Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to "The Ring" or "Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb."

A.N. - Sorry this took so long. I've had the idea for this chapter for quite a while, but I've been a little busy. Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter two: "Beth, Lies, and Videotape"

Sunlight filled the small meadow at Shelter Mountain. Slowly, as if in a trance, Rachel walked toward the well in the center of the field, and to the dark haired girl who stood beside it. The girl turned around. It was Beth. Completely unaware of what she was doing, Rachel threw the bag she was holding over Beth's head. Beth struggled furiously until Rachel hit her over the head with a loose rock from the well. Rachel looked down at lifeless corpse she was holding. It was then, that she became aware of her surroundings and of what she had just done.

"Oh god" she whispered "What happened?!" Panicked, she pushed the body into the well and started run away in the opposite, almost tripping over the long, black, dress she was wearing. Suddenly, a voice sounded from inside the well.

"Rachel!"

Rachel turned around to see Noah struggling to climb out of the well. She started toward him but before she could get there, a figure with long, dark, hair in it's face appeared behind Noah and pulled him back down into the depths of the well.

"Noah!!!" Rachel screamed.

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For what must've been the third time that night, Rachel woke up with heart pounding. She sat there for a few seconds reminding herself that it was just a dream. Still shaking, she got out of bed and got a glass of water from the bathroom. When she got back, she checked the alarm clock. It was six thirty. She grabbed some clothes and started to get dressed.

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Noah sipped his coffee as he watched the monitor on the duplicator. There was a knock at the door. He got up and opened it.

"Hey, Rach! C'mon in." They went over to the duplicator. It had finished copying the tape.

"The copy" Rachel thought. "Beth has to see the copy." She checked her watch. It was seven. She still had plenty of time. Noah hadn't seen the tape until eight ten the previous week.

"So, Noah, which one is the original?"

"This one" he said, pushing a button. One of the tapes popped out. Rachel quickly grabbed it and put it in her purse. Just then, the door burst open. Beth came in, carrying a large camera bag. "Hi, Noah!" she said briskly. "What's on this tape that you just had to show me? Is it amateur? Because you said the camerawork was-" Beth stopped in her tracks, noticing Rachel was there.

"Oh, you're here…again."

"Yeah" Noah said. "She's the one working on the story. We could use your opinion on this tape."

"Let's see it then."

Noah took the copy out or the machine, placed it in the VCR, and pushed play. Rachel looked away, not wanting to see the grotesque images again. When she finally turned back, the last image on the tape had faded to static.

"Well" Beth said. "That was…interesting"

"Maybe it is over." Rachel thought. "Maybe-"

Brrrring… Brrring…

Beth reached into her bag and pulled out a cell phone. "Hello?" A confused expression came over her face. "Seven days? Seven days until what? Hello?!"

Noah pulled Rachel aside. "I thought you said it was over." He said with a hint of panic in his voice.

"I thought it was." Rachel replied.

"What's going on?" Beth chimed in.

Noah ignored her. "Then, why aren't we dead? What's gonna happen to Aidan?!"

"I think I've got an idea" murmured Rachel.

She took the tape out of the VCR and gave it to Beth. "Copy this and show the copy to someone."

"What?" Beth eyed Rachel suspiciously. "Ok, that's it. What are the two of you up to?!"

"What are you talking about?" Noah asked.

"Don't play dumb with me, Noah! You invite her over Twice! Then, the two of you try to play a sick joke on me! Are you two doing something my back?!"

"What? No! Beth, we're not-"

"Oh yeah? Then, would you care to explain why you were moaning the name 'Rachel' a couple nights ago when we were-"

Rachel looked at Noah, wide eyed. He turned slightly red. "Look, Beth" Noah started.

"Forget it! Just forget it!" Beth stormed across the room and opened the door.

"Beth, you've-"

"Goodbye, Noah!!" She slammed the door behind her as she left.

"I'm sorry." Rachel said softly.

"Don't worry" said Noah. If she sees half the things we saw in our sleep, she'll do it. I'll call her and make sure. What about Aidan?"

"I'll take care of it."

They sat in silence for a while until Rachel spoke again.

"Noah?"

"Yeah?"

"Is what Beth said true?"

"Which part?"

"When she said that you called out my name while the two of you were…"

Noah turned red again. "Err… Why do you ask?"

"Well" Rachel admitted. "It's just that I-I… I never stopped thinking about you either."

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"Aidan… Aidan… You'll never be rid of me. Everyone will suffer."

