Orion the Great

                                                                Orion the Great

                                                              By Daryl Campbell



         “Mom, I can’t find the other sock.” Orion enters the room, black cloth hanging from his fingers.

         “Did you check the dryer?” Mom asks.

         “It’s not there.” He nods, long strands of white-blond hair falling into his eyes.

         “Check again or get another pair. You don’t need to wear those old ones anyway.” Mom smiles, knowing black socks don't go with the yellow shorts and shirt he’s wearing.

         Orion heads down the hall, stopping at the laundry room. He opens the dyer, but the missing sock isn't there. The door shuts with a thud and he goes to his room.

         In the laundry room, the light flickers and everything changes.



                                                 * * * * * * *



         The sock’s body bends and stretches and he wakes wet and sore. Confusion swirls in his thoughts, his eyes adjust to the surrounding dark, and the sock looks across the black to see twinkling lights in the distance. There’s a Crab there, in a mix of red and yellow lines, and the sock knows he isn’t alone. He stands, finding himself on the bank of a river of rolling rocks and rushing water. There isn’t any ground beneath him and he glides as he moves toward the shining crab.

          The sock makes its way across a dark field, twisting around jagged rocks. He looks at the holes in his threaded body: three tears in his middle from a fork and others across his body from playful activities. Many adventures show on his young body.

         He steps over a large rock of puffing gas and comes face to face with two beautiful girls. They're both tall and thin with eyes of sparkling blue that light the sky around them. The only difference is, one has brown hair and the other blonde.

         “Hello,” the sock speaks quickly, “I’m on my way to the crab.” He points.

         “Who're you? Are you a friend of the bull, Taurus?” The brown haired girl’s voice rings like bells.

         “I’m Orion.” He remembers someone calling him that. “I don’t know a bull. I’m lost.”

         Seeing Orion's not a threat, the girls laugh, dancing in wide circles. Orion knows they’re still children.

         “I’m Nikol,” the blonde girl says in a high pitch.

         “I’m Elizabeth.” The other bows.

         “We’re the Gemini,” they both add.

         “The Gemini? Are you sisters?” Orion asks.

         “So much more than sisters,” Elizabeth answers.

         “We’re twins and we shine through the universe.” Nikol smiles.

         “The universe? I don’t know what that is. I’m just a sock and I don’t know how I got here.” Orion tells them.

         “This is the universe.” Elizabeth waves her arms. “All of this.”

         “You’re a sock? I’ve seen socks, and you don’t look like a sock.” Blonde hair sticks in Nikol’s mouth.

         “Maybe he’s not as clean as the socks we’ve met. The river, Eridanus, brought you here.” Elizabeth laughs.

         “Eridanus, what river’s that?” The questions.

         “You’re wet, don’t you remember swimming in the river. It…”

         “It brought you from where you were born,” Nikol interrupts. “It always brings things here.”

         “Would you like to go for a swim in the Dipper? The water‘s warm.” Elizabeth points to a far away cup.

         “No, I’m on my way to the Crab. I told you that, remember?”

         “So you did.” Elizabeth spins.

         “We’ll go with you. He knows everything.” Nikol giggles.

         The brown haired Gemini jerks Orion through the black sky and they land on the other side of a rocky field near a ball of swirling colors. Elizabeth picks up the ball, tossing it to her sister. Nikol catches it and rolls it to Orion. Using his foot to slow it down, he kicks it back to the brown haired Gemini. As the ball flies through the air, a dog jumps from the darkness, catching it in its teeth. The dog stops, tail wagging wildly, at the sock’s foot.

         “Give me the ball, Siri,” Elizabeth calls to the yellow dog.

         “No, give it to me!” Nikol yells.

         Orion sees the dog’s friendly and reaches out for the ball. Siri lets its roll from his mouth to the sock, who tosses it into the black. The dog turns, leaps through the air, and vanishes behind a million twinkling lights.

         Siri returns with a smaller dog at his side. The new dog runs at Orion, lowers his head, and rubs against the sock’s leg. The dog's bright, lit with twinkling red and blue lights. The dog wiggles with excitement, licking the sock with its slobbering tongue.

         “What’s your name?” Orion pets him.

         “That’s Procy. He’s Siri’s younger brother.” Nikol answers.

         “Procy huh?” Orion watches the Gemini sisters get the ball out of Siri’s mouth and put it back where they found it. “We need to get going. I want to speak to the crab.”

         “Okay then, let’s go.” Nikol spins in the air and lands on nearby rocks.

         Nikol skips across the rocks and into the distance. Elizabeth goes too, grabbing her sister’s hand when she catches up. The sisters spin through the sky ahead, lighting up the universe. Orion runs after the Geminis, Procy and Siri at his heal.

         Nikol and Elizabeth hide in a thick patch of rocks near the edge of a swirling sea surrounding the crab. The sock and dogs do the same. The sisters take quick peeks over the dark rocks, searching for something.

         “What’s going on?” Orion asks. “What are we…”

         “Shhh! Not so loud, Orion.” Elizabeth puts her hand over his mouth.

