Silent Farewell

{tense solo cello arpeggio} {muted heartbeat bass

drum

kick} {clock ticking sound effect}

Back in ninety-eight, she waved goodbye

Little yellow backpack, grey autumn sky

She said 'see you at three,' with a gentle smile

But that road stretched out for a million miles

(where did you go?) {sparse acoustic guitar and dry vocal} And the

silence

was a heavy weight Standing frozen

at the schoolyard gate

No footsteps

coming down the hall

Just the bitter chill of the coming fall {heavy distorted electric bass

enters}

Two long years of a quiet house

Then the telephone rang,

cutting through the doubt

Her stepdad's voice

on the static line

Saying 'she passed away,

but you'll be fine' (he lied)

{cold industrial percussion starts} Sixteen winters passed on by And the truth

crawled out to the open sky He was the monster

in her mother's bed He was the reason

that her mother bled

And the Wilkes county deputy

buried the files

Behind crooked badge grins

and dusty miles

{aggressive fuzz guitar wall} No more secrets in this county clay

We know what you did (we know) {fading feedback and lonely acoustic

guitar arpeggio}