[Spoken word throughout — female smoky raspy voice] [Rain on stone, distant thunder, no drums] Dad Can you hear me Please stay with me Something is moving inside me I thought it was my stomach at first But it keeps pressing higher [Low heartbeat pulse starts] It scratches when I breathe Like it heard me notice it Like it wants more room Dad It hurts I can’t straighten my legs [Hard stop — breath alone] There’s no cut I keep checking There’s nothing on my hands [Brief strained female scream, thunder cracks, pulse returns] Why does part of me want it to happen again When the pain reaches its worst Something familiar comes with it And for a second I feel so close to home I can almost smell the mansion after rain The wet hedges beneath the windows I know I’m somewhere else But it feels like I never left [Pulse cuts, rain remains] I’m lying in the road My cheek is against the stones They’re cold and wet I can feel water running into my sleeve There are buildings on both sides I can’t see their upper windows The fog has swallowed everything above the doors Dad People are passing me At least I think they’re people [Soft footsteps pass from side to side] One of them stopped It was carrying something I heard it fall Now it’s backing away With its hand across its mouth Do I look that bad Another one has caught it by the sleeve They’re staring Like they watched somebody die And she just walked past them [Complete stop] [Distant layered female whispers] The princess has returned [Silence, then a low organ note] Dad Did you hear that Where Where is she I tried to lift my head I thought she might be coming down the road Maybe she knows this place Maybe she could take me to the doctor [Pulse starts, quieter] There’s a woman beside the wall I’m asking her Please Where did the princess go She’s looking past my shoulder I turned There’s nobody there She starts to lower her head Then catches herself And pulls her hood over her face Dad Why won’t anybody help me [Scratching sound, pulse stutters and stops] Wait My notes I’ve still got my notes The pages are stuck together I can barely read what I wrote The doctor He’s the king The doctor is the king of this kingdom I’ve been asking for him Like he might be working in some little room While that castle has been standing over the whole street [Distant thunder rolls, sub returns] I need to get up Dad There’s something under my ribs again Please Just keep talking to me I need something else to listen to It keeps pulling Like it wants me to turn around I could go back I could find that corridor I could shut the curtain And pretend I never saw any of this [Brief female cry, hard instrumental stop] But I can’t leave like this I need to know why being here hurts And why leaving feels worse [Rain softens, footsteps approach] Someone’s coming closer Excuse me Please don’t go I’m trying to find the princess I need to speak to the doctor It’s holding out a lantern I reached for it But it lowered it beside my feet It’s watching my hands Dad It won’t look at my face [Low female whisper, close] Don’t turn back [Sudden thunder, all music stops] Why What’s behind me It won’t answer The lantern is on the ground now It’s walking away No Please Just tell me where she is [Long pause, rain alone] It’s stopped at the next corner I think it wants me to follow [Slow pulse restarts beneath uneven footsteps] I’m up Dad I’m standing Everyone has moved to the sides I thought the street was crowded Now there’s room all the way to the steps A little shadow reaches toward me The taller one pulls it close And covers its mouth I heard something I couldn’t make out the word I’m going to the castle If she has returned Somebody there will know where to find her The scratching is slowing down Each time I take a step The pressure eases Enough to let me take another [Castle bell, pulse cuts mid-beat] Dad I know where these steps turn I couldn’t see it from the street But I knew Maybe I saw them in a picture I’ll ask him If I can get inside I’ll ask him everything [Heavy gate begins opening, distant female gasp] Dad The gate I haven’t touched it [Rain and a final low thunder roll, abrupt silence]
