[distant choir] Ring... Ring... Ring... Ring... --- [whispered voices] Hear them below. Under the snow. Calling your name. Always the same. --- [low male vocal] Who rings the bells when no one is there? Who keeps the time when no one cares? --- [choir] Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. --- Cold in the tower. Late is the hour. Black against white. Something tonight. Footsteps below. Where did they go? Don't look behind. Keep with the time. --- [whisper] One... Two... Three... --- [choir] **RING.** --- [heavy entrance] Hear how they call. One and then all. Closer and closer. Answer the call. Over the rooftops. Under the ground. Every bell ringing the very same sound. --- [lead] You hear it too. Don't you? --- [whispers, alternating left/right] Closer. Closer. Closer. Closer. --- [chorus] HOLLOW BELLS, HOLLOW BELLS, RING THROUGH THE NIGHT. No hands upon them. No stars in sight. HOLLOW BELLS, HOLLOW BELLS, TOLLING BELOW. Something is coming. Something you know. --- [instrumental acceleration] --- [lead, quietly] Don't count the bells. --- [choir] One. --- [lead] I said don't. --- [choir] Two. Three. Four. --- [industrial drums enter] Five. Six. Seven. --- [lead] Stop. --- [choir, louder] EIGHT. NINE. TEN. --- [everything cuts] [whisper] Why did they stop? --- [one distant bell] --- [low vocal] Because they're here. --- [heavy return] RING UNTIL THE WINDOWS SHAKE. RING UNTIL THE SLEEPERS WAKE. RING UNTIL THE CANDLES DIE. RING UNTIL THERE'S NO MORE SKY. --- [choir increasingly frantic] **RING. RING. RING. RING.** --- [lead] Louder. --- [choir] **RING.** --- [lead] I can't hear them yet. --- [choir] **RING!** --- [lead, almost laughing] There you are. --- [final chorus] HOLLOW BELLS, HOLLOW BELLS, CALL THEM ALL HOME. Saint and sinner. Flesh and bone. HOLLOW BELLS, HOLLOW BELLS, OPEN THE WAY. Something was sleeping. You woke it today. --- [layered voices] Hear them below. Under the snow. Closer they come. Nowhere to go. --- [lead, over growing chaos] Don't let them stop. --- [choir] **DON'T LET THEM STOP.** --- [lead] Don't let them— --- [abrupt silence] --- [one enormous bell] --- [very distant whisper] Too late.
