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Begin - Mermaid's Bone Pt. 1
!
[Aerial shot of a seaside village. It is early morning, and the streets
are bustling with fisherman and merchants making their ways to their
respective jobs. But in addition to all this is another face, one who
is dressed neither as a fisherman or a merchant. It is Yuta, he is
dressed in period clothes, which suggests that this takes place some-
time in the 17th century. Yuta walks along, looking this way and that,
looking for someone. He notices a merchant on the side of the road
trying to right his overturned cart. Yuta walks over to him.]
Yuta: Could you use a hand?
Merchant: [Smiles] I certainly would appreciate it.
[Yuta walks over and helps him pull his cart upright.]
Merchant: Heh, I envy your youth. Sometimes the life of a merchant is
too much for these weary bones.
Yuta: No trouble.
Merchant: Rather humble for one so young. Is there anything I can do
for you?
Yuta: Ah, yes, as a matter of fact, you can. Have you heard of a place
called Haiotoshi village? I heard it was somewhere around here.
Merchant: Haiotoshi village?
Yuta: Yes.
Merchant: Well, that's a name I haven't heard in a long time...a LONG
time.
Yuta: Is it around here?
Merchant: I imagine what's left of it is.
Yuta: [Eyes wide] What's LEFT of it?
Merchant: Yes. About fifteen years ago the village was burned to the
ground. No one knows what caused it, and the few survivors of the fire
never wanted to talk about what happened there. Why do you want to go
to the village?
Yuta: I was told there was someone there that could help me with a
problem I have.
Merchant: Well, they must have been pulling your leg. That village has
been ash since you were probably still a toddler.
[Yuta smiles a knowing smile.]
Yuta: Well, thanks anyway. Where exactly are the ruins?
Merchant: Walk west along the shore for about five miles, you'll
eventually reach it.
Yuta: Thank you.
Merchant: Don't mention it.
[Yuta walks towards the beach, the man watches him go in silence for
several moments.]
Merchant: What a strange young man.
-=- -=- -=-
[There is a montage of shots of Yuta walking along the beach. He reaches
the ruins of the village when the sun is high in the sky. Noon. Long
pan of the ruins of the village. It is terrible, there is nothing that
is recognizable as a village save for the worn stones which once
constituted the main street. All the rest is pure, white, dusty, ash.
Yuta stares at it for a long while.]
Yuta: <This couldn't have been caused by accident, the fires were
strategically located, EVERYTHING was burned. It had to be deliberate.
But what kind of monster could do something like this?>
[Suddenly, Yuta notices something moving out of the ashes towards him.
He stares at it for several moments, the brightness of the light
reflecting off the ash obscuring his vision. He is able to make out
that the figure is much larger than any human. As it gets closer, Yuta
sees the red glint of its eyes.]
Yuta: A soulless one!
[Yuta turns and starts to run back towards the beach, but he sees
another soulless one coming towards him up the beach. Yuta quickly
swirls around and sees that the one coming from the direction of the
village is still pursuing him. He turns to his right and sees a series
of mountains, he turns to his left and sees a forest. He breaks for the
forest. The two soulless ones meet and start to lumber after them. Cut
to a series of images as Yuta rushes through the forest. The soulless
ones are starting to move faster. Yuta climbs up into the branches of
a tree and waits for the two to pass by. They linger for a moment,
making snorting knows, perhaps looking for his scent. But their senses
of smell must not be that good, because they miss him completely.
Several minutes after their departure, Yuta shimmies down the tree and
begins to run in the direction of the beach. After several moments he
manages to get out of the forest and onto a steep cliff overlooking
the beach. He turns around to run back into the forest, but a third
soulless one <not one of the two searching for him> emerges from the
forest. Yuta scrambles away from it, and forgetting about the cliff,
flies right off it. He falls a good twenty feet and slams face-first
into a rock. Several moments pass, pull back to reveal about half a
dozen soulless ones converging on where he fell. Fade to credits.]
-----------
Mermaid's Bone
Part One
Written By: Chris Schumacher
Original Mermaid Series Created By: Rumiko Takahashi.
Author's Notes: The creatures who turned into monsters because they ate
mermaid's flesh have several different names; Poisoned ones, Lost Souls,
and Poisoned Souls. Since none of these are even close to the original
(narisookonai - Those who did not become), I've decided to adopt my
own name for them -> Soulless ones. This may not be entirely accurate,
because we have seen at least one which still had a soul, but it's
mostly accurate. Thanks to Anand Chelian for providing me with some
information about the original meaning of the word.
-----------
[Cut back to the last scene. Yuta is lying unconscious on the beach,
half a dozen soulless ones converge on where he is lying. As they
reach them, four of the soulless ones grab his limbs, and they start
to carry him off. Cut to an aerial view of the army of soulless ones
carrying Yuta. They go through a path up the side of the cliff and
start to make their way through the forest. After they travel several
moments through the forest, they come up near the edge of the village.
Nestled within the forest is a hut. The four soulless ones stop a few
feet away from the village. One of the soulless ones walks to the door
of the hut and softly knocks on it. Despite his careful knocking, the
hut shakes a little. A few moments pass and the door opens. The one
opening it is a middle-aged man. He is wearing a black tunic and
carrying a short white staff.]
Man: What is it?
[The soulless one beckons for the man to look behind him. He does so
and sees the soulless ones carrying Yuta.]
Man: Where did you find him?
[The soulless one motions in the general direction of the village.]
Man: In the village?
[The soulless one nods.]
Man: All right, bring him in, GENTLY.
[The man steps out of the way and two of the soulless ones drag him into
the house and lay him down on a straw mat. The man motions with the
staff and the soulless ones leave. He closes the door after them and
goes over to examine Yuta.]
Man: Poor sot...it's a wonder he didn't break his neck.
[The man goes over to a bowl sitting on an endtable. He takes a rag
from the bowl and rings it and the proceeds to place it on Yuta's fore-
head. Several moments pass, and finally Yuta comes around.]
Man: [Cheerfully] Welcome back to the abode of the living.
[Yuta looks disoriented]
Yuta: [Drowsily] Who are you? Where am I?
Man: I am called Aishou. As to our location, we're in my hut.
Yuta: How did I get here? When those things chased me, I thought I was
a goner.
Aishou: They brought you here. They know not to attack anyone unless I
tell them to do so.
Yuta: You act as if you control them.
Aishou: I DO control them.
Yuta: Impossible. No human can control the soulless ones.
[Aishou raises one eyebrow]
Aishou: You seem to know quite a bit about my servants. I have never
heard them called soulless ones before. But, that does sound accurate.
How is it that you come to know of them?
Yuta: If you tell me how you control them, I'll tell you how I know
about them, and what they are.
Aishou: Oh? Well, if all you want know is that, I'll be happy to
oblige. [Holds the staff] This is how I control them.
