Remembering Noa

Author's note: I found this on my computer today ... I wrote it a year or so ago, and I reread it today and edited it a bit. I find it kind of strange and patchy but it's a chance to get some feedback and expand upon my writing. Read, review, and hopefully enjoy!

Love and angst,
Vivica

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Remembering Noa

This room was oddly familiar. It was a dark room, completely windowless, a dusky silence suspended in the air. There was a cavity in the middle where rows of computers and machines that I could not identify but had surely seen before were nestled in. Wooden benches wound around the upper walls, accessible by narrow stairways leading to the single oak door.

Electronics Room.

People were seated at the computers, while others were operating the strange machines or speaking into microphones and listening for response. Most were men and women, but there were several boys and girls my age, and even a few exceptionally young children, operating smaller machines, light flickering on their young faces.

And it came back to me. The dream.

Next to me sat an old woman, clasping her hands and glancing down at the rows of men and women impatiently. She released her hands and began drumming her fingers on her leg, trying, however, to muffle the noise and be as quiet as possible. I leaned over shyly, and in a low whisper I asked her what was happening.

I was expecting a familiar answer, the one that had started the dream long ago, but I received a different one. A part of my mind dismissed it as a simple twist to an old dream.

“A month or so ago, the war ended, and the fleet has been repairing and restoring most of the destroyed areas. Today is supposed to be the last day. I've been waiting for Treena to come home for a while now. Leader of the fleet, you know.”

She gestured proudly to a woman with red hair sitting slumped in her seat, tired eyes flashing as she typed rapidly at her keyboard. Orders, no doubt. I glanced at her, but my eyes froze on the boy next to her, typing just as quickly, blue eyes glancing over at Treena's computer every now and then. Could it be ... ?

“Who is that boy next to her?”

“Him? That's Noa. He's a very capable young boy, from what I've heard. Only fifteen and apparently very helpful to the fleet, and Treena says his cleanup efforts have been wonderful. And such a lucky boy, too! He's going to become a member of the Temple!”

I gasped. “The Temple? Why?”

“The younger members of the fleet don't have the security clearance to access fleet information. They all have to become members of the Temple so that they can't accidentally let something slip. Why do you sound so shocked? It's an honor!”

I shook my head sadly, remembering the last time I was here ... the other dream ...

* * * * * *

Joey reached out and gave me a small hug.

“You understand why I have to go, don't you?”

I smiled, and saw Noa do the same. “Of course I do,” I said, “It's just that once you're a member of the Temple, you can't see us anymore ... to holy for us, I suppose.”

Joey laughed, but frowned afterwards, saying, “But you know I can't stay with my aunt, you know what she does to me. I'll be safe at the temple!”

Noa and I both understood that the Temple was for those seeking refuge from pain, for those in dire need of spiritual guide. We both wanted Joey to be happy, we both wanted him to experience the life that the Temple could offer him. Confined to a wheelchair, he often felt useless, and his aunt's abuse belittled him further. We promised to come with him as he made his way to the Temple, where he would remain for the rest of his life. It was now time for goodbyes.

“We understand, Joey,” Noa said, speaking for the first time, voice breaking almost unnoticeably, “We're happy for you.”

“We are,” I agreed and gave him another sad hug.

“Well, I guess I'll go in ...” he paused, with a slight smile and intense sadness behind his eyes, “Bye Gwen, bye Noa, thank you so much.” He gave Noa a timid hug, smiled at us one last time, and we retreated to our hiding place as he entered the Temple.

Peering through a window, hidden safely in a tree, we were forced to witness something horrific. Joey was welcomed warmly, and was given an injection, for his health, I assumed. We both watched as his clear green eyes suddenly clouded over. Even from our distance, we could see the light flee from the depths of green as he slumped in his wheelchair, not breathing, not moving. I felt a terrible prickling behind my eyes as two white-clad official-looking men wheeled away Joey's body to a place unknown.

I had unknowingly dug my nails into Noa's palm, and I heard him gasp in pain. He had tears in his bright eyes, ones I knew had nothing to do with what I had accidentally done to him. A perfect tear slipped down his cheek, and I lamented how Noa had never cried before, not in my presence.

