Even the recent past felt like a lifetime ago. Life had been unrecognisable for so long, being out on the streets was disquieting. On previous occasions when he had ventured out, he had flinched every time another human approached. He wasn’t really sure why, or what he was expecting them to do. Maybe he’d watched too many zombie movies and the eerily quiet streets had unearthed visions of a dystopian future. The words “go for the head” kept repeating over in his mind.
Hearing anyone approaching was a challenge, what with having headphones in and walking along hands plunged deep in his pockets staring at the ground to avoid eye contact with the world around him, the refrain of the song he was listening to – “anytime, anytime, anytime, anytime….illuminate you anytime…” – swirled around in his head. Being out of the house bothered him, he was doing all he could to blend in with his surrounding, try to make himself shrink to the smallest size he could.
When he had left the house, he had no idea where he was going. All he knew was that he had an urge to leave the house. One that he hadn’t experienced for an age. It was like he was reacting to some sort of homing beacon. The feeling of disquiet due to being out of the house was ever present. “This better be fucking worth it” his inner dialogue was at conflict with itself. Half of him wanting to act on his apprehensions and turn on his heels and get back to the sanctity of his home, the other half curious about the final destination.
As he walked along keeping himself to himself, he stopped dead in his tracks, suddenly realising he had reached his destination, despite having no sense that he actually had a destination in mind.
Something stirred in his memory as he stepped out of the light. Everything felt slightly surreal as he took tentative steps forward into the darkness. Removing his headphones, the impressive riffing that filled his head was replaced by a faint distant murmur of voices. Fear mixed with excitement combined in a confusing sensation, his stomach churning, mouth as dry as a desert and palms sweating profusely despite having rubbed them dry down the side of his tatty jeans several times. He wondered how his body redirected water from different areas in these situations – his brain working on over-drive as always.
Other than the constant self-questioning and over analysis of his actions, in his mind he had no recollection of why he was here or even of ever having been here before. But he had an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu. Something was stirring in his long-forgotten memory banks. Edging forward, a stale, but familiar, smell filled his nostrils. The unsettling feeling of déjà vu grew stronger. In the darkness he could just about make out a crowd, and the faint murmur was rising to a hubbub. He realised he was in a dark corridor that was about to open out into a larger room. As he neared the entrance to the room, the sensation of body heat hit him, the atmosphere was tense, there was an electric buzz about the place.
He stepped into the room, just at that moment, a searing bright light came from his right, illogically turning to look straight towards it, he held his arm up to avoid being blinded by the light. While he was momentarily disorientated, someone bounded past him and a roar rose from the assembled horde.
Guitars crunched; cymbals crashed – “Hellooooo Glasgow! – its fuckin’ magic to be back – FINALLY”