t/w
infant loss, child sexual abuse, religious trauma

not proofread bc I don't feel like it

-

Noah Michael David, younger brother of Lucie David, second and youngest child and only son of Sofia and Michael David. Born prematurely, he didn't even make it to a day old.

But in this world, he made it so much longer.

-

Noah was born right on time. Noah was born a healthy baby. Like his sister, he was born on the floor. Though, his parents were twenty-three now. His three year old sister still got to hold him when he was three hours old. But this time he didn't die.

This time, just like his big sister, he got to be abused.

Raped, manipulated, he got all of that. Just like his big sister, and is big sister's best friend, Laura.

-

Noah grew up clinging to Lucie, who clung to Laura. So, it's more accurate to say that he grew up clinging to Laura, just from a bit more of a distance. He grew up with the idea of becoming a Supreme Angel, being a part of God's special choir. That's what would happen when he died, when his sister died, when his parents died. They would become Supreme Angels all because they followed Gregory.

He was nine when they left.

One morning after breakfast, Laura and Lucie pulled Noah aside. "So, Lucie and I are leaving tonight. And you're coming with us." Laura said it matter-of-factly. "Where are you going?" Noah asked, tilting his head and the girls looked at each other. "We don't know just yet," Lucie replied. "But, it's not going to be away from here. And I'm not gonna leave you behind, Noah."

Noah wasn't sure what to say. "Okay."

"And you can't tell anyone. Not even Gregory."

Still unsure of what to say, he just repeated "Okay."

-

That night, they left. Lucie and Laura crept into the boy's dorm as quietly as they could and softly woke Noah up. He had packed a small bag with a few clothes and a plain brown teddy bear he called Lucas. They crept out, out the dormitory, out the compound and into the woods.

For three days, the trio was just fine.

On the third night, they were walking in a strange pattern. Lucie leading them up front, Noah in the middle, and Laura in the back.

Normally, they walked side by side or Lucie and Laura were reversed. Noah turned around to see...no Laura. He didn't think to tell his sister, but instead turned around, walking in another direction.

He'd curse himself for this the rest of his life.

Why did he just tell her that Laura was gone?

Maybe, they could have found her together.

Or maybe they could've at least been together when they got separated from Laura. Maybe that. 

But, no.

Surprise, surprise, he didn't find her. He didn't know how long he'd been wandering around for before he realized...where the hell was Lucie? 

"Hey, Lucie? Laura? Lucie! Laura!"

No response, he crouched down by a tree, already crying. Where were they? Why couldn't he find them?

-

It was all a blur. He just kinda walked and walked before finding his way in a city and to a neighborhood street. He walked down it for a little bit before knocking on a door. No answer. He knocked again.

He wasn't sure what to do, but he felt like asking for help. He just wasn't sure where he was supposed to get that help. He supposed this house could work.

After he knocked for a third time, a young black woman, no older than twenty, opened the door. She had a large afro and was fairly tall. "Hi, can I help you?" She asked, looking down at the boy, confusedly.

"Uh-" He hadn't thought ahead this far.

"Where are your parents?"

"Not here." He knew enough to say "I don't know".

The girl looked around. "What's your name, kiddo?"

"Noah."

"Alright, Noah, why don't you come in? I'm Esme, by the way." She smiled, letting the boy inside, leading him into her living room, when she sat him on the couch and sat on the floor in front of him. "So, Noah, are you a runaway?"

"Mhm."

"Why did you run away?"

"Um, I ran away because I didn't like it there. I ran away with my big sister and her friend."

Esme's face was sympathetic towards the boy. "Okay. Where are they?"

"I don't know. We got separated."

"Oh, I'm sorry. What are their names?"

"My sister's name is Lucie, spelled L-U-C-I-E, and my friend's name is Laura."

"And how old are you?"

"Nine."

Esme nodded, smiling gently. placing a hand on Noah's shoulder, causing him to tense up a little bit. "Alright, well, how about this? I can let you stay here, at least for tonight. We can work some things out in the morning, okay? I'm Esme June Wylie." She removed her hand from his shoulder, before holding it out for a handshake. "How about you?"

He slowly and loosely shook her head. "Noah Michael David. Where am I?"

"You are in Ottawa, Canada."

After a minute, crying could be heard upstairs and Esme stood up. "That's my son, Kade. I'll be right back." And Esme walked away, heading upstairs. A few minutes later, she came back with a toddler boy, about a year old. "Noah, this is Kade."

"Are you married?"

Esme blinked a few times at the sudden question. "Um, no, not yet, anyway." She set Kade down, who scrambled off to play with toys on the floor of the living room. Noah knew exactly how babies were made. "You'll go to hell if you have sex before marriage."

Esme blinked several more times before saying, "Not everyone lives their life that way." She smiled gently at the boy. "Listen, Noah, I will try to help you any way I can, okay?"

-

Three years had passed.

Noah was twelve now. Esme had married her boyfriend, Max, Kade's father. A year earlier, they welcomed a baby girl named Molly. Noah did view this as his family. Esme was his mom, Max was his dad, and Kade and Molly were his younger siblings.

He'd grown into his element in this house. He was happy here. Though a little terrified of Max at first, he warmed up to him fairly quickly. He was nice, he gave him time.

And, yes, he loved them all like a family.

Just...where the hell was Lucie?

-

Another two years had passed. Lucie and Laura, now seventeen, had finally found each other. They were laying in Laura's bed, in a comfortable silence, playing with each other's hair.

"Can I just say something, really quick?" Lucie asked and Laura gave her the go ahead. "I thought Noah was with you all this time. Or...I guess I hoped Noah was with you all this time."

Laura waited a minute before saying "I thought he'd still be with you."

-

Noah, now fourteen, sat on the floor of his room, scrolling mindlessly through the endless well that is TikTok before he came across one of a black girl and a blonde girl.

He recognized them instantly.

The black girl spoke first. "Hi, my name is Lucie David. I ran away when I was twelve, with my friend here, Laura-" She gestured to the blonde girl, who waved. "And my brother, Noah. Now, all three of us got separated, but I managed to find Laura, after five years. Now, Noah was nine when we ran away. I don't know where he is, but I hope he's okay. If me and Laura are okay, then I have hope that he's okay. Noah, if you see this, please, I'm begging you to message me. I love you, I won't be mad at you, okay? I just want to know if you're okay. Hi, my na-"

Noah could feel his heart pounding in his ears, all throughout his body. Noah was on the verge of tears. "Esme!" He called. "Esme!" Quickly, she rushed into the room. "What, what? What is it?" She sat down on the floor in front of him and he showed her the video. "That's Lucie and Laura?"

"Mhm."

zoo.boat.god
Lucie, it's me, it's Noah

-

Though Laura also wanted to see Noah, she understood the greater desire of Lucie needing to see him first and be alone with her little brother. 

This time, Noah went to America.

Outside the Flores house, Emilia, Lucie's foster mother, sat outside, waiting. She and Esme exchanged a few words before they were let into the house, where Noah promptly tackled his big sister into a tight hug, which she returned.

All was right.

All was right.