Kaji: After the Howl
- Peter K F Cheung SBS
- Sep 28
- 2 min read
FADE IN
Act 1
EXT. RIVIERSIDE PARK - EVENING
The city skyline stands tall in a distance. KAJI sits on a bench.
KAJI (V.O.): This is my favourite bench.
The PACK LEADER and PETER sit near her.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): The long wait was over. They've just returned home.
The evening breeze ruffles Kaji's fur,
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): The breeze brings back a scent - the scent of rain.
Pausing.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): Everything is calm now.
Pausing.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): But I remember when it wasn't water, but a monster.
Act 2
MONTAGE OF WHAT HAPPENED AT HOME DAYS AGO
A. Rain hammers against the windows like a thousand frantic fists.
B. The world outside is a terrifying, swirling grey.
C. The wind howls, a primal scream that shakes the very building.
D. The apartment is dim. Kaji isn't on her usual tatami mat.
E. Kaji is wedged into the corner of the large sofa, a fortified position.
END MONTAGE
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): That sofa corner is my sanctuary.
.
Recalling.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): The great howl came. The sky fell. The world outside torn itself apart.
MONTGAGE OF KAJI'S DEMEANOURS IN HER SANCTUARY
A. Kaji trembles.
B. Kaji's eyes are wide, but her body remains rigid.
C. Kaji presses herself deeper into the corner.
END MONTAGE
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): The great howl screamed to be let in.
Pausing.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): There was only the howl. And me.
Peter's hands finds a spot behind Kaji's ears and scratches it.
.
PETER: We're back. Sorry we're gone so long.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): They returned to a home that looked the same. They couldn't see the battles fought in the corners, the kingdoms defended in the silence.
PETER (Cont'd): Our scheduled flight for an earlier return was cancelled due to the super typhoon.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): I've a corner of the sofa where I face my storms. Courage is the act of holding that ground.
PETER (Cont'd): We saw that on the CCTV while we're in Tokyo.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): I tell myself stories about the howl not to remember the fear, but to remember the guardian I became to face it.
The Pack Leader strokes Kaji's back.
PACK LEADER: Good girl. We missed you so much.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): I'm just who I'm in the sunlight, but also who I had to become in the dark to survive the howl.
Kaji looks from Peter to the Pack Leader.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): The chaos is a ghost now, defeated by the present peace.
Pausing.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): Real strength is shown in endurance and patience, not just in joyful moments.
Pausing.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): The monster is gone and our kingdom is secure.
Kaji rests her chin on Peter's lap.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): I didn't conquer the howl. I simply outlast it. Sometimes, survival is the only victory required.
Act 3
EXT. RIVERSIDE PARK - CONTINUOUS
Kaji gazes at the Pack Leader and Peter.
KAJI (V.O): The howl leaves its signature not on the walls, but on the soul. A faint tremor that reminds me of my own fortitude.
Thinking.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): After the howl, silence isn't an absence. It's a presence - a thick, earned blanket of peace.
Reflecting.
KAJI (V.O) (Cont'd): From the right bench, with the right company, even the memory of a howl can become a tale of valor.
FADE OUT
THE END
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