(Nighttime at the Yukinori household. XUM is again seated at a modest desk in his den dictating notes in his digital recorder. NAMIKO enters carrying a wide, flat, and worn cardboard box. XUM turns toward her, placing the recorder on the desk, forgetting to turn it off.)
NAMIKO: Hey, Xum. I was going through some old boxes for Goodwill donations, and look what I found.
XUM: My old manhua file! I wondered what happened to that.
(NAMIKO sets the box on the desk and starts picking out some yellowed, zipatone-crusted art pages.)
NAMIKO: You showed me a few pieces before, but I haven't seen everything. There actually isn't much here...
XUM: Well, the studio wouldn't let me keep much of the original art. I've got a bunch of semi-legible photocopies boxed away... somewhere. They did let me keep some sketches and thumbnails, and...
NAMIKO: And this.
(NAMIKO pulls out an A5-sized piece of watercolor paper in a mylar sleeve, which makes it the most prestine-looking piece in the box. XUM draws a breath.)
XUM: Oh, wow... "The Last Time I Saw Dan."
(XUM sits silently for a beat, looking at the india-ink image on the paper, his eyes drawn to the twin pools of green acryllics that are the focus of the piece. NAMIKO touches her husband's shoulder gingerly.)
NAMIKO: So when are you going to blog about that?
XUM: I already blogged about...
NAMIKO: ...the last time you had "seen and touched" Dan, I know. You know what I mean.
XUM: I don't know for sure what I saw at the Malaysian...
NAMIKO: I don't mean your near encounter with the... whatzit called? Pollyanna...?
XUM: Pontianak.
NAMIKO: Right. That's what you said it was.
XUM: To be clear, I didn't say I saw a pontianak for sure. The bomoh who cleansed the Malaysian Security Exchange Commission building said there was a pontianak there. What I saw was just a quick glance of...
NAMIKO: But who knows what would have happened if you didn't look away, and decided to follow...
XUM: Well, if it was a pontianak, I wouldn't be here now.
NAMIKO: You honestly believe that?
XUM: I do. Many people there believe it too. I remember the Malaysian government seriously discussing establishing laws to govern the use of "black magic." (A pause.) And there were a number of weird things happening in that building before the bomoh came. Elevators and lights going wonky, and the like. The bomoh said there were a number of other spirits making mischief in...
NAMIKO: (Laughter.)
XUM: What?
NAMIKO: You. (Her fingers make air quotes as she mimicks XUM's voice.) "Making mischief." I mean, who says that? (Laughter.)
XUM: I do.
NAMIKO: Mm-hmm. You sure do. (Her fingers lightly touch a corner of the drawing's plastic covering. Her voice now takes a serious tone.) I know why you are dodging my question, Xum... but you should really tell that story. I mean, that was an amazing thing you went through.
XUM: I... I'll think about it.
NAMIKO: Okay. (She smiles a wicked grin.) I don't suppose you are thinking of "making some mischief" with me right now?
XUM: Do you have to ask?
(XUM snaps off the recorder while NAMIKO snaps off the lights. CUT TO BLACK.)
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