In The Beginning, Episode One (Continued)

BOLD AND UNDERLINED text describes the scene: location, time of day, etc.
Italicized and bold is the character's inner thoughts
SFX: Sound Effects
***PLEASE READ THE DESCRIPTION BEFORE CONTINUING

SCENE SIXTEEN: HEART OF RYOJIMA CITY, DOWNTOWN  8:27 AM
The camera displays a wide view of tall buildings, skyscrapers, and bright signs.  

There are various people in the city and the streets are congested with traffic. The camera zooms in on a traffic light, it turns from red to green.

Shikauhno is standing in the heart of Ryojima City taking in all of the scenery. She is standing in front of a large water fountain.

Shikauhno sees two twins with their mother and she finally speaks aloud, “It’s been forever since…” before she can finish her words a rugged guy wearing a beanie suddenly snatches her purse out of her right hand.

“Hey!” Shikauhno chases after him.

“Stop, you thief!” She yells; civilians stare at her without intervening.

The thief looks back at Shikauhno and she almost catches him by the collar, but people crowd her and unintentionally block her path. The thief manages to slip away and Shikauhno gives up. She stops chasing him and catches her breath.

“My purse,” she sadly utters, “All of my money was in there.”

The camera shows the thief run into a large black man who is at least seven feet.

The thief takes a good look at the gigantic man and he gulps in fear. He backs away and cowers, “I uh…I didn’t mean to. I just wanted some smokes man!” The thief drops the purse and runs away.

Shikauhno sees that the thief has relinquished her purse and the rather large gentleman is now  holding it. “Thank god.” She runs towards him.

When she gets there she sees no one. She glances around, “Huh, where’d that big guy go?” Her eyes slowly fall upon a streetlight and she gives it a double take.

Her purple purse is sitting atop a streetlight pole. She stares at it annoyed, “How did that even...?” -___- She drops her head in defeat.

SCENE SEVENTEEN: THE NEXT DAY
The camera shows the outside of a building with the name MAsaku (Mah-sock-ooh) displayed on it. The camera reveals the interior of the building.

The floor is made of expensive wood, the walls are a creamy color. In the room there is a sixty inch flat screen television, aquarium, a vase encased in glass, and a dark furniture set.

The back of a man’s head is popping out from behind the couch he is sitting on. There is a guitar case sitting next to him on the couch. He sports a rat-tail on the left side of his head. His hair is uneven and blonde with blue highlights. He has five ear piercings, two on the right and three on the left, and he is watching the news on the large television screen.

A female news reporter with short brown hair is on the screen. She is wearing a red  pantsuit, “Since 2010, the national homicide rate in all of Japan has increased by nearly thirty percent. As you can see this has surpassed the record from the year 1996. (The screen displays a comparative graph between the number of homicides from 1996 to 2013. Percentages are used to describe the graph.) With breaking news, Ryo Yamano (Rio Yah-mi-no) has been reported missing. As many may know Mr. Yamano is well known throughout Japan for creating and popularizing virtual reality live action video games.”

The reporter is in front of the crime scene. “Behind me is where Mr. Yamano's car was found crushed by unknown causes of which is currently undergoing investigation.”
The picture of Ryo Yamano is displayed on the television screen, he was the businessman who was murdered in scene fourteen.

The reporter continues, “He was last seen in his office around nine thirty pm by his close colleagues. With me is his nine year old daughter, Misuzaka (Mi-su-zah-cuh), and his wife Rachel Yamano.”

Misuzaka comes into the camera’s frame, the reporter lowers the microphone to Misuzaka. Misuzaka speaks with a wavering voice as her mother sobs silently in the background, “I just miss my daddy. I hope he comes home soon,” she shyly looks into the camera, “Daddy, if you hear me please come back home!” She begins crying and the reporter takes over. “What a very heartbreaking plea from little Misuzaka. If anyone has seen…”

The man switches off the television screen with a black remote. The camera only shows the back of his head and the earrings in his ears.

He disgustedly says, “It’s getting worse…much worse.” A white flip phone on his coffee table vibrates, he picks it up without missing a beat.

The voice on the other end speaks before he can. The camera goes to the person on the other end but only reveals their luscious lips. “We’ve found the girl here in Ryojima. She arrived approximately around 4:00 am yesterday, fresh from the United States.”

The camera goes back to the man, it shows the bottom half of his face. He smiles menacingly, “About time.”

SCENE EIGHTEEN: TAXI
Shikauhno is reading off of a pale, wrinkled sticky note, it reads: “532 Temple Avenue, Studio B2.” She is in a taxi and her purse is next to her. She looks out of the window at the gated one story complex; the cab driver parks in front of it and Shikauhno rolls the window halfway down. Shikauhno states, “This must be it.”

"Well, it looks a lot better than that run-down hotel you were staying at. I'll unload your luggage Miss." the cab driver offers.

“Thanks, but I can manage.” She says as she hands him money.

SCENE NINETEEN: STUDIO 6:32 PM
Shikauhno is setting up her studio. The studio is mostly empty except for her luggage, purse, a cheap television set, a small nightstand, drawers, an alarm clock, and a futon with dark green comforters and pillows. The suitcase is open sitting on top of the bed.

In the background the television is on but muted, it has fluctuating reception.

