Carl

Carl was born to two loving and very human parents. They had wanted a baby but had no luck for many years. This changed when Carl’s mother Natasha found that she was pregnant.

“Tom!” She exclaimed. “I think I'm pregnant.”

“W-What are you serious?” Tom questioned. His eyes filled with hope.

“Yes!”

Tom and Natasha were very happy they were finally having a child. All went according to plan and everything about Natasha’s pregnancy was completely normal. However, this changed when she went into her first ultrasound. The look on that poor doctor's face said it all.

“What's wrong?” Natasha questioned.

“Ma’am I-I’m sorry to say this but your baby...”

“What’s wrong?” She said again more forcefully.

“Your baby is… abnormal.”

Abnormal was putting it lightly and only when Carl was born did the Abbot family realize the severity of Carl's abnormalities. Carl was humanoid in form but that's where the similarities to a human ended. Carl's skin was dark in color and he had 4 arms, 2 where they were supposed to be and 2 coming from his back. He had 2 large eyes that looked like those of a fly and had 2 antennae that stretched from his temples. His mouth flap was covered by long tendrils and he was unusually large for a baby. Carl was a monster. After tests were run on him it was found that his DNA wasn't even human. Despite it all his parents loved him anyway, he was their miracle child after all.

Growing up he didn't have an easy life, he was ridiculed all throughout elementary school and middle school. Turns out that no one wanted to be friends with a monster. To make things even worse Carl was allergic to sunlight and had to cover up his skin. That meant hats and long sleeves but he didn't mind because it covered his body. Darkness was where Carl thrived and where he could truly be himself. In the dark he could see as if it were day and Carl found that he was super strong. It was as though he was meant for the dark and the dark was meant for him. The darkness had opened its arms for Carl and he had gladly embraced it.

Carl did have a secret that even his parents didn't know about. Carl could read minds and not in the creepy way of him doing it voluntarily. For Carl people’s thoughts would sort of emit from them without warning. He had no control over whether he heard them or not unless he focused on one person's thoughts individually, which would allow him to only hear their thoughts. To Carl he felt that it invaded a person's privacy so he did it sparingly. Carl liked to avoid crowds but school was one crowd he couldn't avoid. On top of the bullying and alienation, his head was often flooded with hundreds of thoughts at the same time.

“Jesus I hope he doesn't touch me, it could be contagious.”

“If I looked like that I would never show my face.”

“I couldn't imagine looking like that. I feel bad for him.”

 Carl heard thoughts like this from his classmates all the time and this hurt Carl a lot. More than they ever could imagine. Overwhelming as it was for him Carl learned to ignore the constant barrage of thoughts and focus on his classes. One thing was certain for Carl he would always be alone. This was a sad truth he thought, but one he must accept. This “truth” however, would change one day when a new student joined his English class.

“Everyone settle down!” Carl’s teacher Ms. Borger exclaimed. “I would like to introduce Clem. She just moved here from Idaho and I am pleased to have her so make sure she feels welcome."

“Great” Carl thought. “Just one more person to make fun of him.”

Just when Carl was about to write her off he noticed something peculiar about this girl. She was completely quiet. No thoughts emitted from her. This came as a shock to Carl as he could hear everyone's thoughts and what was more peculiar was that she was looking at him! Carl also noticed she had a red birthmark that covered the entire right side of her face.

“You may sit wherever you like sweetie.” said Ms. Borger

“Come sit with us, no one sits back there except Carl.” Said one of the bullies.

“I'll sit where I want, thank you.” Replied Clem.

Carl’s table was empty and at the back of the class. It was like this for Carl in most of his classes. To Carl’s surprise, Clem made her way to the back of the class and sat right next to Carl. Everyone in the class stared at them, even the teacher, who then proceeded to quickly start class. Carl had no idea what she was thinking and that made him a bit nervous but it also intrigued him because there was finally a person he could get to know for real.

“Hey, I'm sorry that they treat you like that. I- um, I know what it's like, to be on the outside. ” said Clem.

Carl looked at her with a look of utter shock. She had just said that to him with her mind!

“You're a telepath?” Carl questioned.

“Yeah, sure am.”

“I thought I was the only one.”

“Of course you aren't. What's your name?”

“Carl.”

“Well Carl, I think we’re going to get along just nicely. This school seems like it's filled with uninteresting people but,” she says eyeing him. “You seem like an interesting person.”

Carl couldn't believe he actually had someone to talk to. A friend. That night when Carl got home he went straight upstairs and flopped down onto his bed. He had a friend and that “truth” he had forced himself to accept wasn't so truthful after all. This thought made Carl the happiest he had felt in a very long time.