Yuta: What is that? Where did you get it?
Aishou: [Sigh] Well, that's a long story...
Yuta: We have all the time in the world.
Aishou: Or so you think. Never mind, then. I'll tell you.
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to an exterior shot of the hut in the woods, showing that it's a
tad bit later, early afternoon. We see three soulless ones standing
guard in front of the hut. Cut to an interior shot of the hut. A table
now occupies the middle of the hut, and Yuta and Aishou sit on either
side of the table. In front of each of them sits a wooden bowl and a
goblet. Aishou has just finished filling his bowl with a ladle, and
he pours some Sake into Yuta's cup.]
Yuta: Thank you.
Aishou: No problem.
[He fills his own and they start to eat.]
Yuta: So, what about the story?
Aishou: Rather anxious aren't you? [Sigh] All right. It all started
about fifteen years ago.
[Cut to an aerial shot of a seaside village. It is around noon and we
see the fisherman and merchants walking back towards their huts for
lunch. We see a younger Aishou walking down the street. He is dressed
as a fisherman and looks hungry.]
Aishou VO: I used to be a fisherman in the village.
Yuta VO: Heh.
Aishou VO: What's so funny?
Yuta: I was a fisherman too.
Aishou VO: Oh. Heh. Anyway, Haiotoshi village used to be an extremely
prosperous and peaceful place. We worked hard, but life was good. There
wasn't another village for five miles, thus there were never any wars.
But, unfortunately, it wasn't as pleasant and carefree as I try to
remember it.
[Cut to a shot of the village at night. We see a soulless one walking
down the main road of it.]
Aishou VO: Every ten years or so, one of those...SOULLESS ONES, came
down into the village and kidnapped a little baby girl. Legend has it
that he took the baby to its mistresses, who lived in a secluded village
up the shore.
Yuta VO: Didn't you ever do anything to stop it?
Aishou VO: No. We were content to sacrifice one young girl a decade
because the Demon Women would leave the village alone.
[Cut back to the hut.]
Yuta: Demon women?
Aishou: The residents of the village up the shore. Horrible women who
have the ability to turn into monsters when enraged.
Yuta: <Mermaids...it MUST be mermaids!>
[Aishou finishes his bowl of soup and pushes it away. He leans back and
lights his pipe.]
Aishou: But, when my little daughter was taken by those things, I
couldn't simply brush it off as protection. She was my only child, and
her mother had died in childbirth. I became enraged and...
[Aishou takes a long drag from his pipe. Yuta waits in silence.]
Aishou: I am not proud of what I did then, Yuta. You must understand,
when you're a father, you'd much rather die than see your child harmed
or kidnapped. I called a meeting of all the men in the village...
[Cut to a shot of the end of the main road in the village. All of the
men are gathered and Aishou is standing on top of a rock, making a
speech.]
Aishou: We can't allow this to continue. Those demon women have been
invading our village for over fifty years. We have lost five little
girls because of them and their damn plots! We cannot allow this to
continue, we cannot allow one more of our daughters to fall into their
vile hands. We must take action, and we must do it at once!
[The men of the village scream in rage.]
Aishou: Are you with me?
Group: Yes!
Aishou: All right then, we invade the village of the demon women, and
we make them pay for what they've done!
[Cut to the beach, about an hour later. A huge mob is running along it
carrying torches, pitchforks, axes, and all the usual stuff.]
Aishou VO: We didn't know exactly where the village of the Mermaid's
was, but we kept running all night, we eventually found it nestled
within a small range of mountains a couple of miles away from the
village.
[Cut to a shot of a small village contained within a valley. Running
down the sides of the mountains is the same mob. They run into the
village. There is a montage of battle shots. Men attacking the mermaids,
mermaids attacking men. Mermaid's rising from mortal wounds and ripping
the men apart.]
Aishou VO: Although they looked like normal women, they were demons of
some sort. One of my friends ran one of them through with a harpoon,
it didn't even slow her down.
[We just saw this happen. The mermaid pulls the harpoon up and shoves
it through the neck of the man, virtually decapitating him with it.
He falls over, gasping miserably.]
Aishou VO: We didn't realize until it was too late they they were
herding us towards a cave near the sea.
[Cut to the dwindling number of villagers fighting valiantly against the
mermaids. Suddenly, all of them retreat. The men look startled, and
then they turn around to see a mermaid standing by the cave and holding
up a small white staff. Suddenly, small spots of red light appear in
the darkness of the cave. Several moments pass, and a virtual army of
soulless ones leap forth from the cave and attack the villagers.]
Aishou VO: The demon women were nothing compared to the might of the
creatures that emerged from the cave. They seemed to follow the orders
of the woman who held the white staff. We were being slaughtered by
the soulless ones, we finally gave up and fled over the mountains.
[Cut to a shot of about two dozen men fleeing over the mountains.]
Aishou VO: When we got home, we thought we were safe. [Voice cracking]
We couldn't have been more wrong.
[Cut to the village, early morning. Tired and surly looking merchants
and fisherman make their way to their respective jobs. Suddenly, the
army of soulless ones rushes into the village. Cut to a montage of
shots of the soulless ones slaughtering innocent men, women, and
children.]
Aishou VO: After those bastards killed everyone within the village,
they set light to it. Me and five others had managed to escape by
running into the woods. We spent the night in the forest and returned
to the ruins of the village. The other five decided that they should
move to the nearest village and start their life over. But I refused
to leave. I had a score to settle.
[During the previous sentence, we see six men standing in the center of
the burned out village. After they make what looks to be some kind of
pact, the other five pack up what remains of their belongings and make
their way down the beach. The last shot is Aishou standing in the
ruins of the village, waving good-bye to them. Cut back to the two
sitting in the hut.]
Yuta: I truly feel for you lost, Aishou. But that still doesn't explain
how you managed to get your hands on that staff.
Aishou: I was just getting to that.
[Cut to a shot of Aishou digging through the ash of the village.]
Aishou VO: It took me several days to dig out what was left of my
belongings from the ashes of the village. During that time, I attempted
to formulate a plan as to my vengeance. Originally, all I could think
of to do was sneak into the village at night and kill as many of those
bitches as I could.
Yuta: How did you plan on killing them? You weren't all that successful
killing them the first time around.
Aishou: But I had learned something valuable in the last few moments
of our ill-fated raid. One of my comrades discovered that he was able
to kill one of the soulless ones by severing its head from its body.
I assumed that this would be true of mermaids as well, since there
seems to be a connection between them.
Yuta: Heh.
[Cut to a shot of a darkened valley. We see Aishou, carrying an axe,
slowly making his way down the mountain to the valley floor.]
Aishou VO: A week after the initial raid, I snuck back into the village
of the demon women. Naturally, I wanted to take out their leader first,
and she was easy to locate, she's the one who owned the biggest hut in
the village.
