I AM Noah Preston!

Foreword: Imagine you wake up one day and realize that it is your life, but everything is different. No body recognizes you, not your parents, teachers, friends, not even your girlfriend / boyfriend. It is like it is your life but in a parallel world where no one remembers or knows you. What would you do? How would you feel? Scary? Frightened? Lost? Let's see how Noah felt.

Noah breezed into the corridor of his School, with his iPod blowing away some Black Eyed Peas songs into his ears. He was dancing to the tune when he saw Laurel standing by her locker talking to her friends. Noah stopped short, gazing at her, when Laurel looked at him too. She smiled a little, blushed, then smiled again, still continuing with her ramblings with her two best friends Ria and Jordan. Noah walked up to her, "Hey! Laur!, So, what did you think about yesterday?", he asked, pulling down his iPod earphones down, putting his hands in his pockets and smiling a goofy grin.

Laurel was surprised and so were Ria and Jordan. "Do you know him?", they both asked. "No! I don't know him. I just saw him a few seconds ago walking through the aisle.", said Laurel with a surprise look. Noah was taken aback, "Laur! Don't you remember me? It's me, Noah! Noah Preston!", he blurted looking back and forth at three suspicious sets of eyes.

"We have not heard of any Noah Preston in School here. What class are you in? Are you in this school at all?", Ria and Jordan bombarded him with questions by coming in front of Laurel and backing him to a corner, eyeing him top to bottom suspiciously.

"Hey! Wait, I am Noah and I study in your class. Have been here from past 6 years or so. Come on girls, we all know each other. And I date Laurel. Tell them, Laur!", frustrated he tried to push the girls and reach Laurel. Laurel moved two steps back behind her friends, frightened now, since she had no clue who Noah was. "I do not know you. And I do not date you. Who are you? Have you been stalking me?", she asked.

"Stalking? Oh! Puh-lease! Quit joking! This is not tasting good anymore. Tell them. I say tell them to stop messing around. We have been going out for more than a year now.", he yelled. His yelling caused others to look at them, a small group gathered around to see what was this all about. Mrs. Madison saw the commotion and broke the group out, "Ok! Now, what is going on here? Ria, Jordan, leave the poor kid. Come on here, What is your name son? Are you new to this school? Which class are you in?", she asked Noah and at the same time yelled at the crowd, "Now move, all of you. TO your classes!". The group left leaving Noah, Ria, Jordan and Laurel with Mrs. Madison in the hall-way.

"Mrs. Madison, It is me. Noah Preston.", Noah told her, confused that why is she not remembering him. "Noah Preston? I do not know any Noah Preston. Are you new to this school?", she asked him again.

"No Ma'am, I am not new. I have been here in this school for past 6 years. You are my Class Teacher for this year. You do remember me, right?", he asked again looking more confused and now frightened. Mrs. Madison looked at him, then at the girls. She first decided to let the girls go and then take up on Noah. "Ok! girls, now scoot. I will handle this. And nothing to be afraid of. Go!", she barked her orders at the girls. Once they were gone, she turned back to Noah, "Listen Noah. I think you are confused or having a hallucination. Let's go to the Principal's office and settle this silently. We do not want any more commotion, do we?", she said sternly, in a voice that gave a chill in Noah's spine, a voice that told him to follow her. "Yes, Ma'am! I mean, no ma'am!", he answered her nervously. "Well, then let's get to the Principal's office".

Noah was seated inside the Principal's office. After hearing from both him and Mrs. Madison about the little incident a few minutes ago, Mr. Burgess, the Principal, left him there and went out with Mrs. Madison into the adjoining conference room. There they looked at all their records of new admissions and also made sure that there was a Noah Preston somewhere in their School in past 6 years. They could not find anyone. Confused and worried that Noah might be pulling a prank, they came back to him. Mr. Burgess spoke, "Listen son, err...Noah! We did not find any record of you being at this School anytime in past 6 years nor in the new admissions." Noah was shocked, "But, Sir! How can that be...How..?", he said very frightened now.

"I do not know, son! We will figure it out. Don't worry. First tell me this. Do you know where you live? Do you know who your parents are?", Mr. Burgess asked with a little more concern.

"Yes, Sir! I do. You can call my parents and check it out."

"Very well, then! Let's do that.", he said, looked at Mrs. Madison with a skeptical smile, "Please be seated Mrs. Madison. We will see what we can do for Noah.", and dialed the number that Noah gave them.

"Uh! Hello! I am sorry to disturb you. I am Principal Burgess calling. Is there a Noah Preston at your home?", he asked. A male voice on the other side answered, "No. We do not have anyone by the name Noah living here."

"Oh! Really? Are you sure there is no one there living by the name Noah?", he asked again for clarification. Hearing that, Noah jumped and grabbed the phone, "Hello? Dad? Is that you? Dad, it's me Noah. Your son. Don't you remember me?", he almost cried into the phone.

"Who is this? Is this a kind of joke? I do not have a son. I have two daughters. Who are you", the man yelled into the phone. "No..No..Dad, listen it is me, Noah, Don't you...", before he could complete his question, Mr. Burgess grabbed the phone from Noah's hand and sternly said, "Young man, sit down. Let me talk to YOUR Dad and find out. Now, Sit Down!", he barked at Noah, then into the phone, "I apologize for the commotion, Sir! Apparently there has been a mistake. Thank you for your time.", and placed the phone down.

"But, But, he is my dad. I am his son. How can he say that I am not? How can one deny your own son? You have gotta get him on the phone. Please, ask him to come down. I am sure this will all be settled then. Someone is playing a prank on me. You have to believe me", pleaded Noah at both Mr. Burgess and Mrs. Madison. Not knowing what to do, Mr. Burgess called the School Psychiatrist, Mr. Frank.

Mr. Frank came by 30 minutes later, took Noah to his office, "So, Noah! Tell me, how long have you been thinking you are Noah Preston", he asked.

"All my life. How many times should I tell, I AM NOAH PRESTON", said Noah frustrated, got up from the chair and paced around.

"Hmm.. I See. Do you know anyone who can corroborate your claim that you are Noah Preston? I know your parents, that you call as, have denied having a son at all. Anyone you can talk to?", he asked.

"Why do I have to prove? You sure will find something about me. It's not like I just walked up one day on this earth. You can find my birth records at the School or County Court. Don't you?", asked Noah.

"Yes, we can. You see! I already called every place I know of where I can get information on a person. There is no record of Noah Preston anywhere. I checked your Credit Card companies, they do not have a record of any Noah Preston ever owning a Credit Card with them. I even checked with Vehicle Registration office for your bike and the dealer that you claim sold it to you. No one remembers or has a record on Noah. Are you sure you are Noah Preston and not anyone else? Look, if you are escaping from someone who might be hurting you, we can help you. You do not need to fake a new identity.", said Dr. Frank assuring him with a pat on Noah's back.

"Nobody is hurting me. Why don't you people listen to me? I am Noah Preston and I am not faking my identity. I do not need anyone's help.", he yelled pushing away from Dr. Frank, stumbled down on his knees and cried.

Noah could not understand why someone is going to such length in creating this elaborate charade? Why someone is trying to play this horrible prank on him? He was really worried and scared now. Dr. Frank did not know what else to do, but just said, "I am sorry Noah, all you can do now is think harder and try to find something that would prove you are Noah Preston and that you DO exist." Noah looked at Dr. Frank helpless. He put his elbows on his knees covered his face with his hands, thought hard to find something tangible that can prove he is Noah Preston, indeed! Like a flash of the light bulb, Noah sat up, perked, said, "Yes! There is!", looking at Dr. Frank hopeful.

"Good, What is it?", asked the good Doctor.

"Remember the county fair. Over the weekend, Laurel and I had been there. We took some candid photographs at one booth. That guy was going to deliver the photographs today.", Noah jumped around in excitement to be able to prove that he was right.

"Excellent. I will ask someone to fetch it for us.", saying Dr. Frank started dialing the Principal's extension.

"Oh! No! You can't. I have to go in to get that photographs. He would not give it to anyone else. I think that is the condition.", said Noah.

Dr. Frank put down the phone, looked at Noah said, "Hmm...but that is not possible, Noah. I am under strict orders not to let you out of here until we find out who you are."

"This is unfair. I have proof and you are stopping me to get that. Please help me, please!", pleaded Noah.

Dr. Frank looked at him with lot of suspicion and little belief, for this could be a ruse to escape. Yet, he thought long and agreed to let him go on one condition. "Name it and I will do it. I just want to get the proof so this nightmare can come to an end.", agreed Noah.

"Very well then, let me come along with you and we will take a Security Guard along with us, just in case, you try to escape. Only then I will allow you to leave.", said Dr. Frank very sternly.

Noah agreed to all conditions. He just want to get the proof. They drove to the fair along with the Security Guard. They went into the Photo Booth, "Excuse me! We are here to collect some photographs of Noah Preston.", said Dr. Frank.

"Sure, but we only give it to the person.", said the photographer.

"I am Noah Preston. I came here over the weekend to take some pictures with my girlfriend.", said Noah with lots of hope in his voice.

"Yes, I remember. But, you were alone. There was no girlfriend.", said the photographer.

"What do you mean there was no girl friend? She was with me. All the day. We roamed here all day. Check the photographs, will you?", yelled Noah.

"Don't yell at me man. See for yourself.", he said and handed the packet to them.

Noah tore open the packet and checked the photographs, only to drop them down and held his head in his hands. Dr. Frank picked them up, and was shocked at what he saw there. They were all photographs of Noah holding the mock Statue of Liberty in the booth there. Dr. Frank put his hand on Noah's shoulder, "Noah! I am so sorry. I have no other choice but to put you in my hospital until we sort this all out. Come let's go now.", saying he walked Noah out of the Photo Booth.

"No! This can't be happening. Somebody is taking a lot of trouble to play this sick joke on me. No! you can't take me to the asylum. I won't go there", saying he tried to run, but everyone around him pinned him to the ground. "Let me go! Let go of me!", he started yelling beating his head, hands and feet at anyone and anything that came into contact in an effort to get free of them.

"Noah! Noah! Calm down!", someone was patting his back and Noah felt suddenly no heavy pressure of people on him. He opened his eyes only to find himself tucked beneath the sheets. He looked around to see where he was. He recognized his room, his music player, skate board and all other stuff. "Thank God! It was only a bad dream!", he said aloud.

"And it must have been a really bad dream. You have been yelling too!", said the man who patted him a little while ago.

"Yes, Dad! It was a bad dream.", said Noah shifting around in the sheets, relieved at the dream not coming real, trying to turn back.

"Ok! now get up. You will be late to school", said his Dad.

"I am up Dad. I am up.", saying he turned around and froze at the person whom he saw. "Who are you? Where is my dad?"

"Are you nuts? I am your dad.", said the man surprised.

"This can't be happening for real!", thought Noah, looking at the man in front of him, who says he is his dad, but was Dr. Frank in his dream. Noah yelled out a scream, "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!", in frantic!

**********************THE END*************************

Afterword: Well, folks that is how ended the day for Noah Preston, err...rather his night. So, did he live reality in his dream? Or will he be living his dream in reality after he wakes up? Nobody knows, except Noah Preston. Reminds me of Inception movie but has a twist here. Signing off now, yours truly!