"Ladies and gentlemen. Dancers and dreamers. Things that still have pulses and things that used to. We've reached the end of our performance. The final dance. The final bow. The final moment before the lights go out and the ballroom sleeps."
"But only until tomorrow. The ballroom never truly sleeps. Neither do I."
[The strings swell.]
[VERSE 1 — SPOKEN OVER MUSIC]
"The dancers are taking their bows. Can you see them? The ones from the waltz. The ones from the polka. The ones from the tango. The ones who danced until they couldn't. The ones who kept dancing anyway."
"They're bowing. They're bleeding. They're smiling. That's the thing about the dance. It hurts. But it's beautiful. And the beauty… the beauty is worth the pain. Isn't it?"
[HOOK — SUNG, DRAMATIC, FINAL]
CURTAIN CALL! CURTAIN CALL!
BOW WHILE YOU BLEED. BOW WHILE YOU FALL.
ONE TWO THREE. ONE TWO THREE.
THIS IS THE END. THIS IS ME.
CURTAIN CALL! CURTAIN CALL!
THE DANCE IS OVER. THE DANCE IS ALL.
ONE TWO THREE. ONE TWO THREE.
NOW BOW. NOW BLEED. NOW BOW FOR ME.
[VERSE 2 — SPOKEN OVER MUSIC]
"The audience is applauding. Can you hear them? The ones who watched from the seats. The ones who never stepped on the floor. The ones who thought they were safe."
"They're not safe. No one is safe. The ballroom doesn't have seats. The ballroom doesn't have an audience. The ballroom has dancers. And the dancers… the dancers are everyone."
[The music swells.]
[BRIDGE — SPOKEN, QUIET, INTIMATE]
"You ever take a bow? Ever feel the weight of a thousand eyes on your back? Ever hear the applause and wonder if they're clapping for you or for the blood on your shirt?"
"It doesn't matter. The applause is the same. The bow is the same. The curtain… the curtain is the same. It falls. It rises. It falls again. That's the dance. That's the ballroom. That's the thing that keeps me here."
[VERSE 3 — SPOKEN/SUNG]
So bow. Bow while you bleed.
Bow while the audience plants the seed
Of the next performance. The next show.
The next time the lights go low.
Bow for the waltz. Bow for the pit.
Bow for the moment you almost quit.
Bow for the tango. Bow for the fall.
Bow for the thing that made you small.
Then rise. Rise again.
The curtain is falling. The curtain will bend.
The curtain will open. The curtain will rise.
The curtain will show you the thing in your eyes.
---
[FINAL HOOK — SUNG, FULL ORCHESTRA, TRIUMPHANT, TERRIFYING, FINAL]
CURTAIN CALL! CURTAIN CALL!
BOW WHILE YOU BLEED. BOW WHILE YOU FALL.
ONE TWO THREE. ONE TWO THREE.
THIS IS THE END. THIS IS ME.
CURTAIN CALL! CURTAIN CALL!
THE DANCE IS OVER. THE DANCE IS ALL.
ONE TWO THREE. ONE TWO THREE.
NOW BOW. NOW BLEED. NOW BOW FOR ME.
CURTAIN CALL! THE LIGHTS GO OUT.
THE BALLROOM SLEEPS. THE BALLROOM DOUBTS.
ONE TWO THREE. ONE TWO THREE.
BUT TOMORROW NIGHT… TOMORROW NIGHT, WE DANCE AGAIN.
[Outro]
"Goodnight, dancers. Sleep well. You're going to need it."
AsheTheHyena