[Cut to an exterior shot of Aishou crawling along the edge of the
village towards the Elder's hut. Switch to an interior shot of the
Elder's hut. Quickly but quietly, Aishou flies across the hut and
severs the head from the sleeping Elder.]
Aishou VO: I've always wondered if the Elder ever knew that she had
died. In retrospect, I think I should have woken her up first so she
would have known who had done it.
[Aishou boldly walks towards the entrance to the hut, but his eye
catches a sandalwood chest by the door.]
Aishou VO: I've heard legends that the demon women keep great treasure
in their village. So I decided to look into the chest.
[Aishou flips the lid of the chest and looks in. The camera is at such
an angle that the interior of the chest is lost in darkness. Aishou
reaches in, and his hand returns with the short white staff in it.]
Aishou VO: I remembered that terrible night when that wretched bitch
used the bone to summon an army of those things to kill us. Plans for
a much grander, and much more ironic form of vengeance entered my head.
[Cut back to the two sitting in the hut. Aishou holds the staff up so
Yuta can see it clearly.]
Aishou: This is that staff. I assume it's made out of some kind of
leg bone, probably from one of the demon women herself. It took me a
while, but I eventually learned to control the soulless ones with it.
Yuta: [Suspiciously] What is this PLAN of yours?
Aishou: [Laughs] It has taken me over ten years to perfect control of
the soulless ones. Once that was taken care of, I started to outfit
them with axes and throat armor. I'm going to use them to attack the
village of the demon women. [He holds up an axe.] Nice craftsmanship,
'eh?
Yuta: But...
Aishou: No questions. I believe you have a question that you promised
to answer. How do you know of these soulless ones?
Yuta: [Sigh] All right. May I see that axe?
Aishou: Uh...sure. [He hands the axe to Yuta. Yuta takes the edge of
it and cuts a gash into his arm with it.]
Aishou: What did you do that for?
Yuta: Wait...
[Several moments later, Yuta wipes away the blood to reveal that the
cut has healed.]
Aishou: How did you manage to do that?!
Yuta: Those 'Demon Women' in the village are in actuality mermaids.
I ate the flesh of a mermaid.
Aishou: But mermaids only live in the sea! Those demon women have
lived in that village for decades, maybe even centuries!
Yuta: Some live on land as well. I haven't aged since I ate that flesh,
wounds heal easily, and I don't die. I am immortal.
Aishou: Yes, that's very nice, but it doesn't explain how you know
about these soulless ones.
Yuta: Mermaid flesh is a powerful medicine, it completely transforms
the body of those who eat it. Some can't take the powerful effects of
the medicine, sometimes they die. Sometimes immediately, sometimes it
takes days or weeks to affect them. They are the lucky ones. The not
so lucky ones become extremely deformed, and sometimes they become
soulless ones; those who did not become.
Aishou: I have often wondered of the origins of those creatures. It
surprises me not that they're linked to those demon women, er, mermaids.
Yuta: I have been told that the only way that it would be possible for
me to regain my mortality would be to find another mermaid.
Aishou: Heh. That's a good one. Why would you ever want to stop being
immortal?
Yuta: It's something only a true immortal would understand. You
cannot attack their village before I have a chance to talk to them.
Aishou: I've been planning this for ages, I will attack tonight, and
I'm not going to put my plans off for you. My village can go unavenged
no longer. Besides, you might warn them.
Yuta: Believe me, I have no love for mermaids.
Aishou: So you say, but I can't risk allowing you to leave here. You
will stay. I've got a last inspection to make before tonight. The
three soulless ones will remain outside my door until the attack is
over. I'll let you out tomorrow morning.
[Aishou walks out and closes the door behind him. Yuta sighs and lies
back on the straw mat. He rolls over and closes his eyes.]
Yuta: <I guess I can't really blame him. After all, I've never been
a father. I'll never be able to understand what it is to lose a child.>
[Flashback FX: A hut, several hundred years earlier. Yuta and his wife,
in her early thirties, sit across from each other at the dinner table.]
Yuta's Wife: Why is it that I can't have children? All of the other
women my age have a child who is at least five years old by now.
Yuta: I don't know. I have heard that it is not possible for some
couples to have children.
Yuta's Wife: I hope that is not the case here.
[Cut to several years down the line. This is around the time of the
famous 'You must find a mermaid' scene.]
Yuta's Wife: Now I finally understand why we were never able to have
children. It is said that those who eat the flesh of a mermaid become
sterile as well as immortal. It's too late for us, Yuta, but find a
mermaid, become a mortal again and have a child. And while you watch
this child grow up, think of me.
[Cut back to the present. Yuta is still resting on the mat.]
Yuta: <No! I cannot allow this to pass me by, I may never encounter a
mermaid again for a century!>
[Yuta stands up and looks around the floor of the hut. His eyes chance
upon the axe that he used to cut himself with. He picks it up and sits
down facing the back wall of the hut. Slowly, attempting to be as quiet
as possible, Yuta slowly hacks away at the strung-together bamboo
shafts that constitute the wall of the hut. After about fifty hacks,
there is a hole big enough for Yuta to crawl through. He does so, and
rolls down the hill outside the hut and starts to run along the beach.]
Yuta: <I must get to them before nightfall!>
-End Part 1
Begin - Mermaid's Bone Pt. 2
!
[Cut to the last scene from the last episode. Yuta crawls through the
hole he cut in the back of Aishou's hut. As soon as he's completely
out, he gets up and runs. He runs along the woods for about thirty
seconds, and finally emerges onto the beach, and right into the midst
of Aishou and his army of soulless ones.]
Aishou: Shame, shame, Yuta. Did you think you could pull that backdoor
trick on me? [Motions to several of the soulless ones] Take him back to
my hut and make sure he stays there. I shall be with you shortly.
[Two burly soulless ones pick up Yuta and carry him off. Aishou turns
back to his army-in-training.]
Aishou: Okay, once more. [Kicking motion] Kai-ya!
[Author's Notes: Hey, being a soulless one tends to get one out of
shape, what better way to exercise than by Tai-Chi?]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to Aishou's hut, several minutes later. Yuta is lying on the straw
mat and dozing. The door to the hut opens and Aishou enters. He sits
next to Yuta on the straw mat. Several moments pass and Yuta sits up.]
Yuta: What do you want?
Aishou: I was wondering why you wanted to be mortal again. That, and
other things.
Yuta: Like I said, it's something you couldn't possible understand.
Why are you really here?
Aishou: [Sigh] Terrible truth, I'm lonely. The soulless ones are poor
company. The few that can talk only speak of killing things and eating.
You're the first intelligent being I've seen in years.
Yuta: You could have moved to the village with your friends, why did
you bother to stay here?
Aishou: Vengeance is a thirst which no water can quench. Yuta, you
do not, COULD NOT, understand what I have gone through. Do you have any
idea what it is like to have virtually everyone you know die?
