Ring.AVI

By Glenn Witherington

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         Alex Wynn knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he started to search for the cursed videotape.

         He had already heard all the stories of how you will die in a week if you don't show the tape to someone else, but Alex just didn't care. He had spent the last 2 years of his life in a deep depression after the untimely death of his fiancée at the hands of a drunk driver. To Alex's surprise the video was not that hard to get a hold of. Within a month of finding out about it he had a copy.

         It was Friday the 26th of April.

         Alex slid the tape into his VCR and pressed play. The disturbing images that flashed across his 27-inch television didn't have as much of an effect on him as Alex thought they would. After all he had heard Alex found himself disappointed. Still, not one to tempt fate, Alex decided that it was probably for the best if he showed the tape to someone else.

         Alex's roommate David would be home soon. He had no knowledge of the tape or the curse so Alex made his decision; he would show the tape to David. David arrived home at 10 o'clock, just about 1 hour after Alex had finished watching the tape.

         "Hey David," Alex called out as David entered the room. "Come have a look at this video will ya? I think that something's wrong with the VCR."

         David agreed. After watching the tape, David just scratched his head and said that the problem was the tape and nothing was wrong with the VCR. David then said he was going to go to bed early because he had to get up at 6 in the morning to get to work on time. Alex wished David goodnight and said that he was going out to have a beer and would be back later.

         At the bar, Alex wondered if he had done the right thing by not telling David about the tape. After a good amount of thought he decided that in all likelihood the whole cursed tape story was a hoax anyway, so why bother telling?

         One week later.

         Alex found David's corpse huddled in the corner of their apartment and immediately started screaming.

      "It was true... It was all true..." That and a frenzied laugh was all the police could get out of Alex when they found him wandering the streets. After checking his ID they checked the apartment and found David's body.

         Alex was committed to Ravenshore Sanitarium under the supervision of Doctor Renquist. There he stayed for 6 months until with the help of the doctor Alex slowly regained his sanity.

         Doctor Renquist explained to Alex that there was no cursed tape, and that he had not been the cause of David's death. After a few more months Alex started to believe the doctor, and by the end of the year he was ready to be released.

         Because of a clause in David's will the 27th floor apartment that they had both shared was paid for through to the end of the next year. Thus, when Alex returned to the place it was just as it was over half a year ago.

         Alex sat in the chair and stared at the TV, remembering what the doctor had said. He jumped up, walked over to the video rack and looked at all the titles. Gone With The Wind. The Godfather. The Silence of the Lambs. The titles continued; just normal everyday videos. Alex sat back down.

         It was then that he noticed the plain video case just behind the VCR.

         He walked over and reached behind, pulled out the unlabeled tape. Almost without a second thought he put the tape in the VCR and pressed play. As the strange images passed over the screen Alex's mind snapped.

         He started giggling uncontrollably. He then unhooked the VCR and carried it over to his computer, giggling all the way. He hooked the VCR up to his computer and proceeded to play the tape.

         He then ripped the whole strange thing into one AVI file.

         Alex connected to the Internet, downloaded the file into several file-sharing programs, and renamed it as XXX.AVI.

         He then walked over to the window and threw himself out.

         The End