Project: Rustwater — The Long Night, pt V

Dead air, dread prayer, red glare hummin’ Rustwater backroads, last man runnin’ Blackfall dead and the storm still comin’ Hear that hush? That motherfucker’s comin’. Deadlight burns behind the trees Dead team talking through dead frequencies Radio ghosts keep calling me Then every channel cuts—clean. Knee-deep water, cornfield black Deadlight glowing at my back Rifle low, chainsaw strapped Every few yards, I check my tracks Drainage ditch and busted wire Church bell fades behind the fire That sound dropped Sheriff in the mire Bullets didn’t—remember that. Crickets cut when the wind goes still Rain keeps falling, can’t hear shit Corn rows twitch on top the hill Something’s moving—and it ain’t wind. One white face between the stalks Same dead Doc from the motel lot Blink once—empty. Turn—he’s close. Fuck this field. He fucking followed. When the whole night stops, he’s near When the rain goes mute, I hear Every heartbeat getting clear— Keep it loud. Don’t let him disappear. Don’t let the silence bury me Don’t let it take what’s left of me Keep that engine screaming loud If the dead air falls—don’t shut it down. Black rain crawling through the flood I’ve seen what happens to their blood If that silence closes in—Make some noise. Or fucking die in it. Deadlight flickers through the rain Burned-out motel in my brain Blackfall voices haunt the band Every channel lost a man Corn rows bend, then settle flat Cattails split behind my back Doc shows teeth between the black I fire twice—he just steps back. Rounds hit center, knock him down Mud kicks up, he eats the ground Three breaths later—back around Same dead eyes. No fucking sound. I backpedal toward the road Chainsaw bouncing off my coat His head tilts when metal knocks Like he knows it—before I do. Every step cuts through the rain Every shot just buys a frame Something deeper feels the pain— Not the flesh. Something under it breaks. Silence drops, the whole field dies Doc comes low through blackened night I rip the cord—the motor bites He locks up hard before it strikes Saw ain’t touched him, still he shakes Hands go up, his whole face breaks Same damn look when Sheriff fell Noise hits deeper than the shell Engine screams—he folds in mud Black rain flashes through his blood “Her” on his lips, walls collapse Some old nightmare drags him back That’s when I know what bullets missed Sound got somewhere lead can’t hit Gun the throttle, close the space Human eyes break through his face Steel hits shoulder, blade hits bone Motor screams against his groan He grabs my vest—we hit the ground Blade jams hard—we roll around One last pull—his body drops Black veins twitch but never stop Something crawls beneath his skin Then the dark comes rushing in He looks at me. Not Doc anymore. Then— Voices in my head scream— WE ARE LEGION. Wake on a pew with a split-lip grin Black veins crawling under my skin Church glass shakes when I breathe within I hear three voices— then hear ten. TV snow when I cross the room Radio bends to a lower tune Rain still falls beneath the moon But around me—nothing moves. Crickets quit when I step outside Dogs pull back, won’t meet my eyes Streetlights twitch when I pass by And dead air spreads—from where I stand. Thoughts hit wrong, then memories blend Woman under brick. Saw in his hands. Places I’ve never fucking been Then one voice says—we’ve been there. I grab my chest, can’t feel one beat Hear Doc crying under me Hear old lives I shouldn’t see And every one—remembers me. Blackfall sent us in to kill Whatever turned this county still Now the hush bends to my will— I’m the thing... they were sent to kill. Don’t let the silence take them too Don’t let it spread like it spread through you The storm is gone, but something stayed Living deep where blood gets made I needed noise to stay alive Now every sound dies when I arrive If this thing leaves Rustwater tonight— Kill me here. Don’t let it cross that line. Blackfall marked the whole team gone Six names filed before the dawn I’m still walking, moving on Every radio knows...something’s wrong Hear that hush? Don’t close your eyes.