Yuta: I know better than anyone. I had to sit by, not aging, and watch
all of my family and friends grow old and die. Perhaps I misjudged you,
perhaps you do have an inkling of what it is to be immortal.
Aishou: How do you figure that?
Yuta: Imagine that the entire village died, and you survived. But instead
of them all dying at the hands of the mermaids, what if they all died by
flood or plague? And what if for the rest of your life, whenever you
meet a person, you know that you will only know them for a short while,
because they will soon die too. Can you imagine that?
Aishou: Yes...I believe I can.
Yuta: Then you can imagine what it is to be immortal.
[Aishou nods solemnly]
Yuta: Allow me to go, I swear on my honor that I will not reveal your
secret to the mermaids. If you allow me to leave now, I could be out by
the time you plan to attack.
Aishou: [Slams fist into the table] NO! I cannot jeopardize this!
Yuta: I learned long ago that mourning over the past is pointless. It
is gone, and you must get get on with your life.
Aishou: Perhaps if I was immortal like you, I could learn to forget
given time. But I am an old man Yuta, one who will soon die. And I do
not wish to go to my grave knowing that those who died because of my
actions died in vain. Vengeance means nothing to one who is immortal,
because the immortal will outlive whoever wrongs him. But those I fight
are immortal.
Yuta: Now that you understand what it is to be immortal, then you will
understand that nothing can stop me from getting out of this hut, and
nothing can stop me from getting to the village of the mermaids.
Aishou: I understand that.
[Unseen by Yuta, Aishou unsheathes a dagger.]
Aishou: You told me that when killed you are able to come back from the
dead.
Yuta: That's what being an immortal means.
Aishou: How long does that take, usually?
Yuta: It tends to change over time. The first time I died it was in an
instant. The next time it took an hour, the next time three hours. Ever
since then it's taken about half a day.
Aishou: Oh, is that right?
[In a flash, Aishou turns around and buries the dagger into Yuta's chest.
Yuta falls onto his back gasping and starts spurting blood from his
mouth. After several moments of convulsions, he finally dies.]
Aishou: Sorry I had to do that Yuta, you got in the way.
[Aishou pulls out the dagger and cleans it off with a rag. He sheathes
it and leaves the hut. Zoom in on Yuta's dead body. Fade to black.]
-------------
Mermaid's Bone
Part Two
Written By: Chris Schumacher
Original Mermaid Series Created By: Rumiko Takahashi
-------------
[Aerial shot of the village of the mermaids. It is located in a valley
with the far end bordering the sea. It is a rather small village, even
for 17th century standards. There are only about a dozen huts, most
made out of little more than straw and sod. There is one house,
however, which is larger and appears to be much better built than the
others. Cut to an interior shot of this hut. There are four women,
presumably mermaids, in the hut. Three of the women are sitting cross-
legged on a straw mat. Sitting a few inches higher on a small pedestal
is the other woman. She is wearing scarlet robes and has a sky-blue
head-band wrapped around her head. Although the three women on the
mat appear to be getting along in years, the one of the dias is
definitely the oldest of the bunch.]
Elder: Our time is growing short, unless we restore our youth soon we
will be vulnerable. Lital, what is the status of the village defenses?
Do you believe your guards can protect us for as long as we need?
Lital: I am certain that my guards will be able to hold back whatever
assault they may plan against us until the one-week period has ended.
Elder: Good, good...But to be on the safe side, we should make certain
that we still have a sizable number of soulless ones at our disposal
should it come to blows. Quella, I want you to go to the Cave Of Lost
Souls and estimate how many soulless ones are still there. They couldn't
have all killed each other by now, so there should still be about half
of them left.
[The youngest one stands and bows.]
Quella: As you command, Hadara.
[Quella turns to leave.]
Hadara: Wait.
[Quella turns around.]
Quella: Yes?
[Hadara opens up the sandalwood chest next to the dais and pulls out a
white staff.]
Hadara: You'll probably need this. [Smiles]
[Quella nods sheepishly and takes the bone. She bows once more and
leaves, closing the hut door behind her.]
Retainer: Hadara, do you really believe that we should worry about the
Mermen like this? We have been in this village for 150 years, if they
haven't found us by now, they probably never will.
Hadara: We can't take that chance, Kaela. The Mermen are our sworn
enemies, you know the consequences if they are able to find even ONE
mermaid, must less a village of them.
Lital: The Mistress speaks the truth, we must forever be on guard. No
one knows when we might be assaulted by them.
Hadara: That is why we must hurry.
[Lital nods. After a moment, Kaela does too.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to a grassy hill just outside the village limits. Lying on her back
and starting into the sky is a young girl in her mid-teens. She doesn't
appear to be sleeping, but seems to be mesmerized by the shifting
patterns of the white puffy clouds in the stunningly blue sky. Several
moments pass, and another woman enters the scene. This one appears to
be a little older, maybe in her thirties, but not nearly as old as the
rest of the mermaids we've seen.]
Woman: Hey, Hitomi.
Hitomi: [Not looking at her] Hello, Amisa.
Amisa: What are you doing?
Hitomi: Contemplating the separation of dual ether waves in a contained
omni-directional power stage.
Amisa: Umm....okay.
Hitomi: [Laugh] Seriously, though, I was just thinking about my parents.
Amisa: How's that? You never knew them.
Hitomi: Yes, but I've been wondering who they were, where they came
from, where they were going when I ended up here.
Amisa: Isn't it enough to know that we found you on the beach one
morning?
Hitomi: [Irritated] No, it's not enough! I don't know who my parents
are, a person who doesn't know who her parents were or where they came
from doesn't have a home.
Amisa: [Slightly hurt] Don't you consider this place home?
Hitomi: Home, home is where you hang your hat.* All this town is full
of is old women.
[Amisa doesn't say anything several seconds pass.]
Hitomi: Did you want something?
Amisa: Oh, yes. I just wanted to see how you were feeling.
Hitomi: Never been better.
Amisa: Are you sure? No cramps, no headache?
Hitomi: Nope, haven't felt this good in years.
Amisa: Trouble sleeping?
[Hitomi finally shifts her gaze from the clouds and to the woman next
to her.]
Hitomi: What is this about?
Amisa: I'm just concerned for your well being.
Hitomi: [Sigh] No, no trouble sleeping. I sleep like a log every night.
Any other questions? Why not open my wrist while you're at it?
Amisa: You certainly are surly.
Hitomi: You would be too if you grew up in a village full of old women.
[Amisa says nothing, and leaves. Hitomi turns back and stares at the
clouds.]
