PROLOGUE – An Ethereal Visitor at Midnight
The room was peaceful with the sound of a light breeze through an open window and the soft, rhythmic breathing of a baby, fast asleep. A full moon cast a pale glow on the infant lying inside his crib, surrounded by a nest of plush stuffed animals.
Bursting through, a faint dark circle formed in the air just above the wooden crib. Spilling out from its multi-dimensional portal, delicate tentacles invaded the room – reaching, exploring, seeking. Spindly tentacles tapped their bumpy feelers along a colorful mobile of the solar system, setting each planet in motion.
The sleeping child stirred. The tentacles recoiled, swiftly shifting direction, knocking over a fluffy E.T. doll, passing over a bowl of smooth rose quartz crystals on the nightstand. Curious tendrils passed over each painted letter on the crib's headboard, sensing the name: C-o-l-b-y B-l-u-e.
The feelers gathered excitedly around the infant, pulling back to form a thick, grey fog. From the blurred mass of retreating tentacles, the face of a beautiful woman slowly materialized. Hovering above the sleeping baby, her curled tentacles inched across his upper lip reaching to touch his bare chest, caressing the area of his heart with the tenderness of a loving mother.
Emerging from a gauzy shroud, a woman’s angelic face gradually grew more defined. An eerie etheric hum suffused the quiet room as her luminous, porcelain-white visage gazed intently at the waking infant.
She whispered with a comforting voice as gentle as the breeze:
“Be strong, child of the light. Your troubles will be great, you will suffer loss, endure much pain, but remember to never, ever lose your faith. You are unlike any other child that has come to this planet. For you are a Starchild.”
Entranced by her presence, the baby boy watched calmly as the entity’s face fluidly evaporated into nothingness. A burst of air swirled round and round the room, faster and faster, concentrating into a spinning haze, until finally whooshing out towards the night sky in a blaze of light.
The bright flash illuminated the baby’s face lying in his crib, gazing at the stars above.
2
Chapter 1 - Bon Voyage
“Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot live in the cradle forever.”
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky - 1899
Russian scientist & founding father of modern rocket science
Colby Blue was a young man with an unusual name. His name was chosen by his father, Roquefort, who had a passion for cheese and a propensity for playing practical jokes on his family when they least expected it.
Above all other cheeses, Roquefort’s favorite was Colby, an American variety with a delightfully sharp and tangy flavor. Ever the prankster, he thought it would be especially amusing to keep with tradition and name his first son after his favorite cheese. This was a generational family tradition, for his father Cam – Camembert – had named him Roquefort, and his sister, Brie.
Colby’s father was a certified cheesemonger who proudly displayed his gilded certification from the American Cheese Society front and center on the wall above his desk. Rocco loved to remind his customers with a special song –
“Cheese every day Keeps the blues away Your cheese guy wouldn’t lie It’s mother nature’s best high!”
He relished the rare privilege of making a living doing what he loved – selling artisanal cheeses from local cooperatives, helping farmers support their families, and spreading cheese-eating euphoria across the world.
Colby’s name made him an easy target for his classmates who filled their days by teasing him with inventive names like: Cheese Ball, Cheesus Christ, or Cheesy Farts. They would taunt him continually, throwing Cheese Balls at him during lunchtime, gym class, on the school bus and even while in the bathroom stall. One day while removing his books from his backpack, he pulled out a book slathered in smelly yellow goop. His classmates had poured Mac & Cheese into his backpack.
No matter how many taunts or teases were thrown his way, Colby would shrug it off, never allowing himself to become “blue” like his name. He would spend most of his schooldays feeling like an alien, wondering why humans were so weird. Colby was an optimistic youngster, always finding something to be cheerful about...that is, until his parents set sail on their anniversary cruise.
3
In his mother’s bedroom Colby sat frowning on the floor, repeatedly bouncing a tennis ball against the wall, trying his best to annoy his mother sitting in front of her computer, typing her latest children’s story. All over the room, open suitcases and clothes separated into outfits splayed across the room.
