The Fall of the Aftons

078: Evan Afton

Evan skipped alongside Michael, humming a tune as best as he could with his spotty voice as his big brother led him to one of the corners of the huge room. Michael told him to stay put when they reached the connecting point between the two walls before walking off.

Where was Michael going? Evan hated being left alone, especially when he was around people that he didn't know.

He sat down on the lukewarm tiled floor and pulled his backpack onto his lap. He dug through his bag and pulled out his flashlight, holding it close to his chest. He didn't understand why, but the flashlight kept the nightmares away. Whenever the light hit them, they ran away. Therefore, the flashlight was precious. He brought it with him everywhere and an extra pair of batteries, though he often lost them.

He watched from afar as Michael tweaked something with some small tools. It looked like a small speaker that had a mini microphone paired with it.

What on earth was Michael doing? He looked so frustrated with the device as he fumbled with thin wires and itty-bitty mechanical components. But suddenly, he looked up and scanned the room. When his eyes met with Evan's, he gave a small wave before going back to his work.

Many minutes later, he spoke into the microphone and nearly toppled over in excitement when the speaker assumedly responded.

Bored from watching his brother work on the machines, Evan looked around him. All of the toys that the elementary kids were allowed to use were gone. They were all being used by other kids. Nothing was available. Frowning, tears sprang into his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away. He'd already cried five times that day. He didn't need to cry again. He was tired of everyone constantly teasing and mocking him because he was so sensitive.

Exhaling a heavy sigh, Evan scoured his backpack for anything that could entertain him. He didn't have anything. Toys, books, homework, anything. He had nothing to do. 

Suddenly, somebody tapped his shoulder. Startled, he shrieked and used his hands to push himself away from the person. Tears burned his eyes again and he desperately tried to wipe them away, but before he knew it, he was crying. For the sixth time today.

Why did he have to be such a crybaby?

"Sorry, Evi," Michael's familiar voice said sadly, guilt filling his words. He kneeled in front of Evan and tried to brush tears from Evan's eyes, but Evan swatted his hand away. He chuckled and ruffled his little brother's hair instead. "I wasn't trying to scare you. I was simply trying to get your attention because you didn't hear me say your name."

Evan shrugged it off, wiping the tears off of his face. "Is 'kay," he mumbled. "Y-You n-need 'thing?"

Michael offered a small smile. "Yes, I do. Would you hold this for me for a few minutes?" He held out the small speaker he was toying with earlier. "I need to test it really quick. I won't be long."

Evan nodded his head.

Michael's smile grew wider. "Thank you! I'll be right back, I promise." And he quickly stood up and ran off, leaving the room.

Evan fingered the small speaker, inspecting every detail of it. It was a plain thing, painted a boring black. There was nothing odd about it besides a thick wire connected to a tiny, black, marble-like device. Other than that, it just looked like a miniaturized speaker, just like the ones Daddy had at Fredbear's Family Diner and Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria.

A few minutes later, the speaker made a loud noise, scaring the living daylights out of Evan. He screamed and flung backward, hitting his head on the floor. Tears started to spill from his eyes again so he set the device down before he tried to wipe the tears from his eyes.

Some kid a few feet away snickered and muttered, "What a crybaby," to his friend. Evan's face burned with embarrassment and he turned away from the rude kids. He was so tired of this nonsense. What was so wrong with being sensitive?

"Don't pay attention to the crude incompetence of your peers," the metal box said. "They know nothing of your good character and personality."

"Mikey? Tha' you?" Evan spoke to the speaker, his voice trembling in fear. "Mikey?"

The only response was static and some sort of distorted garbling. 

A few minutes later, Michael came running back into the cafeteria. "Evan!" he gasped, panting slightly. "Did it work? Did you hear a voice come from the speaker?"

"Y-Yeah," Evan mumbled. "S-Sc-Scared me, but is 'kay."

Michael pumped his fist in excitement. "Yes! That's awesome!" he exclaimed. "I've been trying to get it to work forever." He chuckled awkwardly, ruffling Evan's hair again. "I'm sorry that it scared you, though."

"Is 'kay!" Evan assured his big brother.

~ ~ ~

Evan patted his knees gently, scatting quietly in the back of Henry's car as he watched the familiar surroundings pass by when he suddenly caught sight of the pale spots and blobs on his thighs. Doctors said that the pale spots on his arms and legs--as well as the blob of white hair he had on his head--were caused by something called "piebaldism." They said it was a genetic disorder that he got from one or both of his parents before they abandoned him at the Center. Usually, he didn't mind the albino splotches. He thought that they were pretty cool. But that was just another thing that kids made fun of at school. They claimed that it made him look like a freak, even though it was just nature. It was the same thing with his heterochromia.

He shrugged it off. He didn't care if kids called him a freak because of a couple of simple disorders he got from his birth family. He looked back outside the window, continuing his scatting.

Suddenly, Evan turned to Michael. "A-Ah excined h-have sis'er?" he asked his brother, smiling to keep himself from grimacing at the way he sounded as he spoke.

Michael looked at Evan with a smile. "I am excited. Are you excited?"

Evan giggled and nodded his head, but his smile quickly faded. "Why I-I nah d... d... t-talk other?" he asked quietly, staring at his hands in his lap. "I 'oddler, Mi' 'livia say."

Michael hesitated before he shrugged. "I... I don't know. It's just a disorder, I guess, like your piebaldism. But don't worry about it, okay? William and I will help you catch up, okay?"

He nodded his head in reluctant understanding before he turned to look back out the window. He was skeptical that they would be able to help him. The speech teacher at their school didn't even know what was wrong with him, especially because they didn't have any genetics to look back at to check for previous disorders in the family line.

"Hey," Michael said, poking Evan's shoulder. "Evan. Ev, look at me."

Evan didn't listen and just continued to stare out the window.

Michael lifted Evan's chin and turned it towards himself so he could see his little brother's face. "We'll figure this out. Okay? We'll find a way to help you learn to speak 'normally'"--he finger-quoted--"if you'd like to."

Evan nodded his head, giving Michael a small smile.

Within a few minutes of driving and quiet chatter between Michael and Henry, the three boys arrived at the Afton home. The second Henry parked the car in the driveway, Evan and Michael bolted out of the car and ran inside, going straight to their father's side.

William laughed as Michael and Evan surrounded him, trying to get a better look at their new baby sister.

Elizabeth Robin Afton.