[INTRO — rain outside / bar ambience / glasses / low vinyl sample] 11:47. Corner bar. Same stool I always sit on. Bartender pours another one. Then somebody sits beside me. STRANGER: Rough night? MAN: Rough life. STRANGER: Tell me about it. [DUSTY DRUMS DROP] [VERSE 1 — MAN] I don’t normally talk to strangers, but tonight I didn’t care, Something ‘bout the way he listened made me forget he wasn’t there Five minutes ago— Now I’m telling him my life, Every funeral, every failure, every sleepless fucking night. Told him people think I’m strong because they never see me break, Told him every morning lately feels like something I gotta fake, Told him everybody needs me, but when I’m the one who falls, I stare down at my contacts— And don’t know who the fuck to call. He didn’t interrupt. Didn’t tell me, “It gets better.” Didn’t give me empty quotes about surviving stormy weather. Just listened. Then eventually he asked: STRANGER: You tired? MAN: More than you’ll ever understand. STRANGER: I understand perfectly. [SNARE HITS — SAMPLE GETS DARKER] [VERSE 2 — CONVERSATION] MAN: I told him I’m exhausted from pretending that I’m fine, From carrying old memories that keep poisoning my mind. I’m tired of losing people. Tired of watching years disappear. Tired of looking in the mirror and not knowing who’s in there. STRANGER: So you’re done? MAN: … Yeah. I think I’m done. [DRUMS STOP] STRANGER: Then let’s go. MAN: Where? STRANGER: Does it matter? MAN: I guess not. STRANGER: Come on. [LOW HEARTBEAT ENTERS] MAN: Hold up. I gotta use the bathroom first. STRANGER: Don’t worry about it. Let’s go. MAN: Nah, man, seriously. Two minutes. STRANGER: … I’ll wait. [VERSE 3 — BATHROOM / NO DRUMS] Bathroom fluorescent buzzing. Water running. Hands against the sink. I looked into that dirty mirror… And for some reason started thinking. Something about that dude felt wrong. Not dangerous exactly. Just… Familiar. Like I’d seen his face somewhere but couldn’t place the memory. I splashed some water on my face. Looked myself directly in the eyes. And whispered— What the fuck are you doing? [SILENCE] For the first time all night… I didn’t have an answer. [BEAT RETURNS — DIFFERENT SAMPLE CHOP] [VERSE 4] Walked back toward the bar. His stool was empty. Looked toward the door. Nothing. Checked the corner. Nothing. MAN: Hey! Bartender looked up. BARTENDER: Yeah? MAN: Where’d that dude go? BARTENDER: Who? MAN: The guy sitting right here. Dark jacket. Right beside me. BARTENDER: … What guy? MAN: Man, quit playing. I’ve been talking to him for damn near an hour. BARTENDER: Brother… You’ve been sitting there alone since you walked through that door. [EVERYTHING STOPS] MAN: … What? BARTENDER: I thought you were talking to yourself. [LONG SILENCE] [VERSE 5 — SAMPLE BECOMES DISTORTED] Cold ran through my body. Looked down at the chair. Empty glass beside mine— MAN: See?! Whose drink is that?! BARTENDER: What drink? [SILENCE] I looked again. Nothing. Just an empty fucking stool. Then remembered every sentence and suddenly understood: He never told me his name. Never ordered from the bar. Nobody bumped into his chair. Nobody looked toward where we are. And every time I told him something I’d never told another soul, He already knew the ending… before the story had been told. [HOOK — FIRST TIME IN THE SONG] Who was that man? Was he real? Was he something in my head that finally learned to speak and feel? Was he darkness? Was he death? Was he everything I’d become? I don’t know who sat beside me… But I’m glad I didn’t go with him. [FINAL VERSE — DEEP / CONTROLLED] I threw some money on the counter. Walked outside. Rain stopped. Cold air hit different when I realized I was still alive. Didn’t suddenly love my life. Didn’t suddenly feel repaired. Still had every fucking problem that followed me in there. But something changed. Because ten minutes earlier I’d been ready to follow somebody without even asking where. And maybe that’s the part that scares me most tonight— Sometimes darkness doesn’t threaten you. Doesn’t scream. Doesn’t fight. Sometimes it sits beside you. Lets you talk. Acts like a friend. Then when you’re at your weakest… quietly says— “Let’s go.” [OUTRO — NO DRUMS / ORIGINAL PIANO] MAN: Hey, bartender… BARTENDER: Yeah? If that guy comes back— BARTENDER: What guy? … Never mind. [DOOR OPENS / MAN WALKS OUT] STRANGER — VERY DISTANT WHISPER: I’ll see you around. [VINYL CUT]
