“Come and listen to me my friends! I have a story to share with you!” Yelled the drunk the next morning.
“Words only come from your mouth, sir, we have shared in your drinking and speaking long enough. Have you words on our trade with the local tribes? Are we to be rich by this time next moon?”
“You are to be dead, friend, if you do not listen to my words and look upon my face at this time.” retorted Noah. He would not allow these naysayers to question his experience. He knew what he had heard the night before. Something about the waters of the sky falling and not even a fire staying lit. Here was an opportunity like no other. “By this time next moon the world will have flooded all the way over and all will be deceased or starving alive, abandoned and cast off from all other living things. The only way to save yourself from the coming destruction is to hear my words and obey them. For they come from a Spirit above that has spoken only to me.”
“You are a man of many stories Noah, this is a new face that you have come with. Are you now a prophet that can speak for the Gods above?” asked an inquisitor among the crowd.
“I have spoken with a Spirit so yes, it is as you say. Will you respect this new face or laugh upon it? You will be accountable for the choice you make.” spoke the chosen one.
The people were divided in their thoughts. Some saw this man as a well to do tribe member. Exactly the kind of man that a Spirit would confide truth into. Others saw through Noah and remembered that the only reason why he was well to do was because he said he was, but they had seen his house, his wife, his children and knew that many words came forth from him. Much more than steps from his feet.
Those that trusted agreed to meet the next day to begin their work. They arrived to find Noah busily scratching upon his writing surface. He was creating a ship that could hold many faces upon it. He explained the outline down to the last detail. Noah was a very specific god to those that trusted him.
Time watched as Noah sat and barked orders at his followers from the shade of his house, always with a drink in his hand. He would make it clear when someone was not following his diagram. With fits of rage he would scream and those that would change the design in anyway, whether for benefit or detriment. When asked why he did not stand he would say, “I have already created the blueprint by which salvation will be offered to all of you? And now you want me to work with my own hands as well? You are a selfish people. I will choose carefully among the devout for whom I will save when the rains come.
After a time the followers became weary with this new leader. They slowly filtered back to their own lives and desires. The crowd each morning to work on the ark became smaller and smaller. Finally, one morning, no one came to assist Noah in his work. He went down to the middle of the town and started to preach, “Woe unto these people that do not hear the voice of God! There will be swift punishment upon you with none to shade you, protect you from the horrors to come.” but his words fell on deaf ears. His face shown as one that would not do his own work with his own hands. He had lost the respect of his people.
Noah went home and began to drink. Now he would have no reason to care whether he would save others or not. Not his fault they didn’t want to be saved. After a time he had walked past the unfinished ark so many times he no longer saw it or questioned his drunken dream when a voice had whispered from the shadows.
Father Time spoke to Water, “It is time my child, may we put the fires out.”
Water began to fall from the expanse in the sky. It began to fall faster and faster until houses were filled with her cleansing presence. The people of the earth began to cry with rage and fear. This was something that they had not prepared for or expected, and there was no way to save themselves from it. Shadow looked down at Noah and saw him drunk upon the ground. He went to Father Time. “Would you find grace in your heart to save my friend Noah? He has worked so hard to prepare for this ceremony, but was not able to finish the ark in time.”
“Child,” Father Time replied, “If you only knew the truth of the situation, of which you have shadowed yourself from.” Time sat thoughtfully for a moment. “I will do this thing for you, for your heart is pure.” Time came down and opened a door for Noah and his family and brought them to the other side after the waters had receded and the Earth had been reborn after the flood. Noah and his family thanked the Gods and reverted to their old ways of sacrifices and altars to show their respect for their salvation. History began yet again as it had been before. Cycling through the same experiences.