Jack and Margaret have a tumultuous marriage. He is overbearing, controlling, and abusive. One summer evening finds them in the kitchen, her attempting to make his dinner and him, drunk, berating her as he usually does. When he doesn't like what she's doing, he throws the food to the floor and hits her and she runs off to their room crying. She reappears a few minutes later with his gun in her hand and as he stares in disbelief she fires one shot to his head. The judge quickly decides that Margaret acted in self defense and no charges are filed. But the trauma is too much for her already fragile mind and she suffers a complete mental breakdown. Her family has no choice but to commit her to a mental health hospital called Strathmore for treatment.
Lawrence is a lonely young man who works as an orderly at Strathmore. He is smitten with Margaret from day one, but she is rarely coherent enough to recognize his existence, and when she is lucid she transfers all her rage at her husband to Lawrence, such that he must leave the room. Over the next several months, unable to cope with reality, Margaret’s lucid spells become less and less frequent, and finally she slips in to a catatonic state. Through it all, Lawrence stays by her side. Though he can only see her when she doesn’t know who he is, he believes that his presence will be a steadying force that she can cling to.
Six months have gone by since Margaret came to Strathmore, and two since she was last lucid. Lawrence sits by her bed one winter night, with a dim moon shining through the high windows. He holds her hand and stares at her face. He wants so much for her wake and see him, and yet he fears that if she did nothing would be different. He begins to truly despair and contemplates how long he can go on with her and without her.
Suddenly she opens her eyes, clear and bright, and looks straight into his face. "Lawrence," she says, tears in her eyes, "I knew you were here with me. I've messed things up so bad, haven't I? I don't know how I can face my family again."
"It's alright, Margaret," he whispers calmly, "everyone loves you."
Written and arranged by Brian K. Hughes
Brian K. Hughes - Guitars, synth, drum programming
(To be written)
Written and arranged by Brian K. Hughes
Brian K. Hughes - Guitars, keyboard, bass, drum programming, vocals
Your image burns a hole
Into my ragged soul
A scar upon my tortured mind
You live, you learn, you cry
And if you're good you die
For love will leave you deaf and blind
When anger turns within
I let desparation win
And hopelessness becomes my only friend
The gun is in my hand
The hourglass is out of sand
There's only one way this can end
Written and arranged by Brian K. Hughes
Brian K. Hughes - Guitars, keyboard, drum programming
Chris Battersby - Bass, engineering
My world is torn apart
Memories screaming from the dark
Can you see me slip away
Slip away
Too scared to feel the pain
Wash away my tears with rain
Can you see me slip away
Slip away
No more pain!
No more fear!
No more Margaret
Living here!
Written and arranged by Brian K. Hughes
Brian K. Hughes - Guitars, keyboard, synth programming, bass, drum programming
Who is this creature that they've brought to me
I see an angel in her eyes
Lying serenely in her clean white robe
Is this my salvation or demise
She doesn't see me with her cold blank stare
But there's a battlefield inside
Crazy girl
I love her so
Crazy girl
Please let me go
My heart has been captured
and it's fate's no longer mine
an emotional dawning
that I can't hide
Inside her self-made fortress
cold blank stare
but I know a battle
rages inside
What a torment it is
When she wakes up with me there
Devil dances the tango
in her eyes
Straps barely contain her as she
rages on
I have to leave til
it subsides
I don't know how long I can
carry on this way
only able to see her
when she's gone
If this dichotomy's my
only chance
I don't know how I'll
carry on
Written and arranged by Brian K. Hughes
Brian K. Hughes - Guitars, keyboard, synth programming, bass, drum programming
When it's time to say goodbye
To a life from long ago
But I don't want to give up the way I've been
Let the battle rage inside me
It'll all work out in the end
The victor and the victim are the same
Reality evades me
And everything's unclear
The shots and pills don't help to rein me in
Someone's here beside me
But I don't know who he is
I can feel his stare but I can't let him in
And it hurts like I'm dying
And it feels like I don't know
If I'll ever by OK
Again
Written and arranged by Brian K. Hughes
Brian K. Hughes - Guitars, keyboard, synth programming, bass, drum programming
(To be written)
Written and arranged by Brian K. Hughes
Brian K. Hughes - Guitars, keyboard, synth programming, bass, drum programming
(To be written)
Written and arranged by Brian K. Hughes
Brian K. Hughes - Guitars, keyboard, synth programming, bass, drum programming
Hush now baby wipe your tears
And have no fears
Safe from the arms of darkness
When you see the dawning light
It's the end of night
And the start of a brand new life
Just because you can't remember
Doesn't mean the sky wasn't blue
Don't forget those who made you happy
Because they remember you
Everyone loves you
Hush now baby don't you cry
Dry your eyes
So you can see me clearly
No more clouds and no more rain
No more pain
I just saw you smile because
Everyone loves you
Written and arranged by Brian K. Hughes
Brian K. Hughes - Guitars, keyboard, synth programming, bass, drum programming
Written and arranged by Brian K. Hughes
Brian K. Hughes - Guitars, keyboard, synth programming, bass, drum programming
(To be written)