(INTRO - A single piano note... Then a smooth, silky voice.) 

 "Oh, what a night!
What a delight!
A special guest has graced my sight...
Come one, come all, don't be so shy...
The stage is set—let's say goodbye..." 

 (The orchestra swells. The drums boom.)
 

 (VERSE 1 - The Ringmaster steps forward, speaking more than singing. A charismatic, devilish charm.) 

"Welcome, welcome!
Take your seat,
The finest show you'll ever meet!
 Tumbling acrobats,
puppets so fine,
And now, my dear, you will be mine..."

 (The calliope plays—a warped, off-key carnival tune.) 

 "Oh, don't look so scared,
don't frown,
don't cry...
It's just a trick!
 A twist! A lie!
I made a deal,
I played my part...
And now I own each beating heart..." 

 (CHORUS - The voices rise. The Ringmaster laughs. The choir joins him, chanting like a cursed hymn.) 

"The curtain rises,
the lights are bright,
One last trick,
one last night...
The spotlight glows,
the show must go,
And now,
dear guest,
you steal the show." 

 (The music pauses.
The Ringmaster chuckles.
He whispers—directly into your ear.) 

 "Oh, how you tremble.
How you shake.
 Ah, but it's too late for that mistake."

"You came to watch,
you stayed too long...
And now? My dear?
You sing my song..." 

 (VERSE 2 - The music shifts. Slower, eerier.
He's not just taunting you anymore. He's trapping you.)

 
"Did you think they'd save you?
Did you think they'd care?
All those little children—do you see them there?
They danced, they sang,
they tried to run,
But darling, dear...
the trick's begun."

 (The organ plays harder. The drum rolls faster.
 The crowd claps—ghostly, distant.) 

 "They begged, they fought,
they screamed my name,
And still, they played the game..."

"And now?
The act must start anew...
Ah, what's this?
The star is you." 

 (CHORUS - The voices grow overwhelming.
The orchestra reaches its peak. You can't escape.)

"The curtain rises, the show won't fall,
A standing ovation for one, for all...
Your hands will clap, your feet will go,
Step in time...
don't say no..." 

 (The music suddenly STOPS.)
"Go on... take a bow!!" 

 (BRIDGE - The breakdown.) 

(The drums beat like a heartbeat. The piano plays a slow, warped waltz.) 

 "Oh, you poor little thing, with trembling hands...
Let's give them all one last stand."

"Your name in lights,
your face in gold...
A legend forever—never grows old..." 

 (The laughter builds. The Ringmaster sings louder.)

 
 "The curtains rise, the deal is done,
The trick is played, the act is spun...
 And now, my dear,
take one last breath...
And join the show...
that never rests..." 

 (FINAL CHORUS - The grand finale.)
"The crowd, they cheer,
they scream your name,
You'll never leave, you'll play the game...
One more bow, one last glow,
And now, my dear...
the show must go."

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

The ringmaster was just a man.
A performer, a magician, a trickster..
but something went wrong.

The show consumed him. Or maybe, he
consumed the show. Now, he is more than
a man. He is the voice in the curtains.
The laughter in the dark.
He runs the show. Forever.

And now he needs a new star.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