Killer Loop

Part Two

JUZO yanks his arm away and leaves the bar. SAWANO follows after him out into the rain.

SAWANO: What if you were the one missing? What if someone you loved came here and disappeared? 

JUZO:  (Over his shoulder) Then you would be doing the same thing you're doing now, just asking someone else who don't give a shit. 

JUZO walks away, dialing a number in his cellphone. SAWANO watches him leave before returning to the bar

Scene Two

Scene cuts to what appears to be a sewer system; MOTOSHIGE is walking along the water with a group of contestants. The only sounds are their footsteps and drops of water from nearby pipes.

CONTESTANT 1: (shining his flashlight ahead) We've been walking this way for a while now and we still haven't found anything.

CONTESTANT 2: You don't think we're going the wrong way, do you?

CONTESTANT 3: It's gotta be in this direction. As long as we're getting away from that thing I don't care.

CONTESTANT 2: (To MOTOSHIGE) You're awfully quiet. What are you thinking?

MOTOSHIGE: This is bad. (CONTESANT 1 turns to him) We have no clue of where we're going and I'm sure that creature can hear us. If it hasn't found any other contestants, then who knows where it is now.

There is a bubbling noise in the water below them. The group backs up against the wall, quiet and afraid. A moment passes before another contestant breaks the  water's surface. She is bloody and barely breathing. The group works together to pull her out of the water. She's missing her left leg

CONTESTANT 2: Oh my god. (CONTESTANT 3 turns and vomits against the wall. CONTESTANT 2 tends to CONTESTANT 4

CONTESTANT 1: We can't save her.

CONTESTANT 2: You can't be serious. We can't just leave her to die.

MOTOSHIGE: (Coldly) She's dead weight. If we bring her we're easy pickings for that thing.

CONTESTANT 3 suddenly pushes CONTESTANT 4 back into the water. She splashes around loudly. In the distance a small splash is heard

CONTESTANT 2: What the fuck?!

CONTESTANT 3: Dead weight, remember? She'll give us the time we need to get out of here.

CONTESTANT 2: (Grabs CONTESTANT 3 by the collar) And that gives you the right to make her live bait?

CONTESTANT 3: She'll be more useful in the water than she would be—

Their argument is cut short as CONTESTANT 4 is suddenly pulled underwater. The group looks down as a cloud of blood spreads through the water. Nobody moves. CONTESTANT 2 slowly crawls towards the edge of the platform. She looks into the water, wide-eyed and afraid. A bead of sweat runs down her chin and drops into the water quietly. a moment passes before a monstrous crocodile-shark hybrid jumps out of the water and closes its jaws around her torso. Everyone screams in horror as she is dragged into the sewage.

The remaining three run further down the platform, the creature's silhouette  swimming alongside them. MOTOSHIGE reaches a ladder and begins to climb. CONTESTANT 3 gets halfway up the ladder but CONTESTANT 1 grabs his ankle and pulls him back down. They struggle for a moment before CONTESTANT 3 kicks him in the face. CONTESTANT 1 comes crashing back down on the lower platform, dazed and confused. CONTESTANT 3 gives him one last look before continuing up the ladder. CONTESTANT 1 regains his bearings and begins to stand when he hears a low hiss from the water. He turns and sees black eyes staring at him.

MOTOSHIGE, who has run down the platform, hears CONTESTANT 1 scream and stops. CONTESTANT 3 catches up to him, out of breath. The platform forks into two different paths behind MOTOSHIGE.

MOTOSHIGE: Where's the other guy?

CONTESTANT 3: (Panting) He didn't make it. He told me to go up the ladder first—I thought he was right behind me but... (Standing up and locking eyes with MOTOSHIGE) What's that look about?

MOTOSHIGE: (Calmly) I don't know what you did back there, but I do know this. If you do anything that jeopardizes me getting out of this nightmare, I won't hesitate to kill you.

CONTESTANT 3: (Chuckling) I was gonna tell you the same thing. (There's a tense pause between the two before CONTESTANT 3 speaks up) Looks like the path splits here.

MOTOSHIGE: Looks like it does. (Turns and walks down one path) Don't follow me.

CONTESTANT 3: Wait! What if that's the way outta here? (MOTOSHIGE keeps walking) Damn it. (Begins to walk down the other path)

MOTOSHIGE walks down the platform until he gets to a door and a water valve. He grabs the wheel and with a grunt of effort begins to turn it. The water next to him begins to lower slowly.

MOTOSHIGE: If I drain all the water out of here it'll be easier to see where that monster is. But... do I really want to see what's on the bottom underneath all that sewage? (Out loud as he continues to turn the wheel) No choice.

The rest of the water drains, revealing the ground of the sewer. It's littered with dead contestants and MOTOSHIGE has to turn his head away for a moment. After he regains his composure he descends to the ground floor, searching around for a way out.

***

Meanwhile, CONTESTANT 3 follows his own path, scanning the passing tunnels with his flashlight. The semi calm is interrupted by the suddenly louder flow of water through pipes, and as he looks around more water enters the chamber he's in. The water floods onto the walkway, now lapping at his shoes. 

CONTESTANT 3: What the—are there contestants out there messing with the water levels?

CONTESTANT 3 picks up his pace, the water now past his ankles. He turns a corner and is now standing in front of a young girl dressed in white holding a white stuffed rabbit. He freezes and rubs his eyes

CONTESTANT 3: (Thinking) Am I going crazy? No way. This girl can't be real—every contestant is supposed to be at least 21. But this girl—she's here regardless.

WHITE RABBIT: Can you help me? (CONTESTANT 3 snaps out of his thinking and looks at her)

CONTESTANT 3: S-sure. What do you need?

WHITE RABBIT: I know a way out of here, but I'm not strong enough to open the door. I can take you there.

CONTESTANT 3: A way out?! Don't screw with me, kid. (She turns and begins running down the path) Hey! Wait up! (Follows after her. Voice only:) Maybe it's my mind playing tricks on me, but this girl has a way out of here. I'd be an idiot to not follow her. And if that thing follows us—(A sinister grin creeps along his lips)—He'll have a snack when I toss her in the water. (WHITE RABBIT turns a corner and begins down a tunnel. CONTESTANT 3 turns the same corner to find her gone.) The fuck?! She's gone? I know she turned this way. Was it all just in my head? Did I just kill myself?

The water rises again; CONTESTANT 3 is quickly covered before swimming out of the tunnel. He surfaces and spits out the sewer water. The creature, who had been stalking CONTESTANT 3 the whole time, swims around him slowly. CONTESTANT 3 panics when he sees the fin dip out of  sight. CONTESTANT 3 tries to swim away, but doesn't make it far. He is pulled under water.

Scene Three

MOTOSHIGE escapes the loop. There are three unconscious contestants already on the floor. MOTOSHIGE falls to his knees and tilts his head back with an exhausted smile before blacking out. He wakes up in the stasis chambers, calm as if nothing has happened. He quickly gets up, gets his money and leaves the building. As he reaches the exit his cellphone rings.

MOTOSHIGE: (Answering the call) Kuramoto. (After a brief pause) A few wild cards made this loop trickier than others. I doubt they'll make it out. I need to make another transfer.  I'll bring the money to the usual location.  (Hangs up and enters his car, unaware that SAWANO is watching him from a distance)

[END]