Happy Birthday Carter

Carter loved getting presents like every other kid on the planet. His birthday was coming up so he was hoping for gifts in all shapes and sizes. You see, Carter was not a boy who expected or demanded, but he did wish and hope. It was his 7th birthday, so he hoped for some toys and wished for some friends to play with. Carter was homeschooled so he played with kids at the playground, beaches, aquariums, and play centers, but never at home, on his block, or in his neighborhood. He imagined a birthday party where all the kids wore birthday hats, played games, blew bubbles, and ate cake and candy all day. There were so many kids! He would have a bounce house, slides, a pool, and some farm animals. That would be the perfect birthday. But Carter did not expect any of those things, just hoped and wished and anticipated presents in all shapes and sizes.

Carter was the baby of the crew that consisted of 4 siblings total. They lived in a nice house with a front lawn and backyard with a trampoline and pool, but the family always seemed too busy for any fun. They had a strict schedule to follow with teachers and tutors always visiting with work to be done. The eldest child was 16, then 14, 9, and 7. In the house also lived Grandma and Auntie Liz, so someone was always home, just always busy. Carter, being surrounded by older, busy adolescents and adults, finds himself alone with his imagination. He is grateful for the trampoline and pool, but would enjoy it more with company. His older siblings were all girls so their interests differed and would swim and jump occasionally with him. He wished for just one friend even though he hoped for multiple. Despite Carter’s desires, he was content with his family’s party and presents.

The morning of Carter’s birthday, he woke up to a decorated house filled with balloons, streamers, confetti, breakfast, fruit, and sweet tables set up outside, and best of all presents! The colorfully wrapped presents were all shapes and sizes stacked methodically under the sweets table.

One box in particular stood out to Carter, stood out because it looked more like a package than a present being that it was wrapped in brown paper. A suspicious package wrapped in brown paper he thought. He would save that one for last. Family tradition was the birthday person always woke up to a decorated house, food, presents, music and just a party atmosphere all day. Carter’s family wasn’t boring or isolated, they just always kept busy in activities as their way of socializing and since Carter was young his socialization was limited to wherever an adult took him.

“Auntie Liz, when can I open up presents?”

“Whenever you want sweetie. It’s your birthday!” She sings, does a shimmy then begins to walk towards the pool to bring the tray of cheese and crackers she prepared. Carter follows after her,

“Auntie, when will Mom and Dad be home?”

“When the Science Tutor finishes up with your sisters. Grandma will be here too and we will sing happy birthday and cut the cake until then swim, eat, play, dance, and open presents. Tomorrow is Nature Day so we will take a birthday hike and end up at the lake where there will be kids. Days of fun ahead Carter!”

Auntie Liz seems more excited than Carter, and don’t get him wrong, he was grateful and happy, but deep down he wished for some friends. He wished those kids from the lake would be at his house right now so they could jump on the trampoline, flip off, run and cannonball into the pool with him. Knowing he was going on a birthday hike tomorrow kept his spirit high, so he skipped off to the presents. He counted seven altogether including the suspicious package wrapped in brown paper which he was leaving for last. The first present was long and rectangular shaped; Carter neatly unwrapped the blue metallic paper and revealed a train track, how exciting! He would set it up now, but first another gift. The second gift was a small square wrapped in red paper with the words happy birthday written everywhere. Carter again neatly unwrapped it and revealed a rubix cube. This was interesting and colorful, he thought while putting it aside to go build the train track.

He loved this train track because he could remote operate it and some carts could actually hold some mini cargo toys. This held Carter’s attention for most of the day and in between he would eat and cool off in the pool. No matter what he did, his eyes would always wander to the package in brown paper. It was the last present left as he unwrapped the rest and received some monster trucks, a paint set, some books, and a book bag that converted into a sleeping bag was also filled with hiking gear. Carter thought this was all some cool stuff and as he was once again wishing for a friend he had an idea. He will befriend a child at the lake tomorrow! He feels the courage bubbling deep down in his belly and is determined to make a friend tomorrow that he can invite over his house. Maybe his new friend can meet his parents? Carter was really excited now and was even more excited because it was cake time!

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Carter, happy birthday to you!!!”

His family sang and were taking pictures and this made Carter blush. Mom helped Carter cut the first slice of cake and Dad gave him a scoop of ice cream while Grandma placed a cookie. Oh what a special day this is! Carter gobbled down his cake and sweets because it was time to open the package with brown paper. Carter’s family had signed their gifts and no one was missing, and that grew Carter’s curiosity even more. He grabbed the package and went to sit on a bench by the pool.