* * * * * *

I had no doubt that the same fate would befall Noa if he were to go to the Temple, as would all the children who had contributed willingly but unknowingly to their own deaths. But of course, this woman wouldn't understand my horror. The Temple was said to be a place of holiness and cleansing of spirit. It was the religious center of Dunemar, and a point of respect and archaic spirituality in the modern life on Dunemar.

“Oh no, I'm shocked because it's unexpected. You're right, it's very fortunate for him. I'm not from Dunemar, I only recently heard of the Temple.”

It was not a lie. I wasn't from Dunemar. Once again, I was dreaming. I would probably meet Noa and Joey again, and have to rebuild our friendship from the beginning. Hopefully this dream would be getting them away from the Temple.

A loud cheer interrupted my thoughts. The men and women were shaking hands, and the source of the noise came from the young children. Obviously, their duties were finally over.

Treena, the old woman's daughter, stood, and made a quiet announcement to the younger children of the room. “Children under eighteen will be proceeding to the Temple once they have left this room. Thank you all very much for your efforts, our planet is perfect again!”

The children cheered again. I watched Noa's face carefully. A strange expression flickered on his face, but then he joined in the cheering and smiled as children came up and hugged him, smiling wider. What did I see before? Fear?

People started filing out the door and I was determined to get to Noa before he left as well. After a hurried goodbye to the old woman who stood to join her daughter, I ran down the wooden stairs to the door, calling after Noa, who had just exited into the blinding sunlight.

“Noa!”

He turned around, intense blue eyes scanning the doorway to the dark room for the source of the cry.

“Yes?” he said, still looking around as I emerged from the darkness of the room, smiling nervously, remembering that he didn't know me yet. But as he saw me, his face lit up, features glowing in the sunlight, and called back to me, “Gwen? Is that you?”

I approached him, puzzled.

“It is!” he cried, after a moment of studying my face, “Gwen who was with me and Joey when ...” he trailed off, frowning slightly, before smiling, saying teasingly, “Gwen who mysteriously disappeared?”

I felt extremely relieved, and he looked at me slightly puzzled when I asked, “You remember me?” Knowing that he shouldn't recognize me, shouldn't know my name, shouldn't be making references to Joey's death or my disappearance, which I thought of as waking up.

“Of course I do! What did you think?”

I shook my head, completely confused, “Nothing.”

“Well, it was nice to see you before I go ...” the smile left his face and he trailed off with a somber tone to his voice. I didn't need him to finish his sentence, nor did I want him to. It was impossible; he couldn't go. Why else was I here again, other than to get him out of this situation? I wondered what would happen if he simply didn't go; they wouldn't be expecting that, didn't know that Noa knew the truth.

“Why don't you run away? Stay away from the Temple until they forget?”

“I can't go alone.”

“You know I'd go with you the entire way, I wouldn't leave you alone. We have to find Sara.”

He frowned at me, obviously taking to the idea but not wanted to drag his little sister into it. “Why Sara?”

“To tell her you're going to the Temple ... she'll tell your parents, and if there's an inquiry, she can say that you were going to the Temple. They'll be confused, you'll have time to get away. They'll forget eventually, you know that.”

His hands twitched slightly and his brow was still adorably furrowed, but I could tell that he had warmed to the idea. “She's in the Square now,” he said, gesturing to the nearest escalator headed underground.

I was jolted back to the fact that we were both speaking in an open area about directly avoiding authority. I was very thankful that most inhabitants of Dunemar stay below ground, in their homes or in the Public Square. The sun was much too strong here for long periods of exposure to the sun. Glancing around, I saw nobody but a tall, busy looking man hurrying to an escalator.

“Wait here,” I instructed, “Or, better, hide somewhere. Find a tree, or something. I'll go tell Sara, and be right back. Wait for me.”

He nodded, and I set off to the long escalator that led underground. The escalator was line and took several minutes to end up in the Public Square. I had time to think and unleash several memories.

