lani & Chris with their own daughter. She smiled and went up to them and hugged them. "It's so good to see you all."
It was strange how they embraced each other. Only six years ago, Lani and Chris had wanted to kill her. Now they were like family.
Mai looked at Samara and tightened her eyelids affectionately. "So this is little Samara? She's beautiful."
Then she remembered what she had come here to do. "I'm sorry" she said. "I have to do something." then she muttered so that shizuko couldn't hear "I'm going to save her. Please don't try to stop me, and stay out the room until it's finished."
Lani eyed her sympathetically, then gestured to Samara "I'd probably do the same thing."
Mai smiled weakly then took Shizuko up to their room. Picking up the Monsters Inc video which was now infected with Sadako's video.
She put the Monster's inc video in the left video machine and, because she couldn't find their last blank tape (unknowing that Schleppy had used it last night in this very room) she put Schleppy's taped episode of Baywatch in the other -she could tape over that.
She turned to Shizuko and smiled as best she could. "O.K. Now I'm going to play this, and I'll be with you." She then gestured for the other video remote. "Now I want you to imagine that that red button will create a protection barrier so that the mean woman will be trapped and won't be able to get you."
Shizuko looked down. "I don't want to!"
Mai became stern "Well I'm telling you to do it! It will make you stronger if you just do as I say for once!"
Shizuko looked like she was going to cry. "You're being mean.."
"Don't argue with me!" Mai hissed. She hated herself for treating her like that, but she knew she had to be cruel to be kind "Now do it! Press that button."
Shizuko did as she was told and started crying. Mai pressed the play button and the video started playing.
Mai shivered and held Shizuko's hand.
"I'm scared mommy." Shizuko whimpered.
"But the button will protect you! keep pressing it!"
It was then over. The copy had been made.
Shizuko ran out the room crying, leaving Mai alone with her copy. Mai went down and told Schleppy to go and talk to Shizuko and try and cheer her up.
She then left to find some poor schmuk to put the curse on.
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