(* - John Wophin/'Buckaroo Bonzai')
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to a cave mouth near the beach. The cave appears to go right into
the mountains, and since it is facing away from the beach, one can
speculate that it isn't connected with the sea in any way. Kneeling
on the ground in front of the cave is Quella. She is currently trying
to light a lantern with flint and steel, but the wick doesn't seem to
want to catch. After several more tries it finally does and Quella
places the chimney onto the lantern. She picks it up by the handle and
rises to her feet, pausing a moment to pick up the mermaid's bone in
her other hand. She enters the cave. Cut to a rolling interior shot of
the cave as she walks through it. The first several yards are usual
rock cave walls and ceiling with a dirt floor, but soon the dirt floor
disappears and the walls and ceiling get further away from each other.
Soon Quella enters into a huge cavern. Cut to an interior shot of the
entire cavern, Quella walks inside it illuminating a small amount of
the cave at a time with her lantern. She gets to the center of the
cavern and shines the lantern all around.]
Quella: <Where are they? They couldn't have all killed and eaten each
other, there aren't even any bones or bodies. I had better tell the
Mistress about this right away! That bone we lost fifteen years ago
might have fallen into the hands of our enemies!>
[Quella rushes back out of the cavern and into the tunnel towards the
cave mouth.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to an aerial shot of the beach at the north end of the village.
The two ranges of mountains extend for over a mile out into the sea,
and a small strip of sand is positioned in-between. There are six piers
jutting out into the water, each quite a distance from each other.
We see that guards are stationed at the end of each pier. Cut to a
medium shot of the pier furthest to the west. A small collection of
very large boulders on a nearby shoal blocks all view to either side.
The guard stationed at the end of this pier seems to be dozing off,
but who could blame her?]
Voice: Look alive, soldier!
[Suddenly the guard jerks to attention]
Guard: All is well, chief!
[Lital walks onto the scene.]
Lital: Excellent, excellent. You can go home, soldier.
Guard: Mistress?
Lital: I told you to go home, I'll finish your watch for you.
Guard: Umm....okay.
[The Guard starts to slowly walk down the pier, and then runs off before
Lital has a chance to change her mind. Lital watches for several moments,
and then when she is sure the guard is gone, she pulls out an ocarina
which appears to be made from a sea-shell. She raises it to her lips
and blows into it, moving her fingers across the holes, producing a
hauntingly beautiful melody. After a while, she stops. Several moments
pass, and then the water in front of the pier starts to bubble and
churn. Out of it raises the figure of a man with the fins of the fish.
Strangely enough, he seems to be standing atop the water, he does not
move his fins at all.]
Lital: Do you have the item?
Merman: It was very hard to requisition, there is very little of this
in the King's armory, and he did not want to waste an ounce of it.
Lital: But do you have it?
[The merman produces a package and hands it to Lital.]
Merman: There should be enough poison in there to kill three immortals.
Lital: I only need enough for one.
Merman: You may need to take out several other opponents after the
Elder. Remember, once you get the power, call off the guards from the
docks.
Lital: You have my word.
Merman: Then you will be spared.
[Quella appears in the cave entrance several feet behind the pier.
When she sees the Merman she gasps. Lital turns around and sees her.]
Lital: Quella!
Merman: Get her, she must not be allowed to escape!
[Lital rushes forward, Quella turns to look for somewhere to run, but
sees only the cave. She runs into it. Lital follows her. Several
moments pass until Lital finally catches up with Quella. Lital pulls
out a sickle and holds it to Quella's throat.]
Lital: It's too bad, Quella, I liked you. I would have made sure you
were numbered among those the Mermen spared. Oh well, I guess we can't
win them all.
[With one quick slashing motion Lital severs Quella's head from her
body. It falls with a sickening thud to the ground. Lital reaches down
and picks up the mermaid bone from the hand of the headless corpse.
She quickly makes her way out of the cave and back to the pier.]
Lital: It's been taken care of. They won't find her body until it's
too late.
Merman: Good. Take care of your business, me and my brothers shall
return tomorrow night.
[The merman dives beneath the waves and swims off. After several moments
we pan back to Lital, who is staring at the bone in her hands.]
Lital: How serendipitous. Originally I was planning to just rule a
small handful of survivors, but with this bone... I wonder how the
Mermen would fare against the soulless ones? [Maniacal laughter.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to an interior shot of the Elder's hut. Hadara is still sitting on
the dais, but sitting on the straw mat now are Amisa and Kaela. The
window on the side of the hut is now open and a sweet breeze blows
through the hut every now and again.]
Kaela: Anyway, it is my belief that Lital's guard would not be up to
the task of defending us from an assault by the Mermen. I think we
should rely completely on the soulless ones.
Hadara: I agree, we shouldn't even chance the Mermen being able to get
hold of even one of our corpses. Which brings me to my next point,
Amisa.
Amisa: Yes, mistress?
Hadara: How is you charge doing?
Amisa: Hitomi claims that she is feeling fine, and I have noticed no
external side-effects. I believe that the experiment was successful,
she isn't dying or turning into a soulless one.
Kaela: Can't we eat her flesh now, mistress? I've never heard of anyone
taking this long to show signs of incompatibility with mermaid's flesh.
Hadara: Sometimes it can take up to a week for the symptoms to manifest
themselves. If we eat the flesh of someone who was poisoned, or a soul-
less ones, even the books of our predecessors can only guess at what
would happen.
[There are several seconds of somber silence.]
Hadara: Which reminds me, have either of you seen Quella?
Amisa: Not since this morning.
Kaela: Me either.
Hadara: I hope she didn't run into trouble in the Cave Of Lost Souls.
Amisa: I'm sure she's lying somewhere and taking a nap.
Hadara: Yeah, probably.
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to a tree in the forest. Lying on the ground in its shade it
Aishou. He is asleep, but not soundly. He continually shifts positions
and groans. Solarize into each dream sequence. The first sequence is
of a hut in the village before it was burned. There is a shout from
within the hut and the door flies open. A soulless one lumbers out,
carrying a baby in its arm. A younger Aishou runs out with a kitchen
knife and plunges it into the soulless ones back. The soulless one
takes no notice of it and lumbers down towards the beach. Cut back to
the restless sleeping form of Aishou. Solarize into next dream
sequence. Aishou kneels on the ground in the main road while the
village burns. He is weeping. Solarize back to Aishou turning over
and groaning. Solarize again, this time it is a scene of younger
Aishou facedown on the beach, the mermaid's bone clenched in one hand.
Suddenly a pair of bare feet appear a few feet from where he is lying.
He looks up and sees the figure of a young man. Viewers will notice
that he looks similar to the merman that we saw earlier. There is a
short montage of shots in which the merman shows him how to use the
mermaid's bone. Cut to a shot of a slightly older Aishou, standing on
a mountaintop and holding the mermaid's bone aloft. Several moments
pass in silence and then a group of red eyed monsters emerge from a
cave. Cut back to the present, where Aishou jerks awake.]
Aishou: The time...what is the time.
[He gets up and looks at where the sun is.]
Aishou: Oh, early afternoon. Still time, still time for vengeance.
