There Should Be Four Of Us

[Uneasy melodic djent groove — clean guitar woven through restrained low-tuned rhythm; intricate bass and off-center drums] There should be four of us. I don't know why. Three of you answered. I waited for five— seconds of silence. Nobody came. I almost remembered somebody's name. [Groove shifts slightly; one musical phrase seems deliberately incomplete] I said, "Who's missing?" You looked at me strange. I laughed like a person who'd made a mistake. But something went cold when you said, "We're all here." There should be four of us. I'm fucking sure. [Melodic refrain — sung with growing certainty] THERE SHOULD BE FOUR OF US. THERE'S ONLY THREE. YOU SAY THAT'S EVERYONE. DON'T SAY THAT TO ME. I CAN'T SEE A FACE. I CAN'T HEAR A NAME. BUT SOMEBODY'S MISSING, AND THAT ISN'T THE SAME. [Instrumental — three instruments lock into a repeating figure; a fourth guitar phrase enters out of time and disappears] I tried not to count us. I counted again. One of you noticed. I said it was ten— things on my mind. You let it go. There should be four. How do I know? [Music becomes more unsettled without becoming heavier] I remember laughing at something they said. I remember their voice but the words in my head keep losing their edges, then falling apart. How can I miss someone I can't fucking mark? [Refrain — more agonized, still melodic] THERE SHOULD BE FOUR OF US. THERE'S ONLY THREE. SOMEBODY WAS HERE. SOMEBODY KNEW ME. DON'T TELL ME I'M WRONG. DON'T TELL ME I'M SURE— [Sudden stop] Wait. [Quiet] There should be... [Pause] How many of us were there before? [Main groove returns, but now only three musical voices remain] [Softly] Three. Of course. Three. [Pause] Then why did I say four?