The last time I was here, in the last dream, I found myself becoming very good friends with Noa and Joey in a short amount of time. I had admired his bravery and devotion to his best friend. I had felt accepted and trusted when he let me see him cry. He had protected us bravely, and now it was my turn to protect him. I had always admired his qualities, thinking him mature and a wonderful and fun person. I had never before so admired his looks, however.

Noa's dark hair was always slightly ruffled, and he had a contrasting pallor, as did all those of Dunemar, a result of living underground. He was very tall and had a beautiful smile. What I noticed the most though, always coming to prominence in his face, were his eyes. A brilliant blue unequaled, always shining like sapphires, even more beautiful when unshed tears sparkled against the light. Noa ...

The escalator brought me level with the polished tiled floor of the Public Square. Glowing against the gleaming whiteness of the walls was a small green object. I had no time to wonder what it was, for I spotted Sara walking into the rest room. I followed her quickly, entering through the red door that shone like a beacon against the white of the opposite wall. I noticed, inside the restroom, that the same green machine glowed against the wall here. It gave me a strange feeling.

Sara was standing by one of the junior sinks, her height of six years not making her tall enough for the larger ones.

“Sara,” I said, approaching the sink and trying not to startle her, “I have something important to tell you.”

She recognized me from the brief meeting we had had a while ago.

“Is that you, Gwen? I thought you disappeared! Noa was so sad, but it was funny, you know what he said? He said, “I don't know which was worse: losing Joey or Gwen,” she giggled, “Oops, I'm not supposed to say that. Anyway, what is it?”

I smiled just a bit, storing that bit of information. “Noa is going to the Temple now, so he told me to tell you goodbye.”

“Did he say goodbye to you too? Because if he didn't, make him, or he'll be all sad and mopey like the last time he was away from you.” she gave another girlish giggle. “Tell Noa that we're happy for him and to have fun at the Temple.”

I couldn't be sure, but as I left the restroom, I thought that I had glimpsed tears on her cheeks.

As I walked back to the escalator, I spotted the man that had walked by as Noa and I were speaking. He was whispering rather loudly, but nobody was paying any attention. I noticed an earpiece in his ear and a miniature microphone in hand.

“You're right. If she returns he'll run.” He paused, listening for a moment. “Yes. Right away.”

The man looked up, searching for something or someone. Instinctively, I began to run, not waiting for the slow escalator to bring me above ground. I caught sight of the suited man running after me. Outside at last, I pulled Noa off to a distance from the escalator and dragged him into a one-person transport. It was headed to Main Place, a branch just off of the Square. In the transport, I finally had a moment to catch my breath.

The transport resembled an elevator but was designed for one person, so quarters were cramped. Noa's breath was hot on my face, and I panted to catch my breath and speak at the same time.

“That man is following us. He ran after me. I think he overheard us.” I explained the green machines, and he confirmed my suspicion that they were voice detectors.

“Did you tell Sara anything?”

“No, but now they know that I'm with you. I just told her that you were going to the Temple. And by the way -” I giggled, “ she told me what you said. Was it true?”

The muttered, “that little brat,” was the only response I got.

The transport landed suddenly with unexpected force, and Noa and I tumbled out on top of each other as the crowd whispered and laughed.

As soon as we had righted ourselves and quelled the stares of the crowd, we scanned the shops of Main Place for one that was crowded. A bright candy shop seemed perfect, and we ran innocently inside.

The walls were painted a shocking pink and the floors were mirrors, making the shelves crowded with row after row of bright candy seem endless. The shop was perfect for hiding in, as we blended amongst the other brightly-clad children with their parents, tasting and inspecting different jars.

“It's so fun with you,” I said gleefully to Noa, my voice cloaked by the pleased shouts of others in the shop, “We're always on the run but we always find the perfect place to hide!” I grabbed his hand and we raced down aisle after aisle, occasionally stopping to test a new candy. But as we approached a new aisle, I caught sight of a dark suit amidst the colorful surroundings.

The man with the microphone.

I quickly propelled Noa from the aisle and hissed at him to hide. He raced out of the shop and ducked out of sight.

