[Intro] [Atmospheric soundscape, distant wind and waterfall foley] [Slow detuned music box melody, bowed cello drone] (Spoken, low rasp, echoing) I know I went to sleep in my own bed... So how am I standing at the edge of the sky? The stone feels real. The cold wind feels real. Wake up... just wake up. [Verse 1 - The Ascent] [Dusty boom bap drums enter, 72 BPM] [Round kick, crisp rimshot, acoustic nylon guitar fingerpicking] Pinch my own arm, but I’m wide awake drifting Purple cloud sea and the twilight shifting Black cat staring like it knows my name Playing tricks on my head, is my mind playing games? Gravity broken, but the cobblestones hold Every lantern flickers with a fire so cold Floating castle spires hanging right in the air Nothing makes sense, but I’m standing right there Hear the water rushing off the edge of the cliff Legs moving forward, but my body feels stiff Giant harvest moon, see the silhouette fly A shadow on a broom cutting right through the sky Feels too detailed for a trick of the mind Leaving every law of the earth behind Drawn to the glow where the timber bridge creaks Whispering a promise that a dreamer seeks. [Chorus - The Gate] [Drums pull back, sweeping strings and ambient pads swell] [Music box intensifies, ethereal and melodic] It’s only a dream... that’s what I keep telling myself Like a fairytale book pulled down from the shelf The pumpkin smiles warm, inviting me in Golden light dripping where the shadows begin Reach for the handle, hand on the wood— I should turn around... I know I should. [Suspense Outro] [Tension riser, music box loops slowly, fading heartbeat] [Beat Switch] [Heavy iron door slam, wood splintering] [Sub bass drop, tape stop riser] [Verse 2 - The Nightmare Trap] [Heavy half-time phonk bounce drop] [Distorted sliding 808 bass, punchy drums, rapid hi-hats] [Aggressive, frantic double-time flow] Door slams shut, now the dream turns black Try to find the exit, ain't no turning back! Warm light vanishes, the orange turns blood Floorboards rotting under venom and mud Crooked wooden rooftops closing in tight Houses have teeth in the dead of the night Smiling carved walls laughing right in my face Trapped in a gourd with no concept of space Try to scream out, but the voice won't rise Paralyzed staring into hollowed-out eyes Chimneys spitting embers, ash in my throat Demons in the corner with a scythe and a coat This ain't a fantasy, it’s pulling me down Drowning in the river running under the town Bass rattling my skull, can't break the seams— Goddamn, somebody wake me from these Halloween Dreams! [Chorus 2 - The Twisted Nightmare] [Full heavy 808 bounce continues, frantic energy] [Desperate, strained melodic vocals, reverb washed] It’s not just a dream... no matter what I told myself! Trapped inside the pages of a book upon a dusty shelf! The pumpkin isn't smiling, it's devouring my skin! Golden light is bleeding where the terror starts to begin! Banging on the timber, clawing at the wood— I should've turned around... God, I knew I should! [Outro] [Bass glides drag into slow motion] [Distorted pitched-down vocal echo] Open your eyes... Come on, open your eyes... [Gasping breath, flatline heartbeat, abrupt tape cut] [Silence] [End]
