House of Wolves

It started out a beautiful night.
Concert night at my church.
My final choir concert before graduation.
My whole family was there.
All my friends.
My boyfriend.
I didn’t think it mattered.
So what if I’m gay?
Right?
Wrong.
I blame myself for tonight.

I know a thing about contrition
'Cause I got enough to spare
And I'll be grantin' your permission
Cause you haven't got a prayer

I saw my boyfriend.
He ran up and gave me a hug.
We were backstage.
An all boy choir.
Backstage.
Everyone was watching.
He kissed me.
My first kiss.
I stood there stunned as he was quickly ushered back to his seat.
Everyone stared.
I didn’t notice.
I was ecstatic.
That’s our cue to go on.
The concert’s beginning.

Well I said, hey hallelujah
I wanna come on, sing the praise
Let the spirit come on through ya
We got innocence for days

It’s over.
And I don’t mean the concert.
They saw.
All of them.
And they’re talking about me.
Fag.
I’ve never been called a fag.
Why did I let them see?

Well I think I’m gonna burn in hell
Everybody burn the house right down
say ha what I wanna say
Tell me I’m an angel
Take this to my grave

Oh god.
No.
They're talking to Luc.
My boyfriend.
Jokes.
They're telling jokes.
I opened my mouth to tell Luc to get out of there.
Too late.
Someone takes a quick swipe to the back of my legs.
I'm flat on my stomach.
Luc calls out my name.
I look up just in time to see him hit the ground.
A swift kick to the stomach keeps me quiet.
"You piece of shit. Fag."

Tell me I’m a bad man
Kick me like a stray
Tell me I’m an angel
Take this to my grave

I can hear Luc crying.
My baby.
I don't feel anything anymore.
My nose is bleeding and everything hurts.
My choir circles around me.

Ya play ring around the ambulance
Like ya never gave a care
So get the choir boys around you
It's a compliment, I swear
I said, ashes to ashes, we all fall down
I wanna hear you sing the praise
I said, ashes to ashes, we all fall down
We got innocence for days

Suddenly, it stopped.
Why did they stop?
They think we're unconcious.
Run.
I grabbed Luc's hand and we ran.
We're outside the church.
Down the alley.

You better run like the devil,
Cause they’re never gonna leave you alone
You better hide up in the alley
Cause they’re never gonna find you a home

Back into the church.
Find someone.
They're gaining on us.
Luc's slowing down.
Oh god.
Luc fell.
They're here.
They've got Luc.
They've got a gun.
I'm hiding in the pews.
They don't see me.
I want to help Luc.
Bang.
Blood hits the walls.
I watch it run down.

And as the blood runs down the walls
You see me creepin' up these halls
I've been a bad motherfucker
Tell your sister I'm another, GO, GO, GO!

I hear myself scream.
They come for me.
I manage to slip past them.
Luc.
His body is splayed in the aisle way.
I kneel beside him.
My lips brush his.
Bang.
They shot me.
I'm not dead.
I'm alive.
Barely.
They have matches.
And lighter fluid.
They cover the pews and the church.
One match and it's ablaze.
Fire all around us.
Luc's safe now.
I feel myself slip away.
"Fag."

Well I think I’m gonna burn in hell
Everybody burn the house right down
say ha, what I wanna say
Tell me I’m an angel
Take this to my grave
Tell me I’m a bad man
Kick me like a stray
Tell me I’m an angel
Take this to my grave

Tell me I’m a bad bad bad bad... man