It was October 31st. Ms Howler was heavy with child. She was 10 1/2 months pregnant and her issue was clearly overdue. Surely this was the day. She was exhausted, the skin on her belly stretched paper thin; oddly the thick patch of hair on her belly had fallen out. She wondered if this portended of ill to come. She took several deep breaths and admonished herself for her silly thoughts.
A child is a blessing. It was a sure sign of God's love for her. Suddenly, she felt a startlingly sharp pain in her lower abdomen and then heard a thud. It had fallen out. Her offspring bounced off the floor.
Surely this couldn't be happening. She hurriedly picked him up off the floor. He was howling in pain and fear. He had a knot on his forehead. He had no hair to cover it. In this moment, she couldn't have predicted how lifelong the problem would be.
Perhaps being born on Halloween would work a miracle. Perhaps, it was a blessing in disguise...perhaps he would have the best of luck after such an inauspicious beginning.
His toddler years were somewhat routine for such a slow child. He had to wear a helmet to straighten his crooked head. The knot? Well, it just never went away. The fact that he has no hair made the pointy knob on his forehead difficult to ignore. He was often mistaken as half child, 1/4 narwhal and 1/4 rhino. Preposterous, but the folks in the next town, Stomping Grunts weren't the brightest villagers in the province.
He plodded through those years, grunting, howling and humping the legs of his mother's friends, neighbors and the occasional salesman.
Mr Howler, grew to be a strapping boy, a healthy boy one might say. He wasn't the best student, he was often found picking his nose and saving the snot behind his ears. Saving the good ones for later. He smiled in triumph. His 6 teeth on full display.
He barely skated by his classes. He didn't understand why the kids didn't like him. He was not a well liked child. The strange noises he made, chirps, grunts and squeals scared the other children. His teachers passed him year after year, no one wanted a second dose of young Mr. Howler. Best to get on with things, he'd be perfect for the circus.
Mr Howler finally graduated high school. He came home and mother sat him down and said "it's time for you to go son." Why mother? he cried. It's been 25 years, Howler. You were supposed to have finished 7 years ago. I can't care for you anymore. These nice men from Circus for Freaks, Geeks and Gimps will be here in an hour. They will provide you a home, pay you a modest salary and give you a phone.
The gentlemen from the circus showed up, made small talk with Ms Howler and soon after took him away. He howled in fear and clutched his phone in his hairy thick sausage fingers. I will show them! I will be famous, I will be loved and appreciated. He went searching for interesting information on the internet and ran across some people that didn't have to know his life story. He'd pretend to be smart, handsome and blessed with a full head of hair. On the internet I can be anything!
He cried tears of joy, tomorrow the circus and then I'll find friends on the internet that will know just how special I am. He knew he had a bright future ahead of him.
Or so he thought with that crooked bald head with a knot on the forehead...*cue eerie music*
