Verse 1 The walls remember every scream, They sweat the nights you couldn’t sleep. There’s rust in the air, in my mouth, in my veins, Every second stitched together with pain. I count the cracks to stay awake, If I close my eyes, they come back again. Time doesn’t move in a place like this, It just circles the moment right before it hits. (dry breath, almost choking) Pre-Chorus I hear your steps like a loaded gun, Every stranger feels like the wrong one. Hope’s just another word that lies, I learned that early. I learned it right. Chorus Don’t say my name, don’t cross that line, Your shadow looks too much like mine. If you’re here to hurt me, don’t pretend, Just finish what the others didn’t end. I won’t beg, I won’t scream again, Silence hurts less than believing in men. (low hum, dissonant) Verse 2 My arms know how to rise on their own, Before my mind even knows I’m not alone. The chains bite deep when I start to shake, They taught my body what fear should take. Light spills in like an open wound, Too bright for a boy who learned the gloom. If you’re real, then prove me wrong— But don’t be kind. That never lasts long. Pre-Chorus Every promise was a sharpened lie, Every “safe” was just a quieter cry. So if you’re here, say nothing at all, I trust the dark. It never calls. Chorus Don’t come closer, don’t reach for me, Touch is just another way to bleed. If you’re different, you’ll leave anyway, They always do. They always stray. I’ll stay right here where I can see, How little life is left in me. (pause — one shaky inhale) Bridge I prayed once. It didn’t answer. So I learned to talk to the floor. I learned the sound of keys and boots, And how to disappear before the door. If mercy’s real, it lost my trail, Buried under skin and nails. I don’t need saving, I just need proof That this isn’t the start of something worse than truth. Final Chorus Don’t swear you won’t hurt me now, Every monster knows that vow. Stand where you are, let the moment rot, I’ve survived more than I should’ve fought. If you leave, please close the door— Hope hurts more than pain ever wore. Outro There’s a boy still breathing on this floor… And breathing doesn’t mean much anymore. (fade on breath alone)

Hope Hurts More Than Pain