(shhhh…) Can you hear it? That sound between the trees… That voice beneath the wind… Don’t speak. Just listen. There… Again. A whisper in the fog. A breath against your ear. But there’s no one there. …is there? You walked beyond the warning signs, past the road, past the lights, past every place you knew. The path disappeared behind you, swallowed by the silver haze. You told yourself you were only wandering. You told yourself you could turn around. But something in the darkness wanted you to keep going. And you did. Step by step. Deeper. Further. Until the world behind you became impossible to remember. Can you still remember the way home? Breathe… slowly… Breathe… don’t panic… There’s something moving. To your left. No… Wait. Behind you. Don’t turn around. Whatever you hear… don’t turn around. They know your name. They know your voice. They know every secret you buried inside your mind. They heard your thoughts before you ever spoke them. They followed your footsteps before you ever knew they were there. And now… they’re waiting. In the fog. In the trees. In the space between one heartbeat and the next. Run… while you still can. [Verse 2 – darker, rhythmic whispered delivery] You hear laughter somewhere far away. Hah… hah… hah… Then another voice answers. Closer. Hah-hah-hah-hah… You freeze. The forest freezes with you. No insects. No wind. No birds. Nothing. Only your breathing. In… Out… In… Out… And then— another breath. Not yours. Someone is breathing with you. You take one step forward. The fog moves. You take another. The fog follows. You stop. It stops. You run. It runs. You turn your head— No. Don’t. Turn. Around. They know your name. They know where you live. They know what you dream about. They know the things you never told anyone. They know the little voice inside your head. And they’ve been listening for a very long time. We heard you. We saw you. We followed you. We waited. We waited. We waited. Ooooh… Why are you frightened? You wanted to find us. You called into the darkness. You opened the door. You stepped across the threshold. You asked the night to show you something real. And now it has. Look. No… Don’t look. (shhhh…) Can you hear them? They’re closer now. One behind you. One beside you. One standing where the fog is thickest. And one… inside your head. Breathe… breathe… breathe… Don’t make a sound. They can hear your heartbeat. You think you’re being chased. But you’re not. You’re being guided. Every turn you took… was exactly where they wanted you to go. Every wrong path… was the right one. Every moment you thought you were lost… you were getting closer. Closer. Closer. Run. Run. Run. Faster. Don’t stop. Don’t listen. Don’t look. RUN. Too late. They’re right behind you. You can feel them. Cold fingers against the back of your neck. A whisper inside your ear. Your name… spoken by something that has no mouth. They’re not angry. They’re not hunting you. They’re smiling. Because you finally understand. You were never escaping. You were coming home. Ooooh… Stay with us. The fog is warm here. The darkness is quiet. You don’t have to be afraid anymore. No more roads. No more searching. No more running. Just close your eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. Listen to the voices. They know your name. They know your thoughts. They know your fear. And now… they know your heart. Don’t turn around. Never turn around. You might see us. [Long silence] (shhhh…) Welcome home.
