Friday 13th August
As ever it's too fucking hot and it's too loud in my flat. Banging and a distant radio that's what my head is. When this all ends...
Heat Death - It seems like such a gloomy way for the universe to end. Maybe it's just the apocalypse for the modern age. Lives are so filled with ennui that it makes sense that the end of the world wouldn't be bang and a crash or even a wimper but just a kind of petering out. All argument's settled, all heat the same, a big nothing.
Saturday 14th August
I must reclaim the narrative, a new age demands a new armageddon. Not burning out, not fading away, but we can't just go back to the big crunch or armed angels. We need to move forward and find something more in tune with the modern age...
As ever the constant buzz of the neighbourhood makes it hard for me to think. Oh well, never mind, another day.
Sunday 15th August
Walking to the shops to get some milk and it struck me. Why don't I combine the crunch and the jaded boredom of the world into Idea Death? Not only are there no new ideas coming into the world but the old ones could contract into one single unbreakable idea....
Oh for fuck's sake. I'm finding it hard to concentrate again, the radio (next door is it?) seems to have become louder each day. I think it's teaming up with the heat to oppress me.
"Heaven Is A Place on Earth"
It certainly is.
Monday 16th August
Back to work. Heat wave shows no sign of abating and as ever my ideas seemed to have stopped. Over the weekend I'll change the world, come Monday and I can barely stay awake until five. Yawn.
They're playing that fucking song again.
Tuesday 17th August
7 coffees this morning. I couldn't sleep last night, too hot. When I did fall asleep I dreamt Belinda Carlisle was in the room trying to crawl on top of me.
It's probably because half the kids on the bus today were singing Heaven is A Place on Earth. Another 80's revival, culture eating itself, what happened to the Grime they used to listen to on their mobile phones?
Head under the pillow and an early night.
Wednesday 18th August
I told my coworker today about me not sleeping again last night. I told her it was too hot for me and that the neighbour's stereo was blasting out that song again and again.
She'd always seemed alright before. Well better than the rest of the office, I even had a soft spot for her, was considering asking her out for drink. and who knows?
But she said,
"the world's alive, with the sound of kids, on the street outside"
and started laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world.
Fuck her.
I am taking 3 nytol tonight and couple of whiskies so at least I'll get some sleep.
Friday 20th August (am)
Oh god, I must've slept through Thursday. The BBC news channel tells me it Friday anyway.
It's now 4 in the morning and I am surprised I'm still alive. I must have sweated out a stone in weight and my room is like furnace.
The neighbour's still have that stupid fucking song on and I still feel as tired as I did on Wednesday. I'll have to tell work I had 24 hour flu or something.
Friday 20th August (pm)
I started explaining to my line manager about the flu and she didn't even seem to have noticed I wasn't there. Just shrugged and told me to report it to HR. Friday, as usual, seemed like it was going to be interminable meeting day. I thought that it'd be fine because at least I didn't need to do any work.
At 10 we had a meeting on the new housing project and when the blue prints were brought out my coworker started giggling. I looked down and it was the sheet music to "heaven is a place on earth". They all thought it was fucking hilarious.
They then all started singing. 10 adults with a million pound budget pissing about, real fucking mature.
I said I was still too ill and made my apologies and left.
A 2 hour cold shower and I almost feel alive. Tonight I sleep on the sofa.
Saturday 21st August
I think I'm going insane. Another sleepless night. Feel drowsy as hell after necking a handful of valium which again failed to send me to sleep.
BBC News told me "Heaven is a Place" is now the biggest selling single of all time and was re-entering the charts at number 1.
Fine, fine, fine it's annoying but who gives a shit right.
But then I'm sure I heard the lyrics slipping into the other news items. Creepy, right? urrrrrggg.
I am going to the park.
Sunday 22nd August
I talked to my mother about it. She tells me to drink hot milk and buy a fan. I tell her I'll give it a go.
I confess to her that I think I'm going insane and that the song had something to do with it. She said it was just a fad and that it would go away and I needed to relax. She was humming it though. I heard her.
Monday 23rd August (am)
I can't go to work. Not today.
They were fucking blasting it out of loud speakers this morning. The fire engines slowly driving along the streets, spraying kids with water so they didn't dehydrate and screeching it out at top volume. SHUT THE FUCK UP BELINDA SHUT THE FUCK UP.
I don't care if you're spinning with the stars above and NO ONE ELSE SHOULD EITHER. THE FUCK.
Monday 23rd August (pm)
The neighbours must have all gone out for the afternoon as I got a couple of hours peace. I did a crossword from my old book.
The floor was rumbling a little and a few of the clues were references to the song but all in all it was the most restful I'd felt in weeks. I thank the god of small mercies.
Tuesday 24th August
I was going to go to work today but after watching the news I just couldn't do it.
They spent an hour, I swear it was an hour, analising the lyrics.
Then there was song and dance show with 40 women dressed as Berlinda Carlisle high kicking about. They just looped the song for the duration over the show. over and over.
I phoned work to let them know I wasn't coming in. I heard the hold music and hung up.
I can feel the rumbling through the floor as well.
Wednesday 25th August
I slept but I don't know for how long. The rumbling's more intense now and the
water's stopped working in my flat.
I went to the shop to buy some milk, get some food, get something - I don't know.
The street's were empty and I would love to say I enjoyed the peace and quiet but it's managed to lodge itself in my head now.
The shop was bare. Literally bare apart from some smashed biscuits on a shelf and a couple of bags of flour.
I asked the shop keeper what was going on but he was pretty incoherent. I couldn't make anything out apart from snippets of the song. I'm pretty sure he said a whole sentence but it was only "You pull me close and we start to move".
Its got to the point where I wouldn't even have cared if he'd've had some milk.
I now huddled in the bath, were at least the porcelain seems cool.
Thursday 26th August
I try to leave my bed but the song is literally weighing me down. I look around the room and it seems far less solid. The rumbling's much louder now, I can almost make it out. I fear I know what it is.
Friday 27th August
It's fine now. I'm not afraid.
Saturday 28th August
I'm not afraid anymore.
Sunday 29th August
Ooh, baby, do you know what that's worth ?
Ooh heaven is a place on earth
They say in heaven love comes first
We'll make heaven a place on earth
Ooh heaven is a place on earth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOGEyBeoBGM&feature=related
