Allaya Natalie Eaton

Chapter One

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Tobias

It's late and I just want to get home and go to sleep. I had to wake up early today, and I'm just now getting home from work. I fumble with my keys, because I can't see in the darkness, but finally fit them into the lock and push open my apartment door. I usually turn off all my lights before I leave for work, so it's dark. I run my hand along the wall inside the door until I find the switch, and hit it. 

The brightness causes me to flinch and squint my eyes until I get used to it. I close my door and take off my shoes, setting my work bag next to them. My stomach rumbles, it's been six hours since I've eaten. I walk into the kitchen and pull out a plate with leftover cake on it. There's already a fork on the plate, so I use it. 

It has a rich flavor, and I love it. It's the same cake as the kind in the dauntless compound, hence the name "Dauntless Cake".

My 'meal' is disturbed when the sound of a baby wailing comes from the apartment next door. I know that a couple lives next door, but I didn't know they had a baby. Maybe they have visitors, or I'm just clueless about my surroundings. The cry is loud, to the point where I can hear it from here. The walls aren't thick, so it doesn't surprise me that much. 

I continue eating, trying to ignore the noise. It goes on for a couple minutes, until it hits me. The noise is too sharp to be coming from the neighbor's apartment, it sounds like it's coming from... my bedroom?

I put my dishes in the sink and quickly walk toward my bedroom, the light from the kitchen fading as I get closer. My door is open, not the way it was when I left for work. The light is off in my room, so I can't see anything inside of it.

My hand finds the light-switch, and flips it up. The room grows bright, and a flash of movement catches my eye. On my bed, lies the source of the crying... a baby.

I don't know how it got here, why it is here, or who the parents are. All of these questions race through my head as I cautiously walk towards it. I grew up an only child, no younger siblings, so I have no experience with babies.

It's face is red, and moving around, so I can't get a good look at it. It's wrapped in a white blanket, that's coming undone with every thrash. I don't know what to do, so I decide to do the only thing I can think of, call Cara. She would know what to do. (We got phones after the Bureau gave us freedom inside of Chicago.) Cara picks up after three rings. (Underlined is Tobias, plain is Cara.)

It's 11 o'clock, this better be good.

Listen, I need you to come down here. 

Why? And what is that noise?

Just come here, I'll explain later.

Okay, I'll be right there.

A beep signals that Cara hung up on me. I set my phone down and turn my attention back to the crying baby. The cries get louder every minute, but I don't know what to do. I just stand there, clueless.

***

My apartment door opens, and I hear footsteps come into the bedroom. I look up and find Cara standing in the bedroom doorway, her face confused.

"Why do you have a baby?" She says to me, slowly walking towards me.

"To be honest, I have no idea." I says, which only makes her more confused.

"Where did it come from? Who are the parents?" She says. 

I shrug my shoulders and say, "I have no idea."

She stands there, looking at me oddly, then says, "Well, aren't you going to do something?"

"What am I supposed to do?" I say, throwing my arms up in defeat.

Cara sighs and walks over to the baby and picks it up. Holding it with both hands, she rocks it back and forth, calming it. It takes a minute, but it finally stops crying. "Are you going to tell me why you have a baby, and where it came from?" She asks.

"I don't know, I came home and it was just there." I say, gesturing towards the bed.

Cara raises and eyebrow, and says, "Surely it wasn't just there. It had to come from someplace."

"I don't know, okay!" I say, getting defensive, I already told her that several times.

"Okay, no need to get defensive." Cara says as she continues to rock the baby. It only stays silent for a moment, then goes back to crying. 

As I breath in and out, I notice an odd smell. It takes me a moment, but I figure out that it's coming from the baby. 

"It needs to be changed." Cara says, as if reading my mind. She looks at me, then gives me a look, as if expecting me to do something.

"I don't know how." I say, and Cara laughs.

"You don't know how to change a diaper?" She says, while laughing again.

"No, besides, I don't have any clean diapers." I say, while sighing.

Cara walks over to me and holds the baby out in her arms. "Here." She says.

"What... wait... but... I don't know..." I stutter. 

Cara grins, "You don't know how to hold a baby?" She asks.

I glare at her, and her face goes back to normal. "You hold her, I'll go get diapers." She says, and walks out of the room.

"You're leaving me?" I call after her, but she doesn't respond. I sigh as the baby continues crying. I shake my leg, out of habit, and the baby calms down a little. I continue to shake my leg and it slowly settles down, it seems to like it. 

I sigh again. All I can do is wait for Cara to return.