“Colby, can you please stop with the maldita pelota! I am stressed out of my mind!” huffed Colby’s mother, Vanessa.
Colby hung his head in protest, his tangled black curls half-hiding his pouting face.
“But...but I still don’t understand why I can’t go with you Mama’. They have kids’ activity centers on cruises, and I promise not to bother you guys at all,” whined Colby, with his best sad-puppy face.
Vanessa slid down the wall to crouch next to Colby. Clearing his black curls away, she tenderly placed her hand under his chin, running her fingers across his buttery-brown skin. Colby’s almond-shaped eyes reflected his mother’s Cuban roots. She smiled as she looked into his big brown eyes with their little dark specks that to her seemed like stars swirling inside their very own galaxy.
“I know, mi quesito-caramelito but sometimes your parents need their private time and it’s a special anniversary. We’ve been together for ten whole years now. One day when you find love, you’ll learn how important it is to go somewhere new and exciting with your special love, to keep it all...fresh and fun. You wouldn’t want to be a son of divorced parents and have some mean, witchy woman for a stepmom, would you?” said Vanessa, tickling him until his pout was overtaken by a series of giggles and hiccups.
“There’s that laugh I love so much! Now, get to bed because you have that test tomorrow. You know how much trouble you have focusing if you don’t get a good night’s sleep,” said Vanessa in her honey-sweet tone.
Colby sulked back to his room, dragging his feet.
Lying on his bed, he tried his best to lull himself to sleep by watching his beloved mobile of the solar system above his open window, swaying in the wind. The calm, interrupted by a rustling in the bushes just outside.
Rolling over to find the source of the noise, Colby peeked through the curtain. He stumbled back in shock. A pair of red eyes peered out of the darkness, a pink, snub-nosed monster panting and grunting inches from Colby’s face. A hairy white gorilla lunged at him, growling. Screaming in a wild panic, Colby kicked and tumbled-jumbled off the bed, tangling himself in a mess of sheets.
4
Vanessa rushed to investigate. At the door, she stood with arms folded, knowingly shaking her head. Vanessa’s friend Maggie followed, standing beside her with red wine splattered all over her blouse. They both hurried over to Colby’s bed to help unravel the frightened boy.
Colby’s father was doubled over laughing just outside the window. Pulling off his rubber gorilla mask, he jumped up to the windowsill. Barely able to hoist himself inside, his large, furry gorilla hands were comically flailing about.
“Come on guys...help me up!” plead his father.
“I’m absolutely not going to help you! You know, you’re going to traumatize our boy one day, Roc-co!” scolded Vanessa.
Rocco finally got a hold of the windowsill, catapulted himself inside, and slid down to sit next to Colby, who was slumped, arms folded against his bed.
Rocco sat laughing, holding his stomach. His laughter was a loud, goofy laugh that would overtake him like a wave, infecting anyone nearby. Vanessa and Maggie tried their hardest to not laugh, until finally succumbing. Colby joined in the chorus of laughter with his series of giggles and hiccups.
“That has got to be the best reaction I’ve gotten yet! A hundred percent Oscar-worthy.”
Rocco waved the rubber hairy hands in front of Colby, teasing him with his best scary monster faces.
“Ya’ gotta watch out for Rum-Boogie!
Ya’ gotta be-ware, coz you never know when, you never know where!
Rum-boogie, rum-boogie, he’ll give you a noogie!” chanted Rocco.
“Yeah-yeah-yeah! You’re not fooling me, Dad! Not one bit! There’s no such thing as a white gorilla named Rum-Boogie that eats children! I Google’d, YouTube’d, and Wikipedia’d it!”
“And you really need to work on your cheesy rhymes, Rocco.” said Vanessa. “That’s the whole point! I’m the cheese guy!” replied Rocco.
They all groan in response.
