Song Cover Image

Count to ten

[Intro — distant empty room, slow footsteps] [Distant wordless female choir — sustained haunting "Aaaaaah..." for 4 bars, no lyrics, far behind the mix] [Juri — close spoken whisper] Run. ... No, really. Run. [small delighted laugh] I'll even give you time. [Azula — low distant spoken whisper] Ten seconds. [Juri] She's generous tonight. [Azula] Nine. [LOW RITUAL BEAT ENTERS] [Verse 1 — Juri, playful predatory whisper] Pick a door. Any door. They're all wrong. Hide your breathing. Cover your mouth. Make yourself small. I love when they do that. Like fear can make you disappear. Eight. Seven. [Juri — quiet real laugh] Heh... You're making this fun. [Verse 2 — Azula, slow and precise] Six. I hear the floorboards. Five. You stopped moving. Good. That means you finally understand. There is no urgency here. No anger. No chase. We already know where you are. Four. [DEAD SILENCE] [Distant wordless female choir — long trembling "Ooooooh...", no lyrics] [Pre-Chorus — whispered alternation] [Juri] Don't breathe. [Azula] Three. [Juri] Don't move. [Azula] Two. [Juri] Don't pray. [Azula] One. [LONG DEAD SILENCE] [Juri — smiling close whisper] Found you. [CHORUS — slow, crushing, ritualistic] [Both] COUNT TO TEN LOCK THE DOOR HEAR OUR STEPS ACROSS THE FLOOR HOLD YOUR BREATH KILL THE LIGHT WE WERE NEVER OUT OF SIGHT [Juri] You can hide. [Azula] You can try. [Both] But when the counting reaches one— Don't ask which one of us you'll find. [ALL PERCUSSION STOPS] [Juri — real quiet manic laugh] Heh... Again? [Verse 3 — Juri, increasingly excited] I like this game. You shake before I touch the handle. You listen for every little sound. And every time the building settles— You think it's me. [Juri — whisper from opposite side] Sometimes it is. [short laugh] [Azula — cold] Juri. [Juri] Hm? [Azula] You're enjoying this. [Juri] Obviously. [Azula — one tiny involuntary laugh] ... Continue. [HALF-TIME RITUAL DROP] [Verse 4 — Azula, control beginning to crack] Ten. This time I won't count slowly. Nine. Eight. Seven— [Azula stops] ... Why are you smiling? [Juri] I'm not the one smiling. [LONG SILENCE] [Azula — almost amused] Six. [Bridge — heartbeat only] [Distant wordless female choir — sustained haunting "Aaaaaah... Ooooooh...", mournful, no lyrics, far behind the mix] [Juri — whisper] Hear that? [Azula] Not us. [Juri] That's the best part. [Azula] Five. [Juri] Four. [Azula] Three. [Juri] Two. [Both — extremely close whisper] One. [FINAL CHORUS — heavier, still sparse] [Both] COUNT TO TEN LOCK THE DOOR WE'VE BEEN HERE ONCE BEFORE HIDE YOUR FACE TURN OUT THE LIGHT NOTHING HERE WILL MAKE IT RIGHT [Juri] Run again. [Azula] If you like. [Both] We have all night. [OUTRO — no beat, only room tone and distant footsteps] [Juri — very close whisper] Where'd you go? [5 SECONDS DEAD SILENCE] [Azula — distant whisper] She knows. [Juri — small manic laugh] Heh... Good. [Distant wordless female choir — sustained haunting "Aaaaaah..." slowly rising, no lyrics, far behind the mix] [Everything falls almost completely silent] [Azula — low distant spoken whisper] Ten. [ABRUPT CUT]