[Intro — Low, ominous, spoken] [Verse 1 — Controlled, conversational, gradually building] Cabin past the county line, his mama gave the place I got a gun beside me, got his childhood in my face I keep looking at the seat like it might tell me what to do Funny how a piece of metal weighs less than what we’re driving to I remember him at twelve, swearing we’d be something Now I’m riding through the dark, tryna figure if there’s nothing Left of who he was before the money got involved Or if that boy I called my brother never really was at all I tell myself he made his choice, I didn’t make him talk Then I hear his mama crying, and I grip the steering wheel hard She split her food between us when we had a little less Now I’m driving to her son with a weight across my chest I could turn around right now, let the night swallow the road Let him live with what he did, let the fear collect its toll But the gun sits in the silence, and the silence answers back I been trying to find my brother; I don’t know if he exists [Hook — Heavy bass, cold delivery, layered low ad-libs] Dead weight, I carried you, you cut the rope We was splitting crumbs, now you selling out the whole loaf Same hands we ate with, put the plate up for the feds You were supposed to watch my back, not put a price up on my head Dead weight, blue lights painting up the walls We escaped through the back, heard the boots inside the hall Now I know who sold us out, know the price he put on mine He got free by telling everything, now he’s running out of time [Verse 2 — Gritty, intricate internal rhymes, controlled anger] Cabin sitting off the road, no lights along the drive I kill the engine, take a breath, let the old days pass me by He don’t know I’m at the door, he’s looking through the glass Watching every passing shadow like the past might double back I step inside behind him, hear the floorboard give a little He turns around, eyes wide, hand frozen in the middle “How’d you find me? How’d you get here?” I look at him and let it sit there “Get your shit. We’re leaving. I’m bringing you somewhere safe.” He looks me up and down, still trying to read my face For a second, we’re just kids again, before the names and deals Then he grabs his bag and starts believing what he needs to feel He packs a couple shirts, some cash, whatever’s left Keeps explaining why he did it like I came to hear the rest Says the pressure got too heavy, says he thought he’d lose it all I watch him build a better version of himself against the wall He says he never meant for everybody else to take the fall Says he still remembers us before the money, before it all I let him talk, let every excuse settle in the air He thinks we’re getting out together; I just follow him downstairs [Hook — Full drums, harder delivery] Dead weight, I carried you, you cut the rope We was splitting crumbs, now you selling out the whole loaf Same hands we ate with, put the plate up for the feds You were supposed to watch my back, not put a price up on my head Dead weight, you got free, but the fear came too You gave them all our names; now they all know you You can change your address, you can bury what you did But the boy I knew is gone, and I can’t bring him back again [Verse 3 — Beat stripped back, low voice, controlled tension] Cold air hit the doorway, gravel shifting underfoot He’s still talking ‘bout a fresh start, like we might still be good Says, “Where we headed?” I tell him, “Somewhere they can’t find you.” He gives a tired little laugh: “Knew you’d never leave me behind, dude.” That one almost breaks me. God, I hate that it still lands How he says it like the promise never slipped out of his hands He walks toward the passenger side, his bag against his hip And I’m standing in the space between the brother and the snitch I hear his voice go quiet— “Hey, you good?” I don’t answer. A click in the dark. [Single gunshot — hard cut to absolute silence]</WritingBlock
