[distant wind] [very soft choir] Silent night... Hollow night... --- [low male vocal] Everyone sleeps. The fire burns low. Snow at the window. No footsteps below. No voices. No light. Nothing moves in the house tonight. --- [close whisper] Almost nothing. --- [soft piano] Silent night, hollow night. Every door is closed tight. Dreaming faces, breathing slow. No one hears the winter blow. Sleep... Don't open your eyes. Something is here tonight. --- [cello enters] You heard the floorboard. Didn't you? --- [pause] It was nothing. Go back to sleep. --- [verse] Hallway dark. Curtains still. Moonlight resting on the sill. Every clock has stopped at twelve. Every shadow keeps to itself. Except one. --- [whisper, very close] Don't turn around. --- [choir, distant] Silent night... Silent night... --- [lead] Don't call their names. Let them dream. There's no reason they should see. No reason they should wake. No reason anyone else should know I'm here. --- [soft refrain] Silent night, hollow night. No star burns above tonight. Heaven sleeps. The bells are still. Only you and only I will wait... until morning light. --- [long pause] If morning comes. --- [low organ enters] You keep pretending you don't hear me. That's sweet. --- [verse] Under the doorway a shadow grows. Where it begins, no one knows. Closer now. Across the floor. Halfway from the bed to the door. --- [lead, softly] Still pretending? --- [whispered choir] Sleep... Sleep... Sleep... --- [lead] That's better. --- [bridge — almost spoken] You prayed tonight. I heard you. Everyone else was asleep. You asked for peace. You asked to feel less alone. --- [close whisper] Be careful what comforts you. --- [soft piano] Silent night, hollow night. Something waits outside the light. No wings above. No flames below. Just one voice you almost know. --- [choir] Sleep in silence. Sleep in peace. --- [lead] Don't listen to them. Listen to me. --- [instruments nearly disappear] You want to know where I am. --- [pause] No. You don't. --- [very faint heartbeat percussion] [lead] Close your eyes. Count to ten. By the time you reach the end... --- [whispered voices] One... Two... Three... Four... --- [lead] No. Slower. --- [voices] Five... Six... Seven... --- [long silence] --- [close whisper] Eight. --- [pause] Nine. --- [very long pause] --- [whisper directly beside listener] I'm already here. --- [final refrain — barely sung] Silent night, hollow night. Morning waits beyond the white. Everyone sleeps. No one knows. Outside, the falling snow still glows. --- [lead, almost tender] Sleep. I'll still be here when morning comes. --- [distant choir] Silent night... --- [lead whisper] If it does.
