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 guy suddenly snatches her purse out of her right hand.

"Hey!" Shikauhno chases after him.

"Stop, you thief!" She yells after him; 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 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." She drops her head in defeat.

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 with the large gentleman now holding it. "Thank god." She runs towards him.

She reaches the light and 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 sadly puts her head down.

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 and there is a sixty inch flat screen television, aquarium, a vase encased in glass, and a dark furniture set.

The camera views the back of a man who is sitting on the couch. 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 line 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, 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 pulls up in front of it and Shikauhno rolls the window halfway down. Shikauhno states, "This must be it."

"Your new place, huh?" He glances at Shikauhno from the rear view mirror and she nods. The cab driver continues, "Well, it sure 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. On 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 on 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.' She thinks to herself.

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.

She exchanges glances with the burgundy headed boy, flustered, Shikauhno looks away. 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 talks to 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." The rain is not heavy nor is it light. 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?"

"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 get into a fancy black car. 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 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. She 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 it's 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 walking and cautiously walks around him.He is wearing a tattered business suit. He begins trembling as Shikauhno is passing by him. After passing him, she recalls the teenage boy handing 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.

He slowly stands up, for a human, his arms are abnormally long.

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. She completely turns around and her eyes widen, "What the...he's gone?"

She turns back around slowly only to see the strange man standing in front of her. This surprises Shikauhno and she 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 look 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 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.

The camera stays on the strange man, he grins wickedly .The camera closes in on his eye and travels to his brain that is transmitting memory neurons. The conjured memory is cloudy and red; he is cutting up green onions quickly with a sharpened knife. He accidentally cuts the tip of his index finger off. Blood pours onto the knife and onions.

The memory fades and the man looks at his own hands. On his left hand, half of his index finger is gone. He looks back up and begins his pursuit on Shikauhno.

As Shikauhno runs the rain stings her bloodied cut; she winces. She recalls watching the news earlier today and her mind flashes back to the television recap of Ryo Yamano's disappearance.

'Could that really be him?' She cautiously glances behind her. Her pursuer is nowhere to be seen.

'Maybe I lost him.' Shikauhno glances behind her as she is thinking this. She recalls the weapon that suddenly appeared in his hand. 'Did that come out of thin air?'

Shikauhno's thoughts cease when she sees a glimpse of him following behind her. He chases after her hungrily.

Shikauhno makes a quick right and she sees a dark blue car with its headlights on, coming her way. She tries to flag it down but it simply passes by and splashes her with rain water from the curb.

She shields her face from the water and hears him closing in on her. Shikauhno observes her surroundings to search for a means of escape. She spots a gate that is slightly ajar and runs to it.

To be continued...

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