Shikauhno reaches into the suitcase and picks up a picture that was deliberately placed on top of her clothes. In the framed photo is a picture of Shikauhno at a young age and a woman she resembles. The woman has dark hair and beautiful eyes.

Shikauhno stares at the photo with sorrowful eyes, “It's a lot more comfortable than that cramped hotel, isn't it?” She collapses onto the bed with a sigh with the picture laid across her stomach.

She turns her head and looks at the muted television screen. It is showing a news recap of Ryo Yamano’s disappearance with closed captions on.

Shikauhno hears a growl. She sighs, “Ugh, I haven’t eaten since yesterday morning.”

SCENE TWENTY: KING MAKAMO EXTERIOR
The camera shows an outside view of a fast food restaurant called KING MAKAMO. (Mah-kah-moe) A small advertisement sign reads “Try our new tofu burgers!” The camera focuses on Shikauhno looking through the restaurant's window.

'The money I have now isn't going to support me forever, eventually I'll have to get a job. Maybe I could work here.'

SCENE TWENTY-ONE: KING MAKAMO INTERIOR
She is eating at a booth alone, all of the other customers seem to be happy and accompanied with someone. She looks out of the window and it begins raining.

She sighs, “It’s raining…on my second day back too. Why must nature be so cruel? I even left my coat at home.” She groans.

A burgundy-headed boy looks at Shikauhno, he is sitting with three other guys: of which one has short hair, long hair, and blonde hair. In the background is a female wearing a green and white school-girl outfit.

Shikauhno and the boy with burgundy hair exchange glances; Shikauhno looks away flustered. She lowers her head shyly.

Time lapse:Shikauhno's food slowly diminishes, the burgundy-headed boy’s friends leave one by one until he is left alone. Shikauhno throws away the remnants of her food, then she exchanges words with the cashier, the cashier smiles and hands her a white paper.

SCENE TWENTY-TWO: 8:40 PM
Shikauhno stands at the front door of the restaurant. She has a job application in her hand. Because of the rain she is reluctant to leave.

She touches the glass door and stares outside. The teenage boy’s face appears in the reflection of the glass door.

Shikauhno does not notice him until he speaks, “It’s called rain, you know.” Shikauhno finally turns around to see the boy’s face. He has muddy eyes, burgundy hair, and he is a few inches taller than her.

“You gonna move or what?” He continues.

“Sorry.” She steps to the side but continues to stare blankly.

The boy notices that Shikauhno has nothing to shield her from the rain so he takes off of his jacket and offers it to her. “Here.”

She stares at him dumbfounded. He puts his jacket over her head so she is forced to take it. “Just take it.”

He quickly exits the restaurant and Shikauhno watches him run in the rain. She takes the jacket off of her head and looks at it; the words Jiyuheiwa High is embroidered on it.

“Thank…you,” she utters by the time he is already long gone.

SCENE TWENTY-THREE:
Shikauhno is slowly walking in the rain wearing the boy’s jacket hood up. The streets are empty and the rain is light.

Shikauhno pictures herself splashing in puddles as a child with her mother (the same pretty lady from the picture in her suitcase). The puddle turns into blood.

Shikauhno looks away shamefully. ‘There are so many memories here. Even though I’ve been gone for a while I haven’t forgotten a single moment. Being back here makes me feel so nostalgic and it makes me think of, of mom…I wonder how much this place has changed, or has it changed at all?’

As she walks on, she notices something on all fours in the middle of the street. She slows down her pace and comes to the conclusion that, “...must be a stray...”

As Shikauhno gets closer to “the stray” she notices something strange; she slows to a halt and expresses, “What the.”

The camera shifts to the “animal’s” eye perspective and its vision is reddened and blurry.

It hears her cautious footsteps approaching and the camera shifts back to her.

“A man?” She quietly mutters. She begins to walk cautiously around him. He is wearing a tattered business suit. He begins trembling as Shikauhno passes him.

After passing him, she recalls the teenage boy giving her his jacket. She stops in her tracks and sighs deeply.

She turns around and asks, “Are you okay?” The camera shifts to his feet. He is not wearing any shoes. His feet are bare and his toenails are unusually long.

He does not reply; she walks closer to him and continues, “Um, do you need help?” He still remains silent. “Alright then...” Shikauhno gives up and walks away.

The man slowly stands up. His arms are unusually long for a human.

The camera shifts back to Shikauhno and she exclaims, “Well, that was weird.” In the background, the man is seen walking toward Shikauhno.

Shikauhno glances behind her, to her surprise no one is to be seen; her eyes widen, “What the...he's gone?”

She slowly turns back around only to see the strange man standing in front of her.
Shikauhno gasps. They stare at one another.

The camera shows Shikauhno looking at him through her vision then circles around to his reddened, obscured vision. The screen splits revealing Ryo Yamano's face compared to the “man.” They are identical except the look in their eyes.

Within a split second, a black long hand-held spearhead materializes in his right hand. Baffled, Shikauhno stares at it, within that second he reaches he swiftly swings his arm in an upward motion, cutting her from jaw to cheek. The camera films Shikauhno from behind and shifts to her blood flying into the air in slow motion.

A surprised sound escapes her throat. Her eyes widen in fear and without a second thought she runs for her life.