I was about to do the same when my arm was grabbed violently by the man who had been steadily gaining on us. He snarled at me, “Get him back!” And pulled me from the shop with a painful tug. He was walking in front of me, and I seized opportunity to escape, hoping that I wouldn't regret it.

He took long powerful strides, giving me opportunity to race up behind him and plant a leg between his. He tripped, his grip on my arm pulling me down against his back. Lowering my head, I bit his wrist with all my strength, forcing him to let go. I scrambled to upright myself, kicking him several times, hearing him whimper in pain.

I heard Noa's voice calling behind me, and he raced up beside me, offering me a smile and an impressed congratulations, bright eyes momentarily mesmerizing me. Seeing that the man was beginning to attempt standing we ran along a tunnel taking us from Main Place to the domestic areas of Dunemar.

As we ran, not being able to speak, I remembered running on the same path, the same emotions coursing through me. The breathless running, the fear of being caught, the exhilaration of outsmarting someone bigger and stronger.

* * * * * *

We had run along this very path, into this very part of town, escaping the police that had been set after us when Joey ran away. We were slowed somewhat as Joey maneuvered his wheelchair through the hallways, but we were still going quickly. We ran through corridors of laboratories, through floors of housing, and across a glass bridge that connected two domestic buildings. having no time to admire the view that was laid out before us.

We ran until finally we reached the Temple; a large, pyramid shaped building built with dark stone and several large stained-glass windows. The handles on the door were shaped like dragons that one feared would swallow them whole.

Before Noa and I hid, and before Joey had gone into the Temple, I insisted on taking a picture of us. We were all flushed, but looking very much alive, eyes bright and glistening; the perfect memory. It had disappeared later, of course, when I woke up.

I remembered our thrill, our happiness, our pride.

And of course, I remembered the tears that had come later.

* * * * * *

I had been so preoccupied that running had come as second nature and I hadn't realized where we had run. We were on that same glass bridge that we had run across one other time. Noa had stopped ahead of me, glancing at the town below, and I joined him.

“You were remembering Joey, too?”

“Mm-hmm,” I answered, just as quietly, “I remember wishing that we had time to stop here before saying goodbye.”

“Now we can,” he said, pressing a button that brought two doors forth locking off both sides of the bridge. He grinned, “New installment. They can't get through. You can look all you want, now.”

I hadn't realized that it had gotten dark. The moon was brighter than usual, and stars shone radiantly through the velvet sky. A long bridge stretched across a glistening lake far below us, lamps lighting up the path. The pattern was continuous, endless, beautiful. Perfectly uniform and symmetrical. And as I looked down, a feeling of blissful hopefulness settling over me, I noticed a beautiful addition to the perfection of the world below.

“The cars! They're all red!”

“I know, it's like a uniform. It looks nice, doesn't it?”

“It is!” I agreed, entranced by something so simple and lovely. “Oh, and look! A carriage! An old-fashioned carriage, and it's yellow!” I turned around, “It's perfectly lovely.” I breathed, my voice lowering of its own accord.

Noa's arm found its way around my waist, pulling me closer as I gazed in wonder into the radiant eyes. As I stared, feeling his breath on my face, he whispered to me, and the air crackled with electricity.

“Someday I'll take you there.”

And, gazing into those eyes, I understood. I didn't know how I had gotten to Dunemar, how this dream had become real, but I knew that I was truly there. For one cannot love in a dream. And I was in love. I loved Noa. Loved him completely. And he knew it, and felt the same.

“Noa,” I said, not wanting to break the fragile silence, “I ...”

“I know,” his melodious whisper assured me, “So do I.”

And just before Noa pulled my lips into his own, he gestured to the glittering expanse on the other side of the glass and whispered again, “We'll go there together.”

* * * * * *

I wake smiling in a tangle of sheets, blessed with perfect remembrance of the dream that could not truly be a dream. It wasn't a dream, because I could still fell Noa's arm around my waist, his breath on my cheek, his lips on mine. As I thought of him, I promised myself that it wouldn't be our last kiss. Opening my eyes to my familiar room, I promise Noa that I will see him again.