Haunted

by 221b_hound

Summary:

I'm working on a new story in the Guitar Man series, set in the months following Not Crying: Calling. I needed to write another song for John to send into the silence, and this is it. John's apology to Sherlock for calling him a machine in The Reichenbach Fall.

At the time John writes this song, Sherlock is still in hiding and almost everyone thinks he's dead. These songs are the only message John can send, and the songs mustn't give away the truth or Sherlock's life (and possibly John's, Lestrade's and Mrs Hudson's) are at stake. As far as anyone else is concerned, John Watson is just expressing his grief through songs to his dead friend.

The things I said
and didn’t do
The choice I made
to not be with you
Haunt me

There’s no way
To take it back
Words spilled out
In a blind attack
Haunt me

The accusation inhabits my tongue
The bitter taste of being so wrong
Remorse is a hymn in a minor note
Of the ‘sorry’ stuck in my throat

There is so much
I should have seen
I did not observe
What should have been
It haunts me

You left me here
So suddenly
No time to say
Please listen to me
You haunt me

The accusation inhabits my tongue
The bitter taste of being so wrong
Remorse is a hymn in a minor note
Of the ‘sorry’ stuck in my throat

Tick
Tock
Tick
Tock
Not a machine
But the sound of time bleeding out.

Notes:

I haven't attempted to write a melody for this one, let alone sing it, as I have a vile sore throat/head cold and my already vastly challenged not-skills in this area simply can't rise to the challenge. I know it should be in a minor key, but that's as much as I can tell you.

EDIT: I finally worked out a melody of sorts. I think it shifts a bit from the first half to the second half, but as I don't have proper equipment, it's difficult to capture and do it correctly. If anyone is inspired to try a more polished version, I'd love to hear it. Download my a capella version of Haunted from Sendspace.

Series this work belongs to:

• « Part 14 of the Guitar Man series »