Captain Rigel

Rigel hated the freckles on his face. 

He scratched them. Itched them. Anything to peel them off. 

“Rigel, leave them alone,” his grandmother used to tell him. “Those freckles are stars.” 

For a while, he believed her. He even believed her when just before she died, she said she was going to the stars. 

But now that he was in middle school, he knew better. His grandmother wasn’t with the stars, and his freckles weren’t stars. The freckles were only there so the bigger kids in his grade could make fun of him. And his grandmother? 

She was gone. Just gone.

And he had to attend Baker School for Boys since he had no other family to take care of him. His first semester at Baker was disastrous, and it was only November. He yearned to be back in his old house in the Wisconsin country instead of being in Milwaukee. If he was back home, at least he would be able to escape the bullies. But not at Baker. His yearnings turned to wishes, and soon, Rigel caught himself wishing on the stars. 

On a cold night in November, Rigel flopped on his stomach and stared out the window. Bluish clouds floated past the full moon, and the stars twinkled. He tried counting them then moved on to deciding which one should be his lucky star. 

That night, however, they seemed brighter than usual. 

He was used to seeing big, bright stars in the country but not in the city air. It was comforting to see, and Rigel thought maybe it was a sign from the stars that his dream of going home might come true. 

A speck in the sky glided across the stars, growing bigger as the seconds passed. Rigel blinked and rubbed his eyes. Could be an airplane, but planes didn’t move like that. Maybe that was the star he should wish on. 

“Dear moving star, I don’t know if you’re going to crash into another star or planet, but before you do, would you make my wish come true? I want to go home. I know you can’t bring my grandma back, but I wish to be with her at our home again. I wish…I wish…”

His voice trailed off into silence. The speck grew brighter and bigger, more brilliant than any star Rigel had seen before. It was awesome—and scary. 

He grabbed his blanket and tugged it up over his head, which was always the best way to hide from trouble. Slowly, he started to count backwards, but instead of his body relaxing, it got more tense. That was strange. Usually his counting trick put him to sleep.

He opened his eyes slightly, and the brightest shade of yellow poured into the room like someone had dumped over a gallon of shiny gold paint. With trembling hands, he pulled the blanket off his face.  

Rigel yelped as a trail of shimmering dust bunnies wrapped around his ankle and started pulling him. He grabbed his bed sheets, holding on for dear life. The sheets tore off like a Band-Aid as he was whisked away. He tried grabbing the bed posts, but his hands couldn’t catch them in time. The shimmering dust bunny trail jerked him toward the open window. Wait a minute. Hadn’t he shut and locked that before going to bed? 

As his body passed into the night air, Rigel made a last, desperate attempt to clutch the window frame. He grunted as he tried pulling himself back into his room. Despite all the might in his tiny arms, his fingers ripped away from the window frame, and he was thrust into the sky. He screamed and batted his arms like wings. Suddenly, the shimmering dust bunny trail recoiled while Rigel was in midair. Gravity kicked in. He plummeted toward the lit Milwaukee streets. 

Just as his face was about to mash into asphalt, the shimmering dust bunny trail wrapped its grip underneath him like a net and began pulling him up. He screamed even louder as he watched the passing cars and pedestrians grow tinier and tinier. He tried looking up, but biting slaps of wind forced his eyes shut. Slicing through the air seemed to go on for an eternity until Rigel crashed onto a wood floor. 

He curled into a tight position with his face buried in his hands. The cold cuts of the wind were gone, and the firm floor underneath him gave him security. A pungent odor filled his nostrils of sweaty socks and the mop soap his grandma would wash the floors with. 

“Rigel?” a voice said.  

Rigel didn’t want to open his eyes. If he did, he might see something really bad. 

“Rigel, it’s okay.”

The voice was calm and happy. 

Rigel moved a couple fingers and opened his right eye. In front of him stood a man wearing tall boots, gray high-waisted pants, a puffy white shirt with ruffles on the ends, and a blue vest. It looked like something someone might wear at Halloween. 

“Who—who are you?” Rigel faltered as he opened both eyes. People began to gather around him, men and women wearing similar pirate clothing with happy smiles on their faces. 

“Rigel.” The man knelt in front of him. “We’ve been traveling across the universe trying to find you.” 

“Me?” he mouthed. 

“I’m Archer.” 

“Archer?” He repeated the name, but even that didn’t help him figure out who the man was.  “Who are you? Where am I? And why are you wearing a pirate costume?” 

The entire crew burst into laughter. 

“It’s not a costume,” chuckled Archer. “It’s what we wear. Now, to answer your questions. I already answered your first one. I’m Archer. For your second question, you’re on the North Star. The fastest ship in all the galaxies.” 

“Ship?” He blinked. “Like a rocket ship?” 

The crew teetered with another round of laughter.  

“Alright, alright!” Archer commanded. “Get back to work, everyone. I’ll take it from here.” 

Archer helped Rigel to his feet and walked him to the edge of the ship. His mouth slowly gaped as he took in the entire sight of the ship. Billowing blazing white sails, etched with vivid, yellow stars, danced against the night sky. The wood floors and rails were painted nearly midnight black. Glitters of silver, gold, and rainbows were caked into the crevices of the ship, and although the night sky chill swept onto them, heat from the floor seemed to follow them with every step. 

“Rigel, what you’re on is a real ship,” Archer spoke. “Not one that navigates the seas but one that navigates something more dangerous—the open sky.”

“The sky?” Rigel leaned against the wood railing and peaked down. His stomach flipped, and his brain started to spin. Below him were clouds and faint traces of light. The entire city grew smaller as they sailed—well—flew away. 

Rigel pinched himself. This couldn’t be real. 

“You’re awake.” Archer patted his arm. “Sorry about startling you while you were about to sleep. It always is the best way to grab someone out of bed.” 

“I’m sorry, Archer.” Rigel shook his head. “Why am I here? Why did you get me?”

“You’re the missing star,” Archer beamed. “You have the map.”

“The what?”   

“You are the missing star of Orion!”

“I’m no star,” Rigel snorted. “And I don’t have any map. I’m Rigel! I’m a seventh grader. I think you have the wrong guy, sir.” 

“If that’s the case, then how do you explain this?” 

From his pocket, Archer pulled out a small looking glass and placed it in front of Rigel. 

“What the—?” Rigel gawked. He had never seen himself like this before. His freckles were glowing—sparkling like stars in a constellation. They were beautiful. Illumined. Dazzling. He touched his face and small pieces of stardust clouded around him. 

“Rigel, the crew of the North Star and I have been looking for you. The Empress of the Estrellas has sent us on a mission to fetch you from earth and bring you to your rightful place in the universe, which is right here.”

“The who?” Rigel asked. 

“The Empress of the Estrellas,” Archer said again. “I believe she was your grandma on earth.”

“My grandma?” Rigel gasped. “You mean to tell me my grandma—”

“Is alive, yes!” Archer smiled. “She was only on earth to protect you before you were ready to join your rightful place in the universe. You are the missing star of Orion and the captain of this ship. Star stealers wanted you gone when you were a baby because they knew how powerful you are. The Empress—er, your grandma, was the only one who could protect you on earth until you were ready. Well, that time has come now. Will you lead us?”  

Rigel looked back at the mirror and kept touching his face. Magical swirls of golden dust kissed his cheeks and body. His grandma was right. His freckles were stars, and she had gone to the stars. But even if all that was true, that didn’t mean he could lead a ship.

“I—I can’t.” He blew out a frustrated sigh. “I’m not who you think I am. I’m not that smart. I get bullied at school. I don’t even think I’ve ever been on a ship in the water not to mention one in the sky.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’re not alone.” Archer winked. “You have us to help you.” 

He waved his hand across the ship, and Rigel saw all the crew working together, cleaning and manning the ship as they sang. 

“I—” Rigel began. 

He was cut off by a yelling crewwoman. 

“Archer! Look!” 

Archer glanced over his shoulder. In the distance, another ship was darting toward them. It was all black but had speckles of yellow lights all over it. 

“Blimey!” Archer shuddered. “To your positions!” 

Rigel’s stomach dropped. “What’s happening?” 

“It’s the Space Phantom,” Archer quickly answered. He grabbed Rigel’s arm and sprinted to the ship’s wheel as crew members ran to their designated positions. 

“Who are they? Who’s on that ship?” Rigel asked as Archer took position at the wheel and gave it a sharp turn. Rigel was thrown to the ground. 

“They’re star stealers,” Archer said as he picked Rigel up. “They’re the ones who steal stars from the galaxies to use them for evil, and they’re the ones who want you dead.” He snapped his gaze to the crew. “Start rowing!” 

Everyone  heaved the ship’s oars in wide, rhythmic strokes. The ship started flying upward so fast that Rigel could barely stay standing. He clutched the rails in front of him as they whipped through the black sky. 

“They want me dead?” he whispered as a yellow flash flew toward them.  

Attack! 

Take cover! 

The crew braced themselves as the fluorescent bullet soared their way. It lashed into the distance and crashed into the dark night. 

“You see, Rigel? You are the missing star of Orion,” Archer bellowed. “They’re attacking with stars because they know you’re here. Faster, crew!” 

The crew grunted and rowed, flying the ship at turbo speed. 

“We need to get past the Mesosphere, and the North Star will be able to shoot itself back into the universe and away from the Space Phantom,” Archer instructed. “The crew needs to row until we get high enough.” 

“But they’re attacking again!” Rigel called out. 

The star shot close to the North Star’s main mast, almost clipping the top. The energy flipped the North Star into circles. Rigel clung to the rails as the ship spun like a hamster in a wheel. Finally, The North Star stood upright.

“Whew, that was close.” Rigel’s legs shook as he glanced over at the wheel—but Archer wasn’t there. His body sprawled on the floor of the main deck. 

“Archer!” Rigel shouted. 

“I’m alright,” Archer replied with a groan. “Take the wheel! Get us out of here.” 

Rigel sucked in a deep breath. Two more stars headed straight at them. He stepped to the wheel, kicking something on the ground—Archer’s looking glass. Rigel caught a quick look at his reflection. The freckles on his face glowed brighter and more brilliant. They sparkled like the stars who were attacking them. Powerful stars. Deadly ones. Could he really do this?

But when Archer moaned in front of him, curling in pain on the floor, he knew. He had to trust in what his grandma, Empress of the Estrellas, had told him. The power of the stars was with him. He was the captain. 

Rigel gripped the wooden wheel. 

“Row!” he commanded. 

“Aye aye, sir!” The crew cried out together. 

The stars from the Space Phantom shot at them like cannon balls. Rigel pretended he was in a video game and steered the ship upwards, dodging each star. Traces of stardust landed onto the ship and on him like snow flurries. 

He wiped the stardust off his face with his sleeve.

“That’s the Mesosphere.” Archer lifted a weak arm and pointed at the faint blue lining in front of them.

“We’re almost there!” Rigel shouted. “Keep rowing!”

“Captain, look,” a crewman wailed. 

A star snuck in a blaze underneath them. Unlike any other. Green and gold. Deadly. Could they outrun it?

Rigel steered forward with all his might. They were so close! The crew rowed. The star blurred into a dangerous line. 

They weren’t going to make it. 

Archer, bruised and hurting, climbed up to Rigel. 

“Rigel you hold the power of the stars. Use that power to stop this star!” 

Without hesitation, Rigel wiped his face with his hand. Yellow dust covered his palm. He pulled his hand back like he was going to pitch a baseball, then threw the stardust straight at the green and gold star. With a massive flash of glittering fireworks, Rigel’s stars destroyed the attacking star. 

The crew cheered as they thrust into the Mesosphere. 

“Rigel, you did it!” Archer cheered. “You truly are the captain of this ship.”

He looked forward into the immense black ocean of space. Planets, stars, nebulae, and things he hadn’t even learned about yet lay before him. Adventure called his name.

But, more importantly, he was going to see his grandma again. 

He leaned against the wheel. Yes, indeed. Captain Rigel would fit him well.