[(Dirty swamp blues monologue)] [INTRO – NARRATOR] Good mornin'... Looks like it's just you and me again. The coffee's cold... The devil's awake... Guess he beat me to it. --- [VERSE 1 – NARRATOR] Some days... Something grabs me by the throat. A black tide... Rolls through my veins. I get angry... But listen... You're not the reason. Don't flatter yourself. You didn't open the door. He was already inside. --- [THE OTHER ONE – quiet, amused] Already inside? Come on... You make me sound like a stranger. You know me better than anyone. --- [NARRATOR] I curse myself... 'Cause sometimes I can't hold back The volcano inside. I stand there watching it rumble... Like some stupid tourist. --- [THE OTHER ONE – laughing softly] You gonna blow? Oh, don't look at me like that. You know exactly what's coming. --- [NARRATOR] I ask myself... "Is it really going to erupt?" --- [THE OTHER ONE] Hey buddy... You talking about me? --- [NARRATOR] Yeah. I'm talking about you. --- [THE OTHER ONE] Well... I live here. --- [VERSE 2 – NARRATOR] Truth is... There's two of us living in this skin. One looks at you Like you're made of starlight. He'd tear the heavens apart Just to make you smile. --- [THE OTHER ONE – sarcastic] Oh, please... Don't make him sound so perfect. You know he gets tired too. You know he needs me. --- [NARRATOR] The other one... Never got invited. Still... He walks right in. Sits on my couch. Puts his boots on the table. --- [THE OTHER ONE] Relax... I'm comfortable. --- [NARRATOR] He smiles and says... --- [THE OTHER ONE] Who's ready for a little chaos? --- [NARRATOR] Nobody. --- [THE OTHER ONE] Wrong answer. --- [VERSE 3 – NARRATOR] Believe me... Nobody hates it more than I do When snakes crawl out of my mouth. When my words become claws. If I could stop him... I would. --- [THE OTHER ONE – whispering] But you don't. That's the funny part. --- [NARRATOR] Sometimes I just stand there... Watching the devil Dance in my own boots. --- [THE OTHER ONE] Seriously? These boots? They're killing my feet. --- [NARRATOR] I don't care. --- [THE OTHER ONE] Yeah... My soul's got blisters. --- [VERSE 4 – NARRATOR] Some days... He just smiles at me. Raises his fist. And asks... --- [THE OTHER ONE] So... Who are we hurting today? --- [NARRATOR] Shut up. --- [THE OTHER ONE – laughing] There it is. I knew you'd say it eventually. --- [NARRATOR] He knows... We're made from the same flesh. --- [THE OTHER ONE – closer, seductive] Don't push me, baby... I can get a whole lot uglier. Just watch. Every second you feed me your fear... I grow. I love that. Makes me wanna dance. And the funniest thing... Way down deep... You made me. --- [LONG SILENCE] --- [NARRATOR – explosion] Fuck you. --- [DIRTY GUITAR SOLO / HARMONICA RESPONSE] --- [THE OTHER ONE – smiling] There you are... Now you're speaking my language. --- [VERSE 5 – NARRATOR] Some days... I lose the balance. I can't always be the light. Sometimes the shadow Crawls beneath my skin. Maybe it was always there. Maybe... It lives in my blood. --- [THE OTHER ONE – whispering] Told you. I'm not a visitor. --- [NARRATOR] Sometimes the swamp pulls me under. I feel myself getting dirty. Snakes... Worms... Crawling out of my mouth. --- [THE OTHER ONE – amused] Too much? --- [NARRATOR] Yeah. I don't think it's classy either. --- [THE OTHER ONE] One of the worms asked: "Is this the guest room?" --- [NARRATOR] No. It's my damn mouth. --- [THE OTHER ONE] Just checking. --- [OUTRO – NARRATOR] Tomorrow... I'll probably apologize. I always do. --- [THE OTHER ONE] I never do. --- [NARRATOR] Wait... If I'm talking about him... --- [THE OTHER ONE – almost a whisper] Who's talking now? --- (Soft laughter. Dirty guitar. Harmonica fades into darkness.)
