21Author's note: I might throw in some of the Grudge as well as the Ring. I do not own the Ring, the Grudge, Twilight, or anything else that I don't own. Yes, I did copy pretty much exactly the lines from the Ring. Once again, I give all the credit to those movies. THEY ARE NOT MINE. I did not write the lines that I copy. They are simply used, with credit in this note, to give it a…Ring feel.
Chapter 1: The video
It was a black night in Forks. A faint pattering rain could be heard on the roof of the Yorkie household. Eric Yorkie, captain of the Forks High chess club, watched uninterestedly as his friend, Tyler flipped through the various TV channels. Tyler Crowley sat on the floor while Eric lay flopped on his bed.
"Did you know that most of the shows they put on TV these days are really stupid?" Eric asked.
"Hmm…" Tyler murmured.
"Yeah, all the companies know about it, but they're not doing anything. It's like this big conspiracy."
"Here, you pick something. I don't care," Tyler sighed handing Eric the remote.
Eric flipped it off. "Do you have any idea what a waste of time they are?"
Tyler smirked, "I have a better one." He pulled himself up beside his friend. "Have you heard about the video tape that kills you when you watch it?"
"What kind of tape?"
"A tape, a regular tape.
People rent it, I don't know.
You start to play it, and it's like somebody's nightmare.
Then suddenly, this woman comes on, smiling at you, right? Seeing you, through the screen.
As soon as it's over, your phone rings.
Someone knows you've watched it. And what they say is, 'you will die in seven days.
And exactly seven days later…" he smirked again.
Eric stared at him, "Who told you that?"
"Some dude down in La Push…"
"Who!"
"What? What's the matter with you?"
"I've watched it."
Tyler rolled his eyes, "It's a story, dude."
"No, really, I watched it last weekend. There was a storm that knocked out the cable. So I drove to the rental place, but the tape in the box I got wasn't what I thought it was."
Tyler frowned, "What was it?"
"Something else, we, Angela, Jessica, Mike, and I, thought it was some kind of sick joke.
Then, the phone rang… It was a week ago tonight."
Tyler laughed disbelievingly, but there was a hint of nervousness in his voice, "You're just trying to scare me."
Eric didn't answer, but clutched at his throat and fell to the floor gasping for breath.
"Eric!"
Eric sat up laughing and Tyler punched him.
"So not funny."
"I can't believe you…"
The phone started ringing.
They stared at each other in horror. Then Tyler rolled his eyes and headed downstairs to answer it. Eric followed.
Tyler picked it up and held it to his ear, "Yorkie residence."
He listened for a moment, and a strange expression came over his face. He slowly handed the phone to a frightened Eric who took it, trembling.
"Hello?" His shoulders slumped in relief and he glared at Tyler who laughed again. "Hi mom, yeah… yeah… yeah we did."
"Ask her where she keeps the soda," Tyler called disappearing upstairs.
Eric went to the fridge and poured himself a glass of lemonade. "Yeah, I know…no, we won't…bye Mom," he sighed and hung up, raising the glass to his lips.
The sound of static from the television filled his ears.
He set the glass down, staring at the TV in horror. Walking over, he picked up the remote and flipped it off. Then he turned around and headed back toward the kitchen.
The static sound returned.
He ran over and pulled out the plug.
A shadow appeared in the black screen. He spun around toward the kitchen. Standing up slowly, he crept toward the kitchen.
The fridge door slowly swung open.
Springing toward it, he slammed it shut.
Breathing heavily, he looked around.
There was a sound like running water. Shaking, he headed up the stairs, toward his closed bedroom.
Water was pooling out from under the door, forming a puddle.
With a quivering hand, he pulled the door open. There was a strange well on his TV screen.
He opened his mouth to scream.