         “The Hydra’s out here somewhere,” Nikol tells him.

         “Hydra? What are you talking about now?”

         “It’s like a dragon. It swims in the water around the crab and tries to catch anyone crossing to see him,” Elizabeth answers.

         “We’ve seen lots of socks and shirts, even some pants, get caught.” Nikol adds.

         “I don’t see a hydra, dragon, anywhere.” Orion stands.

         Siri and Procy growl, moving between the sock and the rocks as green ripples spread out across the sea.

         “See, he’s in there.” Nikol smiles.

         “Be careful. We’ll be safe near the Crab.” Elizabeth looks across the water. “You don’t want to end up like the other socks.”

         “I wouldn’t want to,” Nikol laughs.

         “What happened to them?” Orion asks.

         “They probably went back to where they came from.” Elizabeth jumps up.

         “Now!” Nikol grabs the sock and pulls him over the rocks.

         They splash into the sea and swim for the island. Orion doesn't see the hydra, but fear pushes him. The Gemini sisters are faster than he is, water soaking in and slowing him down. The dogs stay close, dragging him through the water. Water sprays in every direction as the sea erupts behind them. Orion looks back, seeing a serpent lift up, three heads dripping with water. Its mouth opens wide, silver teeth sparkling when it roars. The universe shakes with the hydra’s growl.

         “Orion, you’ve got to hurry!” Elizabeth yells.

         The sock rolls in the water, dodging a bite from the hydra’s middle head. The other heads come down, but they miss too.

         “This way, Orion! Hurry!” Nikol screams. “Get him, Siri!”

         The hydra lifts over Orion and opens its mouths to attack. The sock closes his eyes, afraid to see what’s coming. There’s a tug at his shoulder, a quick sting, and something pulls Orion though the water. Turning his head, he sees he’s in Siri’s mouth, heading to the island. The hydra chases, but Siri’s a good swimmer and they make it to the Crab’s island. The hydra roars and vanishes into the sea.

         “That was close. I didn’t think you'd make it.” Nikol helps the sock stand.

         “Me either.” Orion watches Siri and Procy shake water out of their fur.

         “Let’s get you dry.” Elizabeth grabs one end of the sock and her sister grabs the other. “This shouldn’t hurt.”

         “It might be uncomfortable though,” Nikol laughs.

         The Geminis twist Orion around, forcing water out of him. When they’re done, the sock straightens out and follows the sisters to the large Crab. The crab's red claws stretch into the sky over its head and it smiles a bright smile.

         “Why have you come here?” The voice is deep and shakes the island.

         “We’ve brought the sock…”

         “He says he’s a sock,” Nikol interrupts.

         “We brought the sock, Orion, to speak to you.” Elizabeth bows.

         “You couldn't come here on your own?” The crab speaks to Orion. “I don't know if you have enough courage for what you must do.”

         “I’m trying to get home,” Orion answers.

         “You're not going home. You're here to help and you'll become great,” the Crab announces.

         “What’re you talking about? I need to get home. I’m not here to be great. Who’re you to decide?” Orion shakes his head.

         “I'm Benjamin, ordained seer of the Great Bear, Ursa,” he waives a claw toward a brown bear standing in the sky behind him. “I've seen who you'll be, it's destined. You'll stop Taurus, and keep his evil away.”

         “I’m a sock! That bear, well, he’s just a bear!” Orion says.

         Everyone gets quiet. They all know the Great Bear, Ursa, is the designer of the universe. Orion sees he somehow said the wrong thing.

         “I mean…I mean...” he stammers. “What does the bear have to do with this and who’s Taurus? I haven’t seen a bull.”

         The crab raises a claw, pointing back to the left. “He's there.”

         Orion turns to see a giant bull with yellow eyes in the sky.

         “Wow!” the sock says.

         “Once a friend to Ursa, the bull took away the great bear’s rule. Ursa had to watch over his son and wasn't able to care for his kingdom. One day, little Ursa will grow enough and his father can return. Until then, we have Taurus,” Benjamin explains.

         “So, Taurus is a ruler? Why does that make him evil?” Orion asks.

         Nikol speaks first. “He turned on Ursa and removed others from the sky. He thought it was important to remove anyone loyal to the Great Bear from the heavens.”

         “He made Sammy, the poodle, disappear and even made Auntie Emily leave. If he doesn’t like you, he sends you away. He did it to all the other socks that tried to stop him.” Elizabeth adds.

         “Other socks? What socks are you talking about?” Orion asks.

         “The ones who tried to stop Taurus before you,” the Crab tells him. “They were sent away. A falling star is what they're called in your world.”

         Orion's heard of falling stars, but can’t remember where. “You’ve sent other socks to him?”

         “Yes,” Benjamin answers.

         “You told me I’m destined to beat him. How many of them were destined?”

         “None. If they had been, they would've succeeded. It's you, Orion. You'll be the one to stop Taurus from taking the entire universe,” Benjamin answers.

         “How do you know this?” the sock asks.

         “He’s seen it. He’s knows everything.” Nikol pets Siri and Procy.

