Author's Note: Who is Father Noah? I noticed that his name is Noah and the enemy in anime is called Noah. I didn't do this on purpose, I promise you that. It came from the show, Dark. Anyway, I just figured I would give our priest a little bit of a backstory. There's going to be more with him and the stranger in the near future. I just need to figure out how and where. I also think we need to check in on Allen and Road again next week. For now, enjoy this week's key.
Key Ten: Noah:
He used to be a good man. He was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1931. It might have been later. (We will get into that later.) When he was a boy, he lived in a commune. Not much is known about his boyhood years. There was some farming involved. Potato farming, to be exact. But you aren't interested in him as a boy. You want the story that matters.
By the time he was twenty-three in the 1950s, this man named Noah moved to Berlin, west Berlin, at the time. He met a young lady who escaped from East Germany. She didn't speak much. He had a guess why and didn't push her. They were soon married. Then they had a daughter. Should have a happy ending, right? We wouldn't be telling this story if it did.
Well, he lost it all.
It started with his son. Of course, the child died. He tries to remember but can't. It's been so long. Maybe too long. All that he knows what that he had a son. He did love him. He loved his wife too. But what did they look like? When was his son's birthday? What was his wife's name? Where exactly did they meet?
Noah grabbed his head as he screamed in silence.
"Why?! Why can't I remember?!"
Some memories don't make sense. It was like he remembered two different things that happened at the same time. How did his son die? Did he get sick or did he kill him? That last thought made him want to vomit.
No…
Claws rested on his shoulder. He wouldn't look behind him. He knew that he was there.
"No! Go away!" he pleaded.
Why?
The priest tightly shut his eyes. He tried to think about something else. His son. His wife. Anything. Anyone. The priest tried to reach out.
There was a knock on the door. He opened his eyes and turned his head.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Father? Are you okay in there?" a small voice asked.
"No!" he shouted. "I'm just tired. Did you want something?" There was a pause for a moment.
"No. I can come back later," they said. They were already gone by the time he could speak. Only then he could breathe out.
Sometimes, he can remember his son. His hair. He could remember every single golden curl. His mother loved to pet it every chance that she got. She said that their boy looked handsome. His son had his father's eyes. He smiled as he could remember the color.
Green. Green like the sea.
They looked so beautiful when his son was happy. They glowed when the sun danced in them. He sat back in his chair and smiled. When was the last time he saw those eyes? Fifty years ago? Or was it sixty? It had been so long. His heart began to sink again.
Why was he doing this? There was a purpose to his mission. Still, his mission pushed him to keep going. He closed his eyes.
"I'm so tired."
His master doesn't care. He's got a world to kill. Most of Asia and Eastern Europe were already dead. But it wasn't enough.
"Why do we have to do this?" he asked. A static crackle filled his ear.
"I can't do this anymore," he said. "Can't you find somebody else to do this?" The room went quiet. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You didn't! Let them go! They have nothing to with this."
They have everything to do with you.
He turned around. There was no one there. There was no one there. He started laughing to himself.
"What has become of me?" he asked. What has become of him indeed? He lifted his chin. He had a sermon to work on. Right…
Then there were the dreams. Oh, the dreams. They've gotten worse lately. They were always the same too.
He would wake up in a dark forest on fire. At least he thinks it's on fire. The sky was filled with brown smoke. The trees were so black. Still, he recognized this place.
I… I'm home. But he wasn't alone.
A sound drew his attention forward. He looked up to see three figures walking toward him. Their heavy red cloaks stood out in the darkness. Two large figures and a smaller one between them. He could never see their faces. An endless void of brown blocked out everything. They were getting closer. Every part of his being screamed at him to run. But… He can't move. He couldn't turn around and run away.
No… No…
The man, he thinks it's a man, is inches away from him now. There's a face. Is he… crying blood? He reaches out to him. The hand is crumbling as it inches closer. The woman standing behind him keeps her head down. The child trails behind.
They never make a sound.
He awakes with a start. Tonight, he was alone in the dark. When did he fall asleep? He looked down at his desk. His notes looked so smudged. The priest cursed himself. Looked like he was going to have to start over again. The man sighed. Oh well. At least it gave him something to do for the rest of the morning.
Father Noah is hard to figure out. They had their guesses. None of them were right. But still, how would his congregation feel if they learned the truth?
However, tonight is different.
Someone else was watching him. It might not be on purpose. Could this be an accidental savior? Or maybe…