Carter first shook the box and heard nothing. He smelled it and smelled only cardboard. He inspected each side in search of a return address or postmark but the perimeter was clear. He slowly unwrapped the package and it was a plain cardboard box where the flaps were just intertwined shut. He opened the flaps and cautiously looked inside. Empty. Empty? When he put his head inside the box he found a plain piece of white paper with nothing written on it. He turned the box upside down and shook it just in case he missed anything. The empty piece of paper fell out and floated its way into a wet spot in the grass. As the paper soaked up the water, words revealed themselves saying,

Carter did not think this message was cryptic as he did not know what being cryptic was. It had gotten dark so Carter took all his new toys, put them in The Empties box and went to his room. He was not disappointed in his presents, not even with The Empties box because he could draw on it, paint it, color it, make it a spaceship, a fort, a race car, a sandbox, possibilities were endless with your imagination and Carter’s imagination was his only friend at the moment. As Carter walked to his room, he could hear strange noises coming from inside the box, but not enough to startle him. He placed the box down in his room, showered, and when he came out ready for bed he was SHOCKED by what he saw, even though Carter did not know what he was even looking at.

Trolls? Leprechauns? Gnomes? All words from movies he saw. There were three of them, light gray in color, slightly pointed long ears, a tiny bush of hair on top of the head, and each one had different colored eyes. The first one green, the second one orange, and the last one yellow. All three had smiles and were not perceived by Carter as a threat hence him not screaming into a panic, but more of a curious, dumbfounded stare. Carter began inching himself closer to these creatures so as not to pose himself a threat and make them run, but The Empties had no intention of running and every intention of staying until their job was done.

“Hi Carter. Hi Carter. Hi Carter.” Each one said consecutively after the other.

“We are The Empties.” They said in unison. Next only Juniper spoke,

“We heard you needed us so the box sent us.”

Then Dijon,

“We are here to fill your void.”

And lastly Coral,

“And we will leave when your contents are full.”

That’s what the paper said, but Carter still didn’t know what it meant. And as if reading his mind, Dijon exclaims while standing straight on the bed,

“That means we are friends now!”

Friends? “Are you real? What are you exactly?” Carter asked

“Well we are us!” said Juniper frankly, then Coral continued, “And we are real to you.”

“We can play and talk if you like, but I know it’s night time here now so that means sleep for you. We can set up the tent and sleep outside while we play and talk and sleep, you know, whatever friends do.” proclaimed Dijon.

“I really wouldn’t know what friends do, but it is night time and tomorrow is my birthday hike where we finish at the lake and swim. We can sleep now and play tomorrow, but maybe talk for a bit before. Where do you come from? How do you know me?”

They spoke until Carter fell asleep and Carter has never done this before so he dreamt such vivid dreams that night. Wild adventures with new friends where the fun did not end and Carter never felt lonely. He woke up almost forgetting about The Empties and half thinking it was a dream until he found Dijon, Juniper, and Coral in the bathroom all brushing their teeth standing on each other’s heads. It was real. Carter smiled because he had friends and whether those friends were real or not, they were real to him and he would enjoy their company while it lasted. Carter was more lively and gleeful at breakfast and his family attributed it to hiking excitement, but it was because of The Empties and no one else could see them, but Carter. This made his new friends even more special.

The hike was so much fun. Carter climbed trees, dug holes looking for worms, turned rocks to find insects, and tasted wild berries all with The Empties and his family. The Empties gave Carter confidence that everyone noticed and was attracted to. His whole family was having fun with him participating in his digs and climbs. By the time they reached the lake, Carter had attracted four new friends with all the fun he was having with The Empties. Of course to everyone else, Carter just looked like a playful child and to Carter he was being carefree with his friends.

By the end of day, Carter’s parents had spent enough time with the families and saw how joyful, engaged, and fun Carter was having they decided to exchange information with the parents of Carter’s new friends. He did it! Carter made friends! They would be coming over on Saturday for a play date! Carter was planning everything with his imagination and the only thing he hoped for was sunny weather. He was also so warped with excitement he didn’t notice The Empties were not around until he found a wet piece of paper in his pocket that said,

Carter was full of happiness and ready to be a real friend.