V/H/S (2012)

Helen Rogers: Emily (segment "The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger")

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Emily & James chat by using webcam on the computer and have a little flirt] 

  James : Hey!

  Emily : [smiles]  Hi!

  James : How was - How was work?

  Emily : It was fine. One of the other girls, uh, called in sick, so I was the only one answering phones all night. Also, my - my arm's been really bothering me. It's like I bruised it or something, but I don't remember how.

  [Emily holds her arm up to the webcam] 

  Emily : I think you can see. There's a bump there. Can you see?

  James : Mnh - Mnh.

  Emily : Well... I know I said I didn't want this, but when you're a doctor, could you just support me, and I'll just... Stay at home?

  James : I guess, yeah, if you want that.

  Emily : [laughs]  That was easy.

  James : I mean, do you want me to make it difficult for you? Like, um... I don't know, Emily. I guess you'll have to convince me here.

  Emily : [blushes]  No! Really?

  James : I mean... maybe a little convincing, or...

  Emily : Well, how 'bout now?

  James : [Emily sits up and removes her shirt]  Maybe a little more?

  Emily : [Emily removes her bra as James watches]  How 'bout now?

  [Emily puts her chest to the camera giving a shake before laughing] 

  Emily : [recording ends] 

• [Emily records herself to show James where she heard noises outside her room] 

  Emily : Well, now I can show you my apartment.

  James : Yay, I mean... I'm gonna see it soon enough.

  Emily : Well, Fall Break's not soon enough.

  James : Um... I know.

  Emily : All right, so this... Like, right here... Uh, this is where I heard the footsteps.

  James : [Emily shows James the hallway in front of her bedroom door]  Um, back there?

  Emily : Yeah.

  James : Right. I mean, uh, could it have been coming from up stairs?

  Emily : No. I mean... I know - I mean, my neighbor always wears heels, so I know what that sounds like. It was weird. It was like, while it was happening it didn't seem like it was real, but I was awake.

  James : And you didn't check?

  Emily : Are you kidding me? No way. I can't believe I was even, like, able to fall back asleep.

  James : I mean, it sounds like you were asleep.

  Emily : Okay, well, next time it happens, I'll call you and you can watch me, and maybe I'll be brave enough to open the door.

  James : 'Kay.

  Emily : [smiles]  Okay.

  [recording ends] 

• [Emily talks to James about seeing the ghost kid through her webcam, and the mysterious lump in her arm] 

  Emily : So, you think you saw... Are you sure you saw, like, a little kid?

  James : I mean, I - I think I saw something, but it could have been anything, Emily. Like, you know, maybe it was, like... a breeze or something like that.

  Emily : Breeze. Man, of all the times for you to not be recording our chat!

  James : I'll record it next time.

  Emily : I need to find out if a little kid died here. I'm gonna ask my landlord.

  James : Um... I - I don't know if you should do that. I - I don't - I can't imagine he'd be thrilled to have that conversation.

  Emily : Yeah, well, I think he has to tell me. I think it's the law or something.

  James : The law?

  [Emily continues to pinch the bruised area on her arm] 

  James : Why are you messing with your arm like that? What's wrong?

  Emily : It's not... It's not getting better. It's like there's... Like, a lump under my skin or something.

  James : You shouldn't do that. That's not good for you. Just stop touching it, and when I come and see you, I'll check it out, okay?

  Emily : Okay. You're right.

  [recording ends] 

• [Emily attempts to record what's outside her door with James watching through the webcam] 

  James : Emily? Hello? Hey.

  Emily : Hey. Hey.

  James : What's... What's going on?

  Emily : There's something at my door. Listen.

  Emily : [Emily records indistinct sounds coming from outside her bedroom door]  Did you hear that?

  James : What was that?

  Emily : Shh.

  [Emily walks to her bedroom door and zooms in to record the door knob jiggling] 

  Emily : Did you see that?