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to an interior shot of the Elder's hut. The only person currently
occupying it is the elder herself, Hadara. Hadara no longer sits on
her dais, but has a small table set up on the straw mat. She is sitting
at it drinking tea and reading a scroll. The tea kettle sits in the
middle of her small table. As she continues to read there is a knock
at the door.]
Hadara: Enter.
[The door opens and Lital enters. In one hand she is carrying the
mermaid's bone. Her other hand in the in the pocket of her cloak.]
Hadara: Ahh, Lital, have a seat.
Lital: Thank you, Elder.
[Lital sits down at the table and puts the bone into the middle of the
table.]
Hadara: Where did you get that from? I gave it to Quella this morning.
Lital: I saw Quella during my inspection of the docks this morning.
She looked rather tired, so I told her I'd take back the bone and
deliver her report for her.
Hadara: Oh? That doesn't sound much like Quella.
Lital: I told you, she was tired. Anyway, she said not to worry, only
a small number of the soulless ones have died since the last time she
checked.
Hadara: Well, it seems there's nothing to worry about then.
[Hadara picks up the bone and goes back towards the dais to put it back
into the sandalwood chest. As soon as her back is turned, Lital pulls
out a cobalt-blue vial and adds three drops of a black liquid to
Hadara's teacup. She uses a stirring rod to speed up its dissolving.
She puts the rod down and caps the vial and puts it back into the
pocket of her cloak. Hadara returns to the table and sits down.]
Hadara: Would you like some tea?
Lital: Sure.
[Hadara pulls her a cup and slowly starts to sip her own.]
Hadara: So, was there anything else?
Lital: Yes, I was wondering when we were going to take care of the
Hitomi situation.
Hadara: Two more days and we'll know for sure. We have to be patient.
Lital: [Smiles] Yes, I imagine you'd have more want of the treatment
than I would.
Hadara: Nah, I like being old, it allows you to do things at a slower
pace [she starts to speak slower.] and you tend to enjoy things more...
Oooh...I'm getting dizzy.
Lital: Yes, you are. From now on you'll have all the time in the world
to rest. [Wicked smile]
Hadara: What did you...do...
Lital: Good bye, Elder.
[Hadara slumps over, dead. Lital picks up her tea cup and looks into
it, there's about 90% of it left from when she put it the poison.]
Lital: Hmmm. Potent stuff.
[She dumps it out the window. She dumps the contents of her own cup
into Hadara's and places it before her at the table. She then pulls
out a scroll from the other pocket of her cloak and places it on the
table next to the cup. She opens the door to the hut and takes a look
around, assured that no one sees her, Lital sneaks out. As soon as she
is far enough away from the hut, she stops sneaking and walks
normally.]
-=- -=- -=-
[An interior shot of the Elder's hut, approximately an hour later. Lital,
Kaela, and Amisa are all sitting at the table set up on the straw mat.
Lital is reading over the scroll that she put on the table about an
hour ago. After she makes sure she has everything right, she looks up.]
Lital: [Reading] I fear that the current situation is beyond my
facilities, I cannot wait for the week to end and my mental processes
are not what they once were. I know it is forbidden for a mermaid to
commit suicide, but I fear I had no other recourse. Until this crisis
is over, I wish Lital to be Elder-
Kaela: Wait a second, I was next in line to be elder if Hadara ever
died.
Lital: [Looks up] I guess she felt that during this situation she would
need someone with a military mind to lead.
Kaela: But-
Lital: Do you dare question the orders of a late Elder? Is this not
written by her pen, in her handwriting?
[She shows the scroll to the two.]
Amisa: That's her handwriting all right.
[Beat]
Kaela: No...No, I don't question her orders.
Lital: Good. [She looks back to the scroll.] Amisa.
Amisa: Yes?
Lital: You've been promoted to a Retainer.
Amisa: Thank you.
Lital: It was the late Hadara's order, not mine. Now, would you two
leave me in peace so I can decide what to do now?
[Amisa gets up without as much as a mumble and exits in haste. Kaela
gets up shortly after, but not before she notices the mermaid's bone
lying in the open sandalwood chest.]
Kaela: <That's strange...I didn't see Quella return...>
Lital: Was there something, Retainer?
Kaela: Yes, um, how exactly did Hadara commit suicide? I saw that her
head was still on her body.
Lital: [Looks back at the document] It says here that she drank poison.
Kaela: [Bemused] Oh.
Lital: Is that all?
Kaela: Yes, Kaela.
Lital: You will refer to me as Elder, Retainer!
Kaela: Yes, forgive me, Elder.
[Kaela turns and goes through the door, closing it behind her. Lital
stares after her for several moments and then goes back to the scroll.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to the other side of the range of mountains to the village's west.
We see an army of dark forms walking across the beach towards the
mountains. Standing at the forefront is Aishou, holding the mermaid's
bone aloft. They march for quite a while until they come to the base
of the mountain range. We notice for the first time that the sun has
begin to dip towards the horizon. It is late afternoon. Cut to a
medium shot of Aishou, he turns around and faces the army of soulless
ones.]
Aishou: We will wait her until dusk, and then we will march over the
mountains and destroy the demon women!
[The soulless ones don't seem to care either way.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to the Elder's hut approximately half an hour later. Lital is now
wearing the scarlet robes of office, and is sitting on the dais. Amisa
is now wearing the cloak of a retainer and sits on one side of the
table, Kaela sits on the other.]
Lital: Now, as my first order of business in this war council, we will
slaughter Hitomi tomorrow morn, we can wait no longer.
Amisa: But Hadara said that we MUST wait a week. It takes that long
for the effects of the flesh to get to every corner of the human system.
Kaela: She speaks the truth, Elder.
Lital: I expect that your relationship with the specimen has clouded
your judgment.
[Amisa doesn't say anything but turns slightly red. Whether it is by
embarrassment or anger I can only speculate at.]
Lital: Desperate times call for desperate measures, we can wait no
longer. Amisa, as the new leader of the guards, order them to take
Hitomi to the holding pit.
Kaela: Really, Elder, she's only a girl, she doesn't even know of what
we have planned for her. She won't flee.
Lital: DO NOT QUESTION MY ORDERS!
[Amisa stands and bows]
Amisa: As you command.
Lital: You are dismissed.
[Amisa turns and leaves, shutting the door behind her. As she turns,
we can see a tear coming out of her eye.]
Kaela: Was that really necessary? She's only been the captain of the
guards and a retainer for about an hour, and you're already riding her
harder than Hadara ever did!
Lital: Hadara was a weak woman, she allowed dissent in the ranks, she
was not a leader, she was little more than a figurehead.
[Kaela sighs and gets up to leave.]
Lital: Wait a moment, I didn't dismiss you.
Kaela: [Sighs again] May I please go, Elder?
Lital: Yes. Leave my sight.