"Go away! Leave me alone" Aidan mumbled as he tossed and turned before finally waking up. Trembling, he got out of bed and looked at the clock. It was six thirty A.M. More importantly, it was Thursday again. About a week ago, his mother had made him do the unthinkable. With a shudder, he got dressed and grabbed his book bag. As Aidan moved down the hall he heard a soft noise that sounded vaguely like static. He hurried into the living room. The TV screen was covered in static, but to Aidan's great relief, everything else seemed fine. He noticed Noah and Rachel curled up together, peacefully sleeping on the sofa. Aidan couldn't help but smile. "They must've fallen asleep after coming home from dinner last night" he thought. "I guess I'll leave now so I won't wake them up." He got a pencil and paper and wrote:

"I went to school early. See you this afternoon.

-Aidan"

He grinned ruefully and added:

"P.S. You two had better behave."

Aidan put the note on counter and left the apartment.

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Rachel lazily opened one eye to see the static on the TV. She Yawned, reached for the remote and turned it off. Noah started to stir. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and grinned.

"Morning"

He leaned forward and kissed her.

"Coffee?" Rachel offered. She rolled off the couch and made her way to kitchen. Noah followed. "You know," he said "I don't have to be at work for another hour."

"Me neither." Rachel said

"Wanna start another movie."

"Okay"

Noah grabbed the video boxes from the counter and noticed the note beside them. "Looks like Aidan left without us." He raised his eyebrows upon reading the last line. "P.S. you two had better behave." He grinned suggestively. "Interesting choice of words. Tisk, tisk, Rachel. What have you been teaching our son?"

"God forbid he becomes a pervert like his father."

They laughed. Noah pushed the tape "Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" in to VCR and the duo returned to the couch.

Rachel leaned her head against Noah's shoulder. He smiled, putting his arm around her. After all the turmoil of the previous week, these past few days had been the some of the happiest Rachel had seen in quite a long time.

"I've won, Samara" She thought. "You can't hurt us anymore."

Beep beep beep…

"I'll get it." Noah reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. "Hello?"

"Noah?"

"Beth... uh, hi..."

"Hey, did you notice anything wrong with the cameras? Because, I've been trying to take a self portrait all week and my face keeps turning out blurry. I've tried every type of film there is, but nothing's worked. Hold on… Crap. I'm gonna have to call you back. My TV keeps fuzzing out. The damn cable must be down again."

"Beth, wait! Didn't you make the copy? Hello?! Shit!"

Rachel sat up. "She didn't copy it?!"

"Apparently, not." Noah grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

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Rachel and Noah burst through the double doors into the lobby of Beth's apartment building. Noah pressed the elevator button and the doors opened.

"Stay here." He told Rachel as he got on.

"Noah, I really don't think you should-"

"Stay here!" He repeated firmly. The doors of the elevator closed.

"Shit!" Rachel looked around and saw an elderly woman sitting in one of the lobby chairs. "Excuse me," Rachel asked "Would you happen to know any one in this building named Beth?"

"Why, yes" the woman responded.

"Where does she live?"

"She's on the second floor, number two o seven."

"Thank you." Rachel dashed through the door labeled Stairwell and raced up the stairs to the second floor. Upon arriving, she found room 207's door already open. Rachel entered into the living room. It was empty. "Hello?!" she called out. There was no answer. The carpet around the static-ridden television was drenched. The sight made Rachel cringe. She started down the hallway. Passing a large mirror on left, she noticed a door on the right. Light and water were seeping out from under it. She opened the door and found herself in the bathroom. Water was pouring out from behind the shower curtain and over the tub. She pulled back the shower curtain…and immediately wished she hadn't. Leaning against one of the corners, was Beth's rotting corpse. Rachel screamed.

She ducked out of the bathroom and moved further down the hall, into the bedroom. Noah was sitting on the floor, curled into a ball, rocking back and forth, and muttering "She never sleeps. She never sleeps." Rachel knelt down beside him.

"Noah?" she asked, her voice quavering a little. "Are you ok?" She reached out to him. He recoiled, backing away from her before continuing to mutter.

"She never sleeps. She never sleeps."

Rachel stared at him. Something was definitely wrong. His usually bright eyes now seemed hollow and vacant. An expression Rachel had seen before…on Becca.

"They don't put you in booties and a straight jacket if you're just freaked out. Something scared the shit out of her."

"So, who's in the mental hospital?"

"Becca, Katie's friend."

"Oh, right, she was the one who was-"

"There…when it happened."

Rachel remembered the conversation she had with Katie's friends at the funeral. Tears welled in her eyes as the realization dawned upon her. Becca and Noah had both seen something, something that had driven them both insane.

"Oh God" she whispered.

She threw her arms around him. "Noah, baby I'm so sorry." She closed her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I never meant for this to happen."

Suddenly her eyes flew open and whether she realized it or not, five words came out of her mouth. In a voice, not her own, she said:

"All I wanted was you."

A.N. –To be continued, as soon as I solidify the rest of the chapters in my head. R&R! No flames! Or Samara will come out of your T.V.

He he he.