  James : Emily, what are you doing?

  Emily : I'm going to open the door with you here.

  James : No - What, that's stupid. Why?

  Emily : No, no, this is just like before.

  James : Hey.

  [Emily opens the door and records outside her bedroom door, only seeing a blackness throughout her apartment] 

  Emily : [Emily returns back to her bed with her laptop]  See? I told you. My apartment's haunted.

  James : It's not haunted. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation.

• [Emily shows James the hole in her arm] 

  James : What's that? What are you doing?

  Emily : Oh, well, I felt that lump move in my arm today. So...

  [Emily holds up the hole she dug in her arm to James on the webcam] 

  James : Emily, what the fuck is that? Don't do that!

  Emily : Thought it might be a spider bite. You know, how you hear about - or like?

  James : That's an urban legend. That's not real.

  Emily : It's right under there. Look, look, I'll show you.

  James : Stop! Stop that! Don't do that, okay? That's not good for you. This is like your leg, like seven years ago. You still have the scar from that.

  [Emily gets up from the webcam and goes to the kitchen] 

  James : Emily, what the fuck are you doing?

  [Emily returns with a sharp steak fork] 

  Emily : Well, I think if I just...

  James : No, no, no, no, no. Put that away. Seriously, Emily, look at me. Emily! Emily, look at me, okay? You need to put that away, all right? Digging around in your arm is not gonna do any more good. All right? You just need to put some alcohol on that or iodine or something like that and - And - And put a bandage on it, all right? 'Cause otherwise it's just gonna get infected, okay? You know, I'll be there in a week and I'll look at it, but, but for right now just leave it alone. You're acting really crazy, all right?

  Emily : Okay, okay.

  James : Okay. I mean... Can you go to the bathroom and clean that off?

  Emily : Yeah, yeah. I'll be right back.

  [James covers his face with his hand and shakes his head, recording ends] 

• [Emily late in the night asks for James to help her see the ghost in her apartment] 

  James : Emily?

  Emily : Yeah?

  James : Are you there?

  Emily : Yeah, yeah, yeah.

  James : I gotta - I gotta do some work, so what's going on?

  Emily : I know, this'll only take a minute.

  James : What's up?

  Emily : He's outside my room. I think, I can hear the little boy's footsteps.

  James : That's really scary, Emily, what are you talking about?

  Emily : Well, I just - I need to talk to him, and I need your help.

  James : Um - I mean, I'll help in any way that I can

  Emily : Okay. Great, great. So, I'm gonna close my eyes so he doesn't scare me.

  James : What?

  Emily : I'm gonna close my eyes so I don't freak out... and run back in here, okay? So you're just gonna tell me if he's there and if he's paying attention to me, and then I'll talk to him. I'll find out what he wants - If he wants me to find his body, or... whatever. I just. Uh... I don't want to look at him. He's a ghost. He freaks me out.

  James : What? Um... Okay. All right.

  Emily : Okay, can you do that?

  James : Okay.

  Emily : Okay, okay. So, as soon as - as soon as I open the bedroom door I'm gonna close my eyes, and then you'll me what's there, okay?

  James : All right.

  Emily : Okay, are you ready?

  James : Yeah, yeah.

  Emily : All right, I'm closing my eyes.

• [James tries to comfort Emily who doesn't know what to feel anymore] 

  James : Listen, you're gonna be okay.

  Emily : You don't know.

  James : I do, you're gonna be fine.

  Emily : [in tears]  You deserve to be with someone normal - You know, someone who doesn't have so many problems. What if we want to have kids someday?

  James : You know, um... You're the only person I've ever wanted to be with, Emily, so just... Stop acting like I have a choice in the matter, all right?

  Emily : I don't know what I did to deserve someone... you're so good to me.

  James : Get some rest.

  Emily : I love you.

  [pause] 

  Emily : Talk to you later.

  James : All right.

  [Emily blows James a sad kiss, recording ends]