It is Erik's second birthday today, and his mother wants to give him a grand birthday party with a cake and many presents, something she has always wanted to do for any children she might have. His father is not happy about the attention she lavishes upon the "monster" that is his son, as he insists on calling and treating Erik. Alena is excited for another reason—she is once again pregnant and cannot wait to tell her husband the good news. The child growing in her womb is surely human, a true product of their union, unlike little Erik, who was created and given life not purely of their sexual desires, but more through the fruit gift from Faerie that she consumed. Neither Erik nor his parents know this, however, and the fact that their first child looks like he does makes them worry about their second child.
"What would you like for your birthday, Erik?" Alena asks happily.
"Balloons! Balloons, momma! Big, shiny balloons," he giggles in his surprisingly advanced toddler speech. His cat-like eyes glow golden in the low light from his excitement. "And a pony, and a bunny! … Or a friend…"
"Why? Doesn't anyone like to even just talk to you? Or don't you ever start talking to others first, then? If you don't, people will think you are too shy and therefore no fun to play with," his mother inquires. The woman is pretty and has a big heart, but sometimes you have to wonder about her intelligence because she just doesn't know. The reason, it could be said, for little Erik to have no friends, besides his father that hates him, is the fact that his very looks and countenance make him an absolute outcast in today's society. In a world where plastic surgery and medical science can come together to make even an ugly person beautiful, there is no hope for little Erik. His deformity is just too severe and there is little to work with. Another reason, although one not mentioned very often, is that, for some reason, the equipment tends not to work regularly around him.
Erik looks around as if shamed by the fact that he wants to tell his mother something, much less that he is alive still. After making sure the coast is clear, so to speak, he speaks, "No, Momma, I am not shy. Papa tells me I am a 'monster'; and therefore should never attempt to talk to, play with, or be friends with anyone outside. He…he said he'd…said he'd punish me the worst ever…if he ever caught me outside of the backyard…"
Tears have formed in the hollow pits that are the little boy's eyes and Alena, being the blonde that she is has no clue as to why others would not like her son, reaches out and quietly wipes the silent tears away. "Hush now, my little one, there's no need to cry," she soothes. "I'll always be there for you, remember that. Besides, it's your birthday! You should have fun!"
Alena had invited all of little Erik's relatives, and amazingly, an overwhelming majority actually showed up. She did not want to force her son to have to wear a mask, being the New Age-sort of person that she is, she believes it could only be detrimental to his persona, especially around his extended family, but Andre, who is little Erik's father, threatened to either call it off altogether, saying that his son had come down with a fever or he'd lock him in his room and hire a neighbor or homeless kid to play little Erik if his wife did not cooperate. He was, as usual, afraid of harming his reputation with what the child he fathered looks like.
Erik wanted to object, as the mask was starting to rub his skin raw because he was growing quickly, and therefore he was quickly outgrowing the mask and his clothing, but he had heard his father arguing with his mother, including the threats that he made towards little Erik, thought twice about voicing his opinions about the mask, even though it hurt him to wear it for very long.
He received many well-wishes, books—they were told by his mother of his incredible genius, development, and eagerness to learn—that were almost teen reading levels, some toys—which Erik pretty much ignored for the most part, and all manner of clothes which he no doubt will quickly outgrow at the rate he is growing.
That night, Erik went to bed happy. He was glad that no one shied away from him or yelled at him. Already in his childlike mind he views the world as incredibly hostile to his persona, but this day has vastly improved his outlook on life because of the acceptance he was granted at his birthday party even though most of the acceptance was falsely given under threat of lawsuit for slander by his father for not keeping Erik's appearance a secret, Erik still felt like life was not all that bad. After all, he was loved, spoken to, and accepted by what, to him, are complete and total strangers—the outside world.