You're Still Here

[Delicate fingerpicked guitar begins alone — beautiful, simple melody; deep male baritone enters almost immediately, close and gentle] You're still here. That's the worst part. I get to hold you while I fall apart. You say my name like nothing has changed. I say yours back— it doesn't sound the same. [Low distorted guitar enters beneath the fingerpicking; the beautiful acoustic pattern NEVER stops] Don't make me miss you while you're next to me. Don't make tomorrow something I can see. [Drums enter brutally underneath the gentle vocal; singer refuses to raise his voice] I know you're here. I know. I know. Then why does every minute already feel like letting go? [INSTRUMENTAL — crushing low-tuned riff develops underneath the original delicate fingerpicked melody; both coexist] [Baritone becomes melodic, aching but restrained] Stay until morning. Stay until then. Let me forget how this story might end. Give me one hour I don't have to fear. Let me believe you— you're still here. [Sudden screamed vocal over ONLY the delicate guitar] **YOU'RE STILL FUCKING HERE.** [Full band detonates — enormous dissonant riff, double-kick barrage; the delicate melody remains audible above it] [Low growled vocal] So why am I grieving? Why am I bereaved? Why does my body already believe— [Voice breaks into clean singing] —that loving you now means losing you twice? Once while you're with me. Once from my life. [Music suddenly becomes almost weightless — fingerpicked guitar, distant clean electric melody, soft bass] [Near-whisper] You laughed just now. God, that was nice. [Pause] Do it again. I wasn't ready. [Long beautiful instrumental — guitar melody expands; no vocals; drums gradually begin playing increasingly violent rhythms beneath the beautiful harmony] [Voice returns cracked, caught between singing and screaming] Don't make me treasure the sound of your breath. Don't make me measure what hasn't left yet. Don't make me turn every touch into fear. I can't fucking lose you— [Whisper] while you're still here. [BRUTAL PASSAGE — gorgeous lead-guitar melody continues while rhythm guitars and drums become overwhelmingly heavy] [Agonized scream, melody still discernible] **YOU'RE STILL HERE! YOU'RE STILL HERE!** [Growled underneath the melody] And I'm already alone. [Massive impact] [Clean baritone] You're still here. [Massive impact] Please stay unknown. [Music begins tearing between delicate and brutal simultaneously] [Screamed] **I DON'T WANT THE END BEFORE THE END IS HERE.** [Growled] I don't want goodbye inside every year— [Voice suddenly drops to almost nothing] Every day. Every touch. Every word that I hear. [Delicate guitar briefly emerges alone] You're still here. [Pause] You're still here. [Full band returns at maximum weight, but instead of screaming the singer delivers the final line beautifully and softly] You're still here. [The brutal instruments stop instantly; delicate fingerpicked melody completes its phrase alone]