Chapter 8: Day 5: Gonna Die…
Monday: Day 5: Noah in shop.
Noah fumbled his hands about in his pockets. He was trying to pay for his cigarettes and Cosmo magazine. He pulled out of his pocket a lighter, some smudged pictures of Rachel, A phone, a bicycle and a five-dollar bill.
He handed over the five-dollar bill and waited for his receipt.
"You're gonna die." The woman behind the counter said to him.
Noah panicked.
"What! Why! The tape isn't real!"
The woman looked at him strangely.
"I meant smoking Sonny Jim…Clogs yer pipes…."
"Riiiiiight" Noah said, picking up his fags and preparing to walk away, but the monitor caught his eye. The security monitor screen was filming the shop, as it should do, and Noah's face was all smudged and swirled. Just Like Rachel…Who had watched the tape. Just like the kids…who had watched the tape and then died…just like he had watched the tape…
"oooooooh!" The audience squealed sarcastically.
"Saint Jimmy…you awrite?" The woman asked, staring at him.
"Aaaaaaah!" Noah screamed.
"Bye bye Jimminy Cricket." She muttered, whilst stealing cash from the till.
"Gotta love the young-uns."
A woman from the shop watched Noah run out.
"He was ugly, but…" She muttered.
…
The sky flew past our screen in fast motion, as the clouds whizzed over the sun, until a grey fuzzy band appeared at the top of the screen, and the picture stretched.
"Hey!" The audience shouted.
Noah's head came into view. Noah was actually up in the projection room pressing his fingers on the reel.
"Oh! Sorry…" Noah said, releasing it, and we heard a sharp cry of 'ooch!'
Rachel's Apartment later that day
Rachel walked into the hall.
"Shit." She exclaimed, just coz she always does.
She walked into the living room and noticed the television was flickering static, and the lights were off. The babysitter was slumped in the armchair, her head hanging forward.
Rachel approached the still figure, and prepared to touch it.
"Nooo!" The audience hoarsely whispered. "It's Samara…" Edge-of-your-seat nail biting atmosphere as Rachel moves closer.
Rachel touched the babysitter's shoulder. She spun round in the chair, giggling.
"Oh god!" Rachel shouted, looking at the TV. "What did you watch? Was it the tape?"
"Erm…"
"Or the copy I made?"
"No…Aidan forced me to watch…"
"Noooooo!"
"I haven't finished yet."
"Right. Ok. Sorry. Continue. Wait…A Walk To Remember? Noooooo!"
"…The Exorcist…"
"Phew…that's okay then."
The conversation slowed down again.
"Anyway…" The babysitter continued. "Aidan gave me my bottle, read me a disturbing but lovely story, showed me pictures and put me to bed."
"Oh good." Rachel said with relief. "So I'll pay him…"
"Twenty fifty five." The babysitter smiled.
"God…They charge a lot these days…" Rachel muttered, raking through her purse. "I think he's bumped his prices up…"
"And he learned the word 'conundrum' today." The babysitter's giggles were doing everyone's head in by now.
"Uh…What?" Rachel asked, staring at the babysitter. "Geeze…You'd think I was paying you to look after him…"
The babysitter left.
Aidan's room, same time.
There was an unnecessary scanning of Aidan's toys. The rain fell outside and we saw Aidan sleeping.
"Is it just me?" The audience whispered again. "Or is it CONSTANTLY raining in this movie?"