Secret Parent Interview
Secret Parent Interview is the twenty-third episode of TribeTwelve, and the 23rd video of season 1. It was uploaded on June 17th, 2011, together with "Summer Update" and "The Envelope".
Description
Here's the talk my parents and I had about the old house fire and some other things. I don't like the connections made or the random distortion in this. And yes, I see him. It's fucking terrifying that I can't explain it.
Transcript
[Noah turns the camera on using a remote.]
Noah: Hey, it's Noah again. June 12th. As many of you may know, if you follow my Formspring, Twitter, or watched my recent live stream, you may have heard me mention my house fire. I've been getting a lot of questions about that. Let me clarify. When I was seven, my old house burned down. The cause was unknown. They said it was some sort of electrical deal or something like a short circuit. I don't know. At least that's what I was told. I never knew much about it, but a lot of you guys have said that I should look into it, that it might be important, it might even be relevant, but... I mean, since I've never really bothered to ask about it myself, I wanted to know more too. So, I have decided to ask my parents about it and record them secretly, so what they say... Their responses are going to be as candid as possible. I don't want them lying. I don't want them knowing that I'm filming them so I'm going to be sneaky and have the camera recording without them knowing that it's on. I'll have it start recording with this...
[Noah hold the remote up in front of the camera.]
Noah: ...remotely, and... I mean, it's not that I don't trust them. I just don't want them sugarcoating anything because they know that I'm recording them. It's happened before. So, here goes nothing.
[Noah turns the camera off using the remote.]
[Cut to the table Noah and his parents are sitting at. The camera is tilted in a way that their faces are obscured.]
Noah: Was I alone when it happened?
Alex (Noah's father): No, your mother and I were out at a concert that night.
Sharon (Noah's mother): You were with Katie. She used to live just a couple of streets over.
Alex: She was in high school. Pretty. I think she wanted to be a writer or something.
Noah: I don't think you ever told me what happened to her.
Alex: Does it really matter?
Noah: Dad, it's not like she's some fucking pet hamster that drowned or something. Tell me what happened to her.
Alex: She... I think she's still alive. Last I heard, she ended up in Oregon for treatment. This was like 13 years ago, though.
Noah: Treatment? What treatment?
Sharon: Noah, I don't know why you're pushing this.
Noah: Mom, I just... I wanted to know the truth about what happened. You never really told me anything about this.
Alex: She got burned. Real bad. Medium burns, they said. But I guess they chalked that up to the electricity.
Noah: Where is she? Do you have any idea where she is?
Alex: No idea.
Noah: But I was safe, right?
Sharon: They found you in your room. You were unconscious. Like you'd just fallen asleep on your bed.
Alex: Even though they said that they thought you might've started the fire, by accident, of course. Knocked over a lamp, lit the stove. I don't know what-
[Visual distortion. The audio becomes much quieter.]
Alex: -crazy shit they were trying to pin it on.
Sharon: Listen. It was just an accident. They ruled out arson, and you know how easily fire spreads. Especially in the sun.
Alex: Christ knows where Katie must've been. In the end, they figured it was a short circuit that sparked. Same as what happened with that one family. You know, that kid in the park. The playground.
Sharon: Liam Walts, right?
[Visual and audio distortion. At 2:59 the screen appears to move up, with the top of the screen appearing at the bottom.]
Alex: Anyways, they found you in your room and they figured you couldn't have done it. I don't know why they made such a big deal about it. They even sent somebody from the fucking FBI, or some shit.
Sharon: God, you think every man in a suit is with the government.
Noah: What?
Alex: What kind of man wears a suit like that in Florida? I'm just saying.
Sharon: This isn't a conspiracy.
Noah: What was his name? Tell me you got his name, his goddamn badge number, his telephone! I'm just curious, and shook up a little. You know, from the dream. So, do you remember anything about him?
Father: Eh, he looked like some Kojak wannabe. Completely bald.
Noah: What was his name?
Sharon: Sweetheart, we just saw him from pretty far! How far do you think?
Alex: They kept us a few hundred feet back even though everything was just ash. Only police and firefighters were allowed any closer.
Noah: What was his name?
Sharon: To be honest, Noah, I don't think we ever spoke to him.
Noah: You're serious? You didn't think that was strange? You didn't ask anybody what he was doing there, the strange guy walking around the house?
Alex: Honestly, we just wanted to know if the whole thing was malicious. Once we found out it was electrical, we mellowed down. Seriously, what's with the questions?
