Orion Capricorna

By Rumi M.

Chapter 1

My name is Orion Capricorna and I have a way with the world. I am a superhero. My power is that I can summon tarot card spirits, but I can only summon a certain amount a day. There are all kinds of villains on the streets of Tono. One day I woke up, I had had too much milk last night. My stomach was in pain. Did I mention that I am a cat, and although I am lactose intolerant, I LOVE my MILK!? My favorite type of milk is fresh from the farm, cream on top, cold milk. When I say cold, I mean milk in a glass jar cold. My owner, Haru Oni, knows the goods. He has a friend that works at this small farm and he gets the milk fresh. This brings me to my first mission; when the milk arrived with a peculiar taste and I was sick all night.

Chapter 2

It tasted sour, not like the usual, creamy taste. Haru knew something too. He grabbed me and we jumped on his Blue Lightning; that is what he calls his scooter. I have a special back seat. I call it the Blue Bird. We zipped through the streets of Tono. The birds were out and I could see a blue sky. It was a perfect day to visit the farm. We arrived in chaos. Haru’s friend Kai was knee deep in a barrel of milk and he had a tool in his hand. It looked like a colander for draining pasta. I could sense the spirits out of alignment and I had an itch. I strolled to the back of the barn and you wouldn’t believe what I saw.

Chapter 3

A colony of rabbits was gathered around two bottles behind the barn. Did I mention the farm is a cow and rabbit farm? They don’t eat the rabbits. They are just there because rabbits are so cuddly and cute. I pushed my way through and told them all to stand back. One bottle said Cow Vitamins and the other one said Fancy Apple Vinegar. I felt a sudden urge to draw my tarot deck. I decided to do a 3-card spread because time was limited. Problem-Cause-Solution.

First Card: The Tower. I saw it; expect to be shaken up. It warns of unforeseen events. I saw Kai’s face. It was him. He did it. Then two more visions came to me. The first one: Kai was pouring the vinegar into the trough! His eyes were closed. The second vision: Kai was yelling at someone. No wait, someone was yelling at Kai. I wasn’t sure what this meant. I then pulled the next card: The Lovers Reversed. I had another vision. It was Kai and a girl. Kai was crying. He ran out of the room. I guess it was forbidden love and some kind of rushed decision: a proposal, maybe? I need to think about this more.

Chapter 4

Final Card: Three of Pentacles. I saw someone new at work and Kai being recognized, patted on the back by his father. Back in the day, they say Kai’s father was a hard-working cow farmer but also a samurai. I strolled back to Haru and Kai, who looked like he hasn’t slept in days. I meowed in my most dignified voice to get Kai to follow me. Kai started shushing me, which I was a little upset about. I kept at it and I added in a quick scratch, too. He got it and followed me to the back of the barn. They don’t call me Orion Capricorna for nothing. I know how to draw attention. They saw the bottles. Then Haru asked Kai and it clicked like a jigsaw puzzle. Kai told us how the other night he woke up sleeping next to Betty, their world famous cow. She produces my favorite batch of milk. He was sleepwalking and he must have mistaken the vitamin bottle for the vinegar. It makes sense. Kai and his family have to wake up so early to milk the cows. Also, because of his recent drama, he has been more tired lately. He recently proposed to a girl who was moving to New Zealand hoping she would stay in Japan, but she left. His heart was broken.

Chapter 5

A few days later, Kai called Haru and told him that his father hired somebody new to help with all the work around the farm. She was a skilled samurai. Her father was a close friend to Kai’s father. I didn’t hear her name, but she started working a few days ago and it sounds like Kai is in love. The milk has been delivered and it’s cold, creamy, and fresh and I know it’s all in the cards.

Signing off until the next problem, your trusty companion, OC the cat.

The End

Rumi M. is a Level 1 student who is ten years old, a beginner in tarot card reading, and loves everything about Japan.