Shift End At Midnight

[Verse 1 confident, conceited and spoiled] Clock hits ten, apron off, another greasy midnight shift Tomás lights up at the curb, Bruno grins like “Need a lift?” They offered me a ride, I said “Nah, I’ll be alright” “I’m no streetwalker, he won’t hunt me down tonight” I laugh it off, wave goodbye—“I’ll be fine, I know these blocks” "He’s hunting hookers, not girls like me,” I whisper to the dark Police tape blocks my street, so I cut through the decay Where shadows bleed and rats still feast on dreams that lost their way Then I see it—slow and sweet—the cherry red van glides in I bite my lip and keep my pace, pretending calm skin-deep thin [Pre-Chorus Subtle shift, seeds of doubt] Mini skirt, too tight to breathe Lipstick red, eyes full of heat I feel him staring through the dark Mistakes me for his meat Skin-tight shirt, streetlight fight He thinks I’m his tonight [Chorus panic and terror] Cherry red van on my tail again Black-robed ghost with a skeleton grin Running through the ruins of forgotten men Breathin’ fast like a hunted sin No one hears, no one cares And he’s still there—he’s still there He’s still out there, watching close Every shadow—he’s a ghost [Verse 2 false sense of security] Found a rope and made my drop, the fire escape’s a curse The floor below’s half-built and cold, this nightmare’s getting worse He stalks with boots like thunder, echo shaking steel and stone His mask a skull, his steps like death—I’m out here all alone Across the rooftops, broken rails, I parkour through the pain My curves weren’t made for running but I jump through maddening rain My purse falls into the street below, a breadcrumb he can follow But I dive into the underground, chased by sweat and sorrow [Bridge slow and tense, then building] Tunnel rats and sewage breath I crawl through echoes sharp as death Stumbling into station ruins Heartbeats louder than the ruins I see my block—I taste the sky But no keys, no lock, just questions why A working girl blocks my way I beg, “You’re in danger!”—she just sways “Back off bitch, this street is mine!” She disappears, then screams through time Her blood is proof, her eyes gone wide And he’s behind me—hell alive [Final Chorus] Cherry red van and a face like bone He drags me screaming through the stone But I fight back, heel to the eye I make him bleed, I make him cry Police lights flash, sirens tear the air But he escapes—he’s still out there [Outro scared terrified] Back in bed, locked doors tight But I can’t sleep, not tonight He’s still out there, in the dark Tomás and Bruno told me stay Now I replay it every day The scent of oil, the subway air The one-eyed shadow… Still out there.