5
Rocco pulled off his hairy gorilla gloves. Colby snatched and tossed them against the wall, angrily folding his arms. Rocco put his arm around him. “Alright son, you can doubt me all you want but don't come crying to me when Rum-Boogie starts gnawing on your leg while you’re sleeping.”
“It’s okay, next time I’ll just hit him over the head with my great big, baseball bat!” Colby shot back with a sneer.
“Honey, ya basta, that’s enough!” pleaded Vanessa. “You’re going to give him nightmares.”
“Aw come on. It’s all fun and games. Besides, this keeps him tough and on his toes! Keeps the blood flowing to the ol’ noggin’.”
“You’re a horrible father...and you’re paying for the years of therapy he’s going to need when he grows up,” said Vanessa.
Vanessa busied herself with fixing Colby’s sheets back onto his bed.
“Please be a good boy while we are away and obey whatever Maggie asks of you. There will be absolutely no shenanigans or playing of any practical jokes on her, like your dad usually does. She isn’t used to that kind of thing,” said Vanessa shooting an angry side- eye at Rocco.
Maggie stood by the door, nodding and mouthing “n-o”, with a fearful expression.
“Um, yeah definitely do not do that! Unless you want me to run hysterically out of this house and leave you here all alone,” said Maggie with a wink.
Colby smiled, nodding assuredly at Maggie.
Rocco playfully rolled over to Colby’s mom, bobbing his head behind her shoulders, playfully rapping “Yes, Colby...be-have...but don’t be me-di-o-cre...always be...”
With a finishing flourish he leapt onto the bed “...exxx-ceptional!”
“Dad...You’re such a goof,” sniggered Colby.
Early the next morning, Maggie stood beside the front door, helping Rocco and Vanessa with their suitcases. Colby’s parents tickled and smothered him with kisses as they said their goodbyes. He leaned against the door, solemnly watching them walk away, while Maggie waved goodbye.
6
“Bon Voyage, you two funny birds! It’ll be a beautiful cruise, and I’ll make sure to spoil this one with loads of ice cream.”
As Colby’s father stepped into their Uber ride Colby darted away, disappearing into the woods behind their home.
Vanessa shouted, “Colby! Come back here! Ugh, not again! Honey, can you go get him? I’ll hurt myself in these wedge heels.”
Rocco chased after him. He stopped to call Colby from under a ramshackle treehouse made from recycled pieces of wood, covered in vines.
“Come on down Colby, I know you’re up there!” called Rocco, throwing rocks against the wooden hideout.
“Alrighty then. I’m coming up!” shouted Rocco as he climbed up the tree using the child- sized, wooden ladder and stepped onto a rung that cracked under his weight. His foot slipped and he nearly lost his balance. Panting, Rocco dropped down next to Colby who was sitting in a dark corner, peering at the dawn sky still dotted with stars through the skylight.
“Wow, I haven’t been up here in a while. We did a pretty good job building it, didn’t we, sport? I didn’t think it would make it past last summer. I gotta fix one of the steps though...pretty sure it’s gone.” chuckled Rocco.
Rocco put his arm around Colby to calm him down. “Look, I know you don’t want us to leave but you know how important this trip is.”
Colby nodded slowly. He looked down, hiding behind his curly hair.
“What’s buggin’ you champ? Why’d you run off like that?” asked Rocco.
Colby sighed aloud, quickly wiping a tear that escaped. He paused to find the words to explain. “You know how I get scared at night and see those shadow people in my room sometimes?”
Rocco tapped Colby’s nose, “Yeah, but remember what I told you...No ghost or creepy night-time visitors...nothing in this great big, beautiful world can hurt you unless you let it. It is fundamental to always have a hundred percent faith for the Intentional Force Field to work, son.”
7
“Well...you being in the next room was part of my force field and I’m scared it won’t work if you’re not here,” whined Colby.
Rocco grabbed a small box with a tiny hand crank from a shelf on the wall, held it in his hands for a moment with eyes closed then placed it on the floor in front of Colby.