         “How can I beat him?”

         “I don't know if you can, you may just have to stop him until Ursa reclaims his

power.” Benjamin speaks.

         “Why doesn’t he just…”

         “I told you what you need to know.” Benjamin interrupts, throwing stardust into the sea to create a bridge. “You must leave now. If you don't stop Taurus now, he'll rule everything in the universe.”

         With Elizabeth and Nikol urging him, Orion crosses the bridge and starts the walk to Taurus. Excitement has the Gemini sisters giggling and twirling across the sky. Siri catches sight of a rabbit, Lepus, and chases it across a field of giant rocks.

         On the way to the bull, the Geminis tell the sock about Taurus casting Auntie Emily and Sammy, the poodle, out of the universe. They tell him that others are missing too: Leigh - the hummingbird, Ashlee– the elephant, and David – the doodlebug. Orion wants to be successful, but he's afraid he won’t be able to win. He’s just a sock and has never faced such a thing.

         “I got it!” Surprisingly, the memory of a game of 'tag' gives Orion an idea.

         “Auriga’s coming!” Elizabeth yells.

         Orion looks up to see a tall man standing on, what appears to be, a rolling can with two wheels and white stars lining it. The man holds three goats in one of his hands. Setting the goats down, Auriga hops off the chariot.

         “I’m looking for the leader.” Auriga’s voice is a low rumble.

         The sock finds his confidence. “I’m who you’re looking for.”

         “Taurus wants to meet with you. He saw you speaking with the Crab. He commands that you meet him at the mountain known as Mensa.” He returns to the chariot, lifts the goats, and starts back across the black.

         “We need to get this over with,” Orion says.

         “Think you can beat him?” Nikol throws a red ball over a far away cloud of oranges and yellows, but neither dog wants to play fetch.

         “I don’t know, but all I need to do is keep him busy until Ursa’s ready to come back.” The sock points to a mountain with a flat top. “That Mensa?”

         The Geminis nod.

         Orion decides to run to the mountain and Siri and Procy are at his side quickly. The sisters don’t care for running and walk, figuring the sock will get tired and they’ll catch up. They’re wrong and Orion runs all the way to the twinkling mountain.

         “You two to stay at the bottom with the dogs.” Orion tells the sisters.

         The Geminis agree, watching as the sock moves to the bottom of the mountain. The climb is hard, but Orion can't give up after coming so far. He’s knows he has to stop the bull. As he gets near the top, he hears Taurus’s deep breaths and isn't sure how the bull will react. Too late now, he realizes, pulling his body onto the flat top of the mountain. Taurus stands motionless, swirling white and blue smoke pouring from his nose with each breath.

         “What is your purpose here?” Taurus growls.

         “I’m Orion and I’m here to talk to you. You asked, no, told me to come see you. You remember that, right?” Orion’s fear fades as he speaks.

         The bull digs his hooves into the rock under him. “What business did you have with the crab? Benjamin has been trouble for me for ten million years. You’re new here and all I see is trouble.”

         “I’m not trouble. I haven’t even been here that long,” Orion defends himself.

         “You've been here long enough, Orion. You will not threaten my rule!” The bull stiffens, its muscles tighten, and his voice echoes across the universe.

         Orion’s ready and jumps from the side of the mountain, flattening his body to slow the fall. Taurus is nearly as fast as the sock. He moves forward, shaking Mensa and all the stars around it. He leaps into the black above the sock, but is too heavy. His speed carries him over Orion and into a nearby field. Other creatures scatter when the bull crashes in the field: a wolf, a swan, a ram, and even a few shirts can be seen running for safety. The sock turns to watch as the bull catches his balance and spins to charge.

         Taurus lowers his head and charges again. The sock jumps and floats over him, barely avoiding sharp horns. The bull tries to turn and stumbles.

         Orion moves away, forcing the angry bull to run at him. Each time the bull charges, the sock jumps, floats over Taurus and runs away. The sock stays out of danger and the bull begins to tire and slow. As the fight continues, creatures from the black appear, cheering for Orion. The black becomes a blanket of sparkling unicorns, fish, birds, and even a daddy lion and his little boy. The Geminis are always near. They’re his new friends and want to stay close.

         The time comes for the sock to show his courage. He skips over the river that brought him here, grabs a long stick, and spins to face the bully. Siri and Proxy run to him, barking and growling at the approaching monster. Orion sees his advantage over the universe’s king. He can do it, he knows he can. He’s the one meant to save everyone. With the dogs at his foot, he'll hold Taurus off until Ursa returns. He stretches out wide against the universe and holds the stick over his head.

         Taurus comes to a stop, watching as Orion claims power. Light shines bright through the holes and tears in the sock’s body. He stands tall and proud, a twinkling belt at his waist and his shape colored in starlight. The bull realizes it’s too late, but pride forces him to challenge the new power. He locks his legs and lowers his head, horns threatening Orion. The sock stands still, refusing to give another inch. In doing so, he saves the universe.

         In the distance, the Great Bear hugs his cub and smiles.