Noah: Ah, uh... I'm sorry. Listen, when I was in New York, and I saw Granddad after the funeral, he told me some odd things about a guy, and, uh...
Sharon: Oh, come on, Noah. You know Karl is going senile!
[Visual distortion and static audio. The camera appears to zoom in.]
Alex: Oh, not this again. I'm gonna go to sleep.
[Noah's father gets up and leaves.]
Noah: I know, I know. I was just curious. Did he ever tell you anything odd, like, disturbing, or anything?
[After Noah says "anything odd", the Administrator begins to appear in the window to the left of the kitchen sink, slowly rising up. After appearing, noises like doors closing are heard, possibly Noah's father noticing the Administrator. He stands there until 4:53, when Noah's mother waves her hand in front of the window.]
Sharon: When I was young, he used to tell war stories. Tall tales of his secret ops missions. Mary and I thought he was making it all up. And there's no real proof that he was in the OSS anyway.
Noah: Hey, speaking of Mary, what the hell is with her? She's completely gone. She totally disappeared after the funeral, and I can't make any sort of contact with her. Do you have any idea what happened?
Sharon: Honey, you know we don't talk to each other anymore. I haven't the slightest idea. Even if I wanted to contact her, she wouldn't talk to me. She's probably in a different state, with another shmuck! Crazy bitch.
Noah: Um... I was wondering... Okay, I know you don't talk to her anymore, but I was just wondering... Did she ever talk of a guy she called "Mr. Slim"?
Sharon: Ha ha, how'd you know about that?
Noah: I talked to Mr. Fletcher. He said that she began getting real crazy the years before Milo died. He told me some things that she said.
Sharon: You mean, the stepdad? Noah, she had many imaginary friends she told me of throughout the years. Why do you even care? I don't see how this is important.
Noah: Did she say that he wore a suit?
Sharon: Oh, come on now! Don't tell me you're trying to connect her with the fire! What's wrong with you today, honey?
Noah: There's nothing wrong with me, Mom! Can't you just fucking tell me? Just answer yes or no! Why can't you- Shit, I'm... I'm really sorry. I'm just really stressed and irritated, is all. Dreams getting to me.
[Jump cut. The video was likely footage of Noah consoling his mother and he wanted to cut it out.]
Noah: Listen, let me calm down. Do you remember anything about what she told you?
Sharon: Since we were girls, she saw people that weren't there. But now that I think of it, I remember her mentioning that character a lot. She always cried at night. She told me he watched her as she slept. Pointing at an empty doorway and asking why I couldn't see him. Drawing creepy pictures of him. She had mental problems from a young age, Noah, and they never went away. I had to stop talking to her after she tried to kill your father. You stay away from her! Alright? Even if you get in contact. I don't trust her! You know how nervous I was about-
[Visual distortion. The audio becomes louder.]
Sharon: -you going up to the funeral with her around? I didn't want you getting hurt.
Noah: So you tell me you never saw this guy?
Sharon: What guy?
Noah: The guy in the suit.
Sharon: Come on, of course not! He wasn't real. You okay?
Noah: You know what? I'm perfectly fine. I'm just fine.
[Noah gets up and leaves.]
Noah: Bad dreams freaking me out. Thanks for the info. I have a headache. I'm just gonna take my things and go back to my room.
[Noah picks up the camera. He walks away from his mother to his room.]
Noah: All I need to do is lay down. If you need me, I'll just be in my room, okay?
Sharon: If you have a headache, do you want me to give you two Excedrin?
Noah: I'm not taking any damn pills, okay? Just need to sleep it off. Night.
[Cut to black.]
[A frame with the text "A MATTER", with scribbles, appears.]
Analysis
- There is visual/audio distortion at 2:38-2:48, 2:58-3:00, 4:34-4:35, 7:12-7:17
- At 4:40, the Administrator appears behind Noah and his mother in the kitchen window behind the sink. The Administrator appears to rise up from outside the house, although he may have been standing in the hallway, causing his reflection to be seen on the window.
- At the last frame of the video, the message "A MATTER" appears, with many scribbles around the edges.
- Noah's mother name might be Sharon Maxwell, according to the newspaper clipping in the "Obituary" video. This was ultimately confirmed by both Noah on Ask.fm. In addition, Milo's journal reveals that Noah's father's name is Alex.
Gallery