Colby looked at it for several seconds before picking it up. He turned the lever, and it started to softly play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”.
“I energized this here pocket-sized device with super special powers. Think of it as a mini force field generator to protect you whenever you’re scared,” said Rocco lovingly.
Colby finally looked up and cracked a smile.
“And if that doesn’t work, I gave Maggie a super-powered taser so she can shock the bejeesus out of any of those shady nightcrawlers. Now come on...” Rocco stood above Colby, offering his hand. “My ship’s going to sail out there and your mom will never forgive me if we don’t make this trip.”
Colby rode Rocco’s shoulders, kicking and shouting like a cowboy.
“H’yah-giddyup! This horse is way too slow, I’m gonna have to put it out to pasture,” said Colby giggling.
Vanessa lifted him down from Rocco’s shoulders, hugging and showering him with kisses.
“Listen, you will be okay. Remember what Abuela Mozzarella says in the new book I’m writing?” asked Vanessa, raising one eyebrow with a tender smile.
“Um...no matter how far we go, our love is stronger than any silly distance between us,” chanted Colby.
“That’s mi quesito-caramelito!” said Vanessa, nudging his chin.
“...I’m sorry that I kind of freaked out. I hope you guys have a nice trip, and all” said Colby, looking downward.
Vanessa scooped him into a final hug. Rocco cupped Colby’s chin. “Fist bump?!”
8
Colby lit up, eagerly bumping fists with his dad “...Jellyfish!!” they sang together, wiggling their fingers in the air, mimicking jellyfish tentacles.
“Hug it out, hug it out!” they sang, hugging then separating. Arms opening wider, wiggling their fingers again.
“Bigger-jellyfish!” they sang in chorus.
Rocco nudged Colby to show the music box, “Now Maggie, it is of supreme importance that Colby never, ever, ever be separated from this magical apparatus. I cannot reveal why, for Colby and I are sworn to secrecy,” said Rocco raising his index finger into the air.
“Duly noted sir! Now, get going!” replied Maggie, draping her arms across Colby’s shoulders.
From the rear window, Vanessa put her hands together, forming a heart, blowing kisses, while Rocco made funny faces as their car drove off.
Chapter 2 - The Super-Storm of the Century
Colby’s parents relished every minute of their stress-free escape, lounging under the sun, sipping a continual stream of mojitos and feeding on heaping servings at the all- you-can-eat buffet while cruising the warm, clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. By all accounts, it was an idyllic vacation, until their third night on board.
As Vanessa and Rocco were leaving the dining room, arm in arm, the ship began to rock and sway. Shrieks of panicking guests overpowered the soothing sounds of a small orchestra playing a Mozart concerto.
The ship tilted violently, sending Rocco straight into a table of diners tipping a glass of wine on an elegantly dressed woman and smearing his suit with a bowl-full of pea soup. A mortified Vanessa rushed to help him up, apologizing profusely to the guests at the table.
Rain pelted the ship’s windows. An announcement boomed over the loudspeakers.
9
“Hello folks, this is your captain. Remember that unorganized tropical storm we were telling you about earlier? Well, she’s turned into quite a feisty hurricane. While we maneuver out of her path, you can expect to feel some strong squalls and winds. We ask you all to walk calmly and carefully to your cabins and remain there until further notice. While we are confident you won’t need them, remember your life vests are stored in each of your cabins. You all have a lovely night and trust that your seasoned captain will get you all safely through this so you can enjoy the tranquil, turquoise-blue waters of the Caribbean by morning.”
Vanessa and Rocco rushed back to their cabin, stumbling and tripping along the way, using the walls to maintain their balance.
Rocco doubled over, bursting into laughter. “Did you see that woman’s horrified look when she saw me falling onto her table? Her expression was just like Colby’s when I scared him with that Rum-Boogie costume!” said Rocco, laughing wildly.
Vanessa tried to hