I look up towards the night sky. An expansive mass of the richest blues, blacks, and purples. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been awed by its massive size, and the incredible mysteries it contains. Living in an urban area, I rarely see the stars above me, but they’re always there, shining brightly. Here on my hilltop, outside of the honking traffic, blaring music, and artificial lights, the stars can burn brightly, and I can see them. I find Orion, the Hunter, running from Mother Earth’s scorpion, Scorpius. Up in the starry night I also see Queen Cassiopeia, my namesake, sometimes upside down, clinging to her royal throne for dear life. Even though stars are collections of dust and gases, to me and half my family, they are so much more. My grandfather taught me all he knew about the constellations. Every myth and legend I’ve learned proves that the stars can feel, and they are just as alive as anything down here on Earth. As far as I know, my family are the only people who feel this way. No one else cares for the stars as if they were their own kin. We believe that if you are ever lost, you can look up, and you will find billions of guides who are ready to show you the way home.
I feel the cool grass underneath my feet, and as I start to walk around this grassy hilltop, the grass long and lush, probably because I’ve never actually seen anyone on the hilltop. I call it Gemini’s Peak, because whenever I go stargazing, the Gemini constellation is one of the most prominent in the sky. My voice, greeting the figures above me, is the only human sound I can hear. I’m about to say hello to the twins, Castor and Pollux, when I step on something. Something hard. I bend down, and gently pull what I stepped on out from under my foot. My eyes are well adjusted to the darkness of the night, so I don’t need a flashlight or lantern to tell that I stepped on a rock. My sensitive hands slide the rock between my fingers, and I notice it is weathered and very old. I can feel small grooves and notches drilled into the rock, and the texture of the rock is very different than other rocks I’ve felt at Gemini’s Peak. Even though I have excellent night vision, living where it is always bright makes it difficult for me to improve my night vision skills. So as curiosity gets the better of me, I pull my flashlight out of my bag, and shine it on this queer rock. At first, I couldn’t believe what I saw. It was rarity, something stargazers, archaeologists, and artists treasure. A start tablet. I stare at the tablet, awestruck. By its size, I’m guessing it came from the Middle East, or Asia. Suddenly, I hear a voice behind me.
“Can you hear me? I know you can hear me. Child of the Stars, listen to me.” I turn around, expecting to see some prankster, trying to scare me. Or maybe they are confusing me for someone else. I see no one. Well, that is kind of creepy...I think to myself I as slowly back away from where I heard the noise.
“Who are you, and where are you?” I ask in my most threatening voice, which I hope covers up my fear. To protect my newfound treasure, I slip the star tablet into my sweatshirt pocket.
“Look up.” The voice replies. Really? I think. You’re trying to trick me, aren’t you? You’re probably hiding in a tree, or something, and as soon as I look up, you’ll come and kidnap me. Maybe leave a ransom note on top of Gemini’s Peak.
“If you are going to hold me for ransom, just keep in mind that I’m not some rich girl, and I can throw people two times heavier than me! So don’t mess with me!” I yell, to whoever might want to hold me for ransom. Hopefully with that threat, this mystery person will leave me alone. An echoing laugh rang across Gemini’s Peak, and shivers rolled up my spine, as if a frozen spider was waltzing up and down my back.
“You greet us almost every night and now it is time greet you.” I must be imagining things. There is no way this is happening. You’ll wake up, ready to face the day, and realize this was all a dream. “What you are hiding in your pocket is a link to us, and you, Cassiopeia, are our Sta-” I panic, and start to flee down Gemini’s Peak. The last things I remember are my toes slamming into a tree root, and my body flying through the air.
I am floating among the stars. I am witnessing the beauty of every nebula, galaxy, or planet as I glide past. In the sky, I am peaceful, with no care in the world. Draco, the dragon constellation growls, and I swear I see its tail flick back and forth. I hear Lyra, the lyre, play a sweet melody which echos across the night sky. Then, the voice of the constellation Perseus speaks to me.
“Star Child,” he murmurs, his voice full of unknown wisdom given to him by the dark sky surrounding me. “You have found your way here, and for that, we are forever glad.” I open my mouth to reply, but I soon feel no need to. “What you have found tonight is very powerful. People will want it. Even though you are the only one who knows of its hidden power, humans are greedy. They will try to take it, and sell it. Do not let it fall into the wrong hands.” Even though what the constellation is telling me is something which truly frightens me, Perseus’ voice calms me. I feel no need to worry, only to gaze among the night sky, and watch the constellations come to life, as my family had believed for many years. I start to float back towards Lyra once again, and the melody she plays settles me, leading me deeper into the starry sky. “Good bye, and good fortune, my Star Child.” Perseus calls, his voice drifting off through the emptiness of space and time. Slowly, I too, drift into the depths of deep space. So dark and empty that everything is black
“Cass, honey. Are you all right?” As my eyes open, I see a face, inches from my own. “You were unconscious when he found you. We brought you to the hospital, and made sure you were ok. It was just a minor concussion, though. They said you should be fine, and I shouldn’t be worried. But you kept on sleeping, and I did worry. I thought you were in a coma. You slept for a whole day and a half.” My mom, like most moms, is very concerned and controlling when it comes to their daughter’s personal health and safety.
“Mom, I’m fine.” I whisper reassuringly. “Not even a slight headache. But what happened? All I remember is finding the star-” Oh my god! The star tablet! Don’t tell me Mom threw it away. Please no…. “Mom! When I was brought to the hospital, did they take anything from my sweatshirt?” I lept up, worrying about the safety of my star tablet. I was in my pajamas, so I assumed whatever was in my regular clothes was, most likely, moved somewhere else.
“The paramedics did find a rock in your sweatshirt. Don’t worry about it, though. I asked them to keep it. Figured you’d want it later.” With that news, I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Can you get for me? Please?” I ask, putting on my best “I was rushed to the hospital two days ago, and I probably look like a survivor of a zombie apocalypse” smile.
“Sure, honey. But you must be hungry.” my mom says kindly. “How about I’ll get you some lunch, and bring up your rock when it’s ready.”As soon as my mom even mentioned lunch, my stomach started to growl like an angry bear.
“Sure, mom. That would be great.” As my mom hurries out of my room, and I hear the clanking of dishes in the kitchen, I reflect on the past 24 hours. Well, the past 24 hours I actually remember. The strange and mysterious voice, calling me the “Child of the Stars”. My dream of the constellation Perseus, telling me of what dangers the star tablet held. Perseus also called me “Star Child”. I wonder if it was a coincidence, that both the voice and Perseus had addressed me using the words “star” and “child”. I replay what I heard at Gemini’s Peak in my head, and a nagging voice in my head suggested that the man, or woman’s voice sound a bit familiar. Right when my brain starts to put the pieces together, my mom knocks on the door, jostling me out of my deep thinking.
“Here’s your lunch, Cass.” my mom says as she walks in the door, carefully balancing bowls so they don’t spill. “Tomato soup with cheese bread, your favorite.”
“Thanks mom. I really appreciate it.”
“Here is the rock you found. I’m just going to put it on your dresser, if that’s ok with you.” I nod in response, and starts to walk out of the room. “You get some sleep after lunch.” Then, my mom leaves, and I can think in peace. With cheese bread in one hand, and the star tablet in the other, I start to think, wonder, and soon, fall asleep from pure exhaustion.
“Can you hear me? I know you can hear me. Child of the Stars, listen to me.” I turn around, expecting to see some prankster, trying to scare me. Or maybe they are confusing me for someone else. I see no one. Well, that is kind of creepy...I think to myself I as slowly back away from where I heard the noise.
“Who are you, and where are you?” I ask in my most threatening voice, which I hope covers up my fear. To protect my newfound treasure, I slip the star tablet into my sweatshirt pocket.
“Look up.” The voice replies. Really? I think. You’re trying to trick me, aren’t you? You’re probably hiding in a tree, or something, and as soon as I look up, you’ll come and kidnap me. Maybe leave a ransom note on top of Gemini’s Peak.
“If you are going to hold me for ransom, just keep in mind that I’m not some rich girl, and I can throw people two times heavier than me! So don’t mess with me!” I yell, to whoever might want to hold me for ransom. Hopefully with that threat, this mystery person will leave me alone. An echoing laugh rang across Gemini’s Peak, and shivers rolled up my spine, as if a frozen spider was waltzing up and down my back.
“You greet us almost every night and now it is time greet you.” I must be imagining things. There is no way this is happening. You’ll wake up, ready to face the day, and realize this was all a dream. “What you are hiding in your pocket is a link to us, and you, Cassiopeia, are our Sta-” I panic, and start to flee down Gemini’s Peak. The last things I remember are my toes slamming into a tree root, and my body flying through the air.
I am floating among the stars. I am witnessing the beauty of every nebula, galaxy, or planet as I glide past. In the sky, I am peaceful, with no care in the world. Draco, the dragon constellation growls, and I swear I see its tail flick back and forth. I hear Lyra, the lyre, play a sweet melody which echos across the night sky. Then, the voice of the constellation Perseus speaks to me.
“Star Child,” he murmurs, his voice full of unknown wisdom given to him by the dark sky surrounding me. “You have found your way here, and for that, we are forever glad.” I open my mouth to reply, but I soon feel no need to. “What you have found tonight is very powerful. People will want it. Even though you are the only one who knows of its hidden power, humans are greedy. They will try to take it, and sell it. Do not let it fall into the wrong hands.” Even though what the constellation is telling me is something which truly frightens me, Perseus’ voice calms me. I feel no need to worry, only to gaze among the night sky, and watch the constellations come to life, as my family had believed for many years. I start to float back towards Lyra once again, and the melody she plays settles me, leading me deeper into the starry sky. “Good bye, and good fortune, my Star Child.” Perseus calls, his voice drifting off through the emptiness of space and time. Slowly, I too, drift into the depths of deep space. So dark and empty that everything is black
“Cass, honey. Are you all right?” As my eyes open, I see a face, inches from my own. “You were unconscious when he found you. We brought you to the hospital, and made sure you were ok. It was just a minor concussion, though. They said you should be fine, and I shouldn’t be worried. But you kept on sleeping, and I did worry. I thought you were in a coma. You slept for a whole day and a half.” My mom, like most moms, is very concerned and controlling when it comes to their daughter’s personal health and safety.
“Mom, I’m fine.” I whisper reassuringly. “Not even a slight headache. But what happened? All I remember is finding the star-” Oh my god! The star tablet! Don’t tell me Mom threw it away. Please no…. “Mom! When I was brought to the hospital, did they take anything from my sweatshirt?” I lept up, worrying about the safety of my star tablet. I was in my pajamas, so I assumed whatever was in my regular clothes was, most likely, moved somewhere else.
“The paramedics did find a rock in your sweatshirt. Don’t worry about it, though. I asked them to keep it. Figured you’d want it later.” With that news, I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Can you get for me? Please?” I ask, putting on my best “I was rushed to the hospital two days ago, and I probably look like a survivor of a zombie apocalypse” smile.
“Sure, honey. But you must be hungry.” my mom says kindly. “How about I’ll get you some lunch, and bring up your rock when it’s ready.”As soon as my mom even mentioned lunch, my stomach started to growl like an angry bear.
“Sure, mom. That would be great.” As my mom hurries out of my room, and I hear the clanking of dishes in the kitchen, I reflect on the past 24 hours. Well, the past 24 hours I actually remember. The strange and mysterious voice, calling me the “Child of the Stars”. My dream of the constellation Perseus, telling me of what dangers the star tablet held. Perseus also called me “Star Child”. I wonder if it was a coincidence, that both the voice and Perseus had addressed me using the words “star” and “child”. I replay what I heard at Gemini’s Peak in my head, and a nagging voice in my head suggested that the man, or woman’s voice sound a bit familiar. Right when my brain starts to put the pieces together, my mom knocks on the door, jostling me out of my deep thinking.
“Here’s your lunch, Cass.” my mom says as she walks in the door, carefully balancing bowls so they don’t spill. “Tomato soup with cheese bread, your favorite.”
“Thanks mom. I really appreciate it.”
“Here is the rock you found. I’m just going to put it on your dresser, if that’s ok with you.” I nod in response, and starts to walk out of the room. “You get some sleep after lunch.” Then, my mom leaves, and I can think in peace. With cheese bread in one hand, and the star tablet in the other, I start to think, wonder, and soon, fall asleep from pure exhaustion.