[Kaela makes a mocking bow and leaves, slamming the door after her.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to a hut near the edge of town. Hitomi is sitting at a table within
it and drinking tea. The door suddenly flies open, as if kicked, and
several armored guards enter.]
Guard1: You will come with us.
Hitomi: What's going on-
Guard2: Do not ask questions!
Guard3: And do not try to resist.
Guard1: [Nods] Resistance is useless. You will obey.
[Hitomi stares at them cock-eyed for a moment and then stands. She
walks forward and allows the guards to lead her away.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to an exterior shot of a supply shed on the edge of the village.
The entrance to it is flanked by two guards. Kaela walks up to it
and reaches into her tunic and brings forth the end of her necklace
which is a 5x3 in. metallic plate with several symbols engraved in it.
Both guards bow at the sight of it and move out of the way. Kaela opens
the door of the shed and goes it, closing the door behind her. Cut to
an interior shot of the hut. The shed is full of weapons and armor.
Kaela pulls away a door shield and pries a loose floorboard up with
the edge of an axe, she reaches down into the hole and comes out with
a small jar containing black liquid. She takes a look at the side and
sees the level of liquid in the jar is still equal to a black mark
made on the side of the bottle.]
Kaela: <Ha, I knew it! Lital MUST have killed her.>
[Kaela puts the jar into a pocket of her cloak and replaces the floor
board and pulls the door shield over it. She goes to the door and opens
it and leaves.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to the foot of the western mountain range. Aishou is looking up
at the dusk sky for several moments, he turns back to the army of
soulless ones.]
Aishou: We will wait a little longer.
[The soulless ones simply stand in silence.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to Aishou's hut. There is a small oil-lamp sitting on the table
in the middle of the hut. Its light flickers on the dead body of Yuta.
Slow zoom in on Yuta's hand. One of his fingers starts to tap, slowly
at first, but soon speeding up to a more rapid pace. Then we hear the
sound of labored breathing, a pan to his chest region shows that the
wound that he received from Aishou's dagger is slowly healing. Yuta's
eyes open, but they look glassy and the pupils are dilated. He starts
to blink in rhythm with his finger, which is in turn tapping with the
rhythm of his heart. Slowly, bit by bit, Yuta is returning to life.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to a small circular pit, specifically the bottom. Lying on the
floor of this pit is Hitomi. She is lying on her back and staring up
at the stars.]
Hitomi: <Is this what I get for being rude to Amisa? Geez, I wish she
would have warned me first. Some people really have a problem with
power.>
[Hitomi sighs and turns over on her side.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to an exterior shot of the Elder's hut. Kaela approaches via the
path and knocks on the door. Several moments later the door is opened
by Lital.]
Lital: Did you forget something?
Kaela: I think we should talk.
[Lital stares at her for several seconds, showing a mix of anger and
fear. Finally, she smiles and steps out of the way.]
Lital: Please, come in.
[After Kaela enters Lital closes the door.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut back to Aishou's hut. In the light of the lamp, Yuta struggles to
his feet. He has huge bags underneath his eyes and all around looks
like he came back from the dead. Which, he kinda did. Yuta stands still
for several seconds and listens to his the blood rush in his ears.
Several seconds pass with this sound effect, and we can hear his
thoughts against it.]
Yuta: <Who am I? I'm Yuta. Okay. Who's Yuta? Yuta's just this guy, you
see. Okay, I'm Yuta, some guy. Why do I feel so tired? I just came back
from the dead. Okay, is that normal? I don't think it is. Why was I
dead? Umm...I remember a name...Aishou?>
[Beat. Yuta's eyes suddenly show recognition, sadness, and horror, all
at the same time.]
Yuta: [Screaming] AISHOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[He leaps out of the hut, knocking the door out of joint and rushes into
the forest.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to an interior shot of the Elder's hut. Lital stands at the small
fireplace of the hut and is slowly trying to get the fire started with
flint and steel, she doesn't seem to be succeeding, however. After a
while, the kindling finally catches and the fire slowly starts to grow.
Lital places the teapot on the grate over the fire. This done, Lital
comes back and sits at the table.]
Lital: So, what can I help you with?
Kaela: I want to know where you got the bone from.
Lital: What are you talking about?
Kaela: Quella has not been seen since this morning, yet when I came
back I saw that the mermaid's bone was still here. How did you get it?
Lital: I don't know, maybe Quella came back and gave the bone back to
Hadara. The bone was in the chest when I took command.
Kaela: I don't think so, I talked to all the guards stationed at the
docks, and they told me that she hasn't been seen returning from the
Cave Of Lost Souls.
Lital: Well, maybe she went over the mountains to return, it was a
beautiful day for a walk in the mountains.
Kaela: I don't think so.
Lital: [Angry] Well, what do YOU think? What do YOU think happened to
her?
Kaela: I think you killed her and took the bone from her dead body.
Lital: [Laughs] Oh? And why would I want to kill Quella?
Kaela: Probably for the same reason you killed Hadara, she got in your
way.
[It takes a moment for what Kaela said to sink in, and then Lital looks
up with murder in her eyes.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to the base of the western mountains. Aishou looks up into the
star-studded sky.]
Aishou: The time to move is now.
[Aishou walks up the mountain path, his army of soulless ones follow.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to an interior shot of the Elder's hut. Kaela and Lital are sitting
across from each other at the table. They are both drinking tea out of
cups. The teapot sits in the middle of the small table.]
Kaela: You see, after I saw the mermaid's bone, I had my doubts about
Hadara committing suicide, but after I saw how quickly you adapted to
the task, I KNEW something was amiss. It was almost as if you've been
prepping for this for months.
Lital: And what proof do you have that I committed this heinous crime?
Kaela: Only the Elder and the Chief Retainer knows the location of the
village's cache of mermaid poison. It isn't widely used since we
discovered we could use the mermaid's bone to deter soulless ones. Any-
way, I went and checked, and the jar wasn't missing any poison at all.
I knew then that the Elder couldn't have committed suicide.
Lital: That's a very interesting theory. And it is, of course, correct.
Kaela: Thank...What?
Lital: Oh, I admit it. I killed her, I was ready to take the position
of Elder for years. I was hoping that Hitomi would either die or turn
into a soulless one, but when it turned out that it wasn't going to
happen, and Hadara wasn't going to die of old age, I had to act.
Kaela: Why are you telling me this? I could have you killed within
minutes!
Lital: Yes, but you don't have minutes. You see, after I filled my
teacup, I dumped the rest of the poison into the teapot. You see,
you're dying. That- [Kaela starts laughing] What's so funny?
[Kaela takes the jar out of her cloak pocket. We notice that the liquid
level is below the mark.]
Kaela: Did you notice a small trickle of liquid on the bottom of your
teacup?
Lital: [REALLY shocked] I thought it was...tea. [She grits her teeth,
her eyes go cold and she starts to shake in anger.] YOU BITCH!
[She lunges across the table and wraps her hands around Kaela's throat.
Kaela doesn't try to fight back and keeps laughing hysterically.]
Kaela: [Gasp] I don't see why you... [Gasp] Bother...we're both dead.
Lital: But you'll go first!
[But she doesn't, Lital's grip suddenly goes limp and she crashes down
on Kaela, who still continues to laugh hysterically. Cut to an exterior
shot of the hut, we can still hear Kaela's hysterical laughter, until
it suddenly and abruptly halts. Then there is nothing but the sounds
of crickets.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to the foot of the western mountains, the village side. Aishou
steps down and looks across the sleepy village.]
Aishou: I swore that day that I would return, that I would have my
vengeance. After all this time, my time has finally come.
[Aishou turns towards the soulless army behind him.]
Aishou: Tear the village apart, no one must be left alive!
[Suddenly the still forms of the soulless ones come alive and they rush
into the village. There is a montage of shots which lasts about two
minutes. The door to a hut with two mermaid's sleeping in it suddenly
crashes in, and a soulless ones rips their heads off with his bare
hands, they never knew what hit them. A mermaid tries to run away
from a soulless one wielding an axe. The soulless one throws it and
it sticks into the back of their neck, causing their head to separate
from the body and dangle from the spinal cord. There are several more
shots, many mermaid's getting killed, even the guards aren't able to
take on the soulless army. Cut to an interior shot of the Elder's hut.
The dead forms of Lital and Kaela sit piled on top of each other, the
door flies open and Amisa and several other mermaid's enter.]
Amisa: Elder, we need you to use the mermaid's....
[She takes notice of the two forms on the floor.]
Amisa: Oh no!
Mermaid1: Quick, there's no time, she keeps the bone in that chest,
doesn't she? Get it!
Amisa: I don't know how to use the bone.
Mermaid2: WHAT!? You're a retainer, aren't you?
Amisa: They never taught me how to use it!
[Suddenly two soulless ones enter the hut, Amisa and the others whirl
around. Cut to an exterior shot of the hut as the two soulless ones
close in on the three mermaids. The door falls shut after them.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to several moments later, Yuta stumbles down the mountain path
and looks into the village. He sees the soulless ones running about
the village, and the bodies of all the mermaids strewn about.]
Yuta: No! I'm too late!
Voice: Help! Help!!!
[Yuta turns to his left and sees a circular hole in the ground about
ten feet away. The sides of the pit seem to have been reinforced with
bricks. He runs over the pit and looks in.]
Yuta: Hey, are you okay down there?
Hitomi: Please, get me out of here!
[Yuta looks around and sees a supply shed about twenty feet away.]
Yuta: I'll go get some rope, calm down, I'll be right back.
[Yuta runs off to get the rope.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to the main road of the village. Aishou walks along it, looking
at all the dead bodies strewn about the village. He smiles with
satisfaction. All of the soulless ones line the sides of the road,
awaiting orders.]
Aishou: Now, set fire to the village. It will make the revenge even
sweeter.
[The soulless ones go into the huts and gets torches and lamps, and
begin to set all of the huts alight.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to the pit. Hitomi sits against the wall and sighs. Suddenly the
end of a rope appears next to her. She grabs onto it and it slowly
retracts as Yuta pulls her up. When she reaches the top Yuta helps her
over.]
Yuta: Come on, we've got to get out of here.
Hitomi: Okay.
[The two run across the grassy hills in the moonlight and head towards
the place where the main road and the mountain path meet. As soon as
they reach the crossroads, Hitomi stops.]
Hitomi: I smell smoke.
[They both turn and look at the village as it begins to burn.]
Yuta: That bastard! As if killing them wasn't enough.
Hitomi: [Angry] Who did this?
Yuta: A man who couldn't let go of his anger.
Hitomi: Even if I was held against my will, they were still good to
me, they certainly don't deserve THIS!
Yuta: Held against your will? I thought you were one of them.
Hitomi: No, they told me that they found me in a shipwreck about fifteen
years ago.
[Yuta's eyes suddenly widen.]
Yuta: Oh my god...
Hitomi: What?
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to the main road of the village. Aishou stares at the flames rising
from the burning huts and smiles. He turns and sees the two figures
huddled near the mountain path. He looks around for a soulless one,
but sees none in sight.]
Aishou: <I guess I'll have to take care of this myself, then.> [He
picks up a sickle from the dead hand of a mermaid and runs down the
road.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to the crossroads. Yuta and Hitomi stand and Aishou is fast
approaching]
Yuta: You see, the man who did this is called Aishou.
Hitomi: Aishou...Aishou, that sounds familiar.
[Suddenly they notice the figure fast approaching them.]
Aishou: Yuta, why am I not surprised to see you here? Luckily you
weren't able to make it here in time.
Hitomi: YOU!? You're responsible for...THIS?
[Aishou turns to look at the girl.]
Aishou: It seems my army of soulless ones missed one of you mermaid
slimes.
[He moves the sickle in a fast arc, and before either Yuta and Hitomi
can say anything, Hitomi's head is cut from her body.]
Yuta: You bastard!!!
Aishou: All mermaids must die! They must pay the price for what they
did to my family and my village.
Yuta: She wasn't a mermaid, you stupid fool! She was a normal girl,
a girl named Hitomi Gokuu!
Aishou: [Stunned] H-Hitomi!?
Yuta: Yes, YOUR DAUGHTER!
[Aishou's eyes suddenly go glassy, his expression shows deep shock and
grief and we can hear his breathing labor.]
Aishou: Wha...What have I done?
[Yuta approaches him, murder probably being his intent. But Aishou
ignores him, and takes the mermaid's bone in both hands, and snaps it
in half. This stops Yuta dead in his tracks.]
Yuta: What are you doing...?
Aishou: Get out of here. NOW.
[Yuta stares at Aishou for a beat, and then runs up the mountain path.
Aishou turns back to the burning village, and then falls to his knees
on the road and weeps. Several moments pass and half a dozen soulless
ones approach him. He looks up from position as they approach.]
Aishou: It's all right. Get it over with.
[The soulless ones fall on him, he doesn't even scream as they tear him
apart.]
-=- -=- -=-
[Cut to the next morning. Yuta stands on the beach near the ruins of
the human village. He has his possessions wrapped up in a handkerchief
hanging on a stick which he has put across his shoulder. He looks at
the waves as they crash upon the shore. He looks at this for several
moments, and then makes his way towards the path leading towards the
town he visited at the very beginning of the story. Fade to black on
the sea.]
THE END
Questions, Comments?
Contact---> kensu@pathcom.com
-==>Kensu<==-
kensu@pathcom.com
"I'm a writer, I don't know what the f--- you are."
-=Harlan Ellison
"There is nothing that you can't get with a smile and a loaded gun."
-=Al Capone