(Intro — Static. A chair scraping across the floor. Clock ticking. A long exhale.) Alright... You've been talking all night... My turn now... (beat drops — slow, heavy 808s) Sit down... Let's have the talk... --- (Verse 1 — Host voice. Raw, tired, but finally speaking up.) You've been running your mouths since I was nine I've been listening Taking notes Letting you write on my skin Letting you pick the playlist in my head Letting you drive while I sat in the backseat Of my own fucking life But it's 4 AM now And I've got nothing left to lose So let's talk You first... --- (Voice 1 — Anxiety. Panning hard left. Pitched up. Rapid. Glitchy. Mocking.) Ohhh you wanna talk now?! That's cute, that's real cute Remember when you couldn't even order food Without me telling you your voice sounds stupid? Remember when you rehearsed "hello" seventeen times And still got it wrong? You need me I'm the reason you're careful I'm the reason you're alive I'm the voice that says "check the locks" "Check the stove" "Check your pulse" "They're looking at you" "They're laughing at you" "They're talking about you" "They're gonna leave you" "They're gonna leave you" "THEY'RE GONNA LEAVE YOU" (glitch, stutter, reset) Without me you'd walk into traffic Without me you'd trust people Without me you'd be happy and stupid and dead You owe me everything --- (Host — calm, steady, finally pushing back.) I owe you sleepless nights I owe you shaking hands I owe you canceled plans I owe you friendships I killed before they could leave me first I owe you every "sorry" I didn't need to say Every "never mind" when I had something to say Every 3 AM staring at the ceiling While you ran your fucking mouth You don't protect me... You imprison me. Now you... --- (Voice 2 — Depression. Panning hard right. Pitched down. Slower. Heavier. Venomous but tired.) ...You think I'm the villain? That's adorable. I'm the only one who's ever been honest with you I don't tell you sweet little lies I don't say "it gets better" I don't say "you're enough" I tell you the truth... You're tired. You've been tired since you were a child. You've been carrying a weight that isn't yours And nobody helped you lift it. Nobody saw it. Nobody asked. I'm not the enemy. I'm the mirror. I'm the only voice that doesn't pretend That this life is worth the effort. You wanna know why you keep me around? 'Cause I'm the only one who doesn't leave. I've been here since the beginning. Anxiety comes and goes. But me? I'm the foundation. I'm the floor you collapse on. I'm the gravity that pulls you into bed at noon. I'm the reason you stopped answering texts. Stopped showing up. Stopped trying. And you wanna sit here and act like you're ready to let me go? (mocking laugh, slow, deep) You've tried that... Remember the hospital? Remember the pills? Remember the silence after? I was still there. I'm always there. I'll be there at your wedding. I'll be there at your funeral. I'll be there after. And after. And after. --- (Host — voice cracking, but still standing. Not strong. Just... still here.) Yeah... You've been there... You held my hand when I swallowed those pills You whispered "finally" when I closed my eyes You were disappointed when I woke up Same room, same ceiling, same you But here's the thing you keep forgetting... I woke up. I've woken up every single time. Every 3:10. Every 3:30. Every 4:15. Every knife I put down. Every gun I didn't pull . Every pill I threw up. Every "one more day" I didn't wanna take But took anyway. You call me weak? I've been fighting both of you With no armor, no backup, no hope Since I was nine years old And I'm still here. Not winning. Not healed. Not better. But here. And as long as I'm here... You don't win either. --- (Bridge — All three voices overlap. Industrial noise swell. Chaos. Then sudden silence. Just piano.) Anxiety (left): You need me! You'll always need me! Depression (right): You'll never escape me. Never. Never. Anxiety (left): What if? What if? What if? Depression (right): Why bother? Why try? Why live? Host (center, calmest of the three): I hear you both... I always hear you both... (beat cuts — just one voice, exhausted but steady) But I don't have to listen. --- (Outro — Beat fades. Clock resumes ticking. Piano key repeating. Voice tired but different now. Not fixed. Just... talking back.) It's 4:30... You're still here... I know you're still here... But I'm still here too... So keep talking... I'll keep not listening... At least for tonight... (clock stops) (pen drops) (silence)
