This is Marius, Master of Destruction. Origin unknown. He is four years old & has been institutionalized since birth. Officially, his diagnosis is a bad heart. However, he has many behavioral & developmental problems. He used to make eye contact, but not any more. He exhibits autistic behaviors -- visually fixing on an object for long periods, rocking, no speech, not much purposeful activity. He still drinks bottles like a baby. He has non-stop frenetic energy; nothing is safe in his path. He will step on other children, grab things from them, & throw anything & everything he can. Objects in his hands are heat-seeking missiles, flying across the room, often hitting others. Because of this, he has many time-outs in his crib, during which he shrieks & cries & kicks & gives a full operatic performance of a temper tantrum. If there's anything in his crib during these tantrums, that object is flung out, including the shoes & socks he's wearing.There's a lot of ducking going on because of the Master of Destruction & his pitching arm.
His most notable talent, however, has to do with food. He will grab any food he finds anywhere & cram it in his mouth, whether it is an ancient bit of cracker in a corner or another child's bowl of food or bottle. He will snatch food right out of the mouths of babies. All leftovers go to Marius, & then there are no leftovers. It's unclear whether he behaves this way because he's underfed, or because of some compulsion.
It's unclear whether his behaviors are due to undiagnosed retardation or the culmination of lifetime institutionalization. He does show indications of possible socialization...sometimes he grabs a spoon & tries to feed himself...sometimes he will sit on an adult's lap & permit being read to briefly...& he thinks a lot of things are funny. Marius, Stealer of Food, Master of Destruction, has a wonderful laugh that drifts all the way down the hall & into the rooms of other sick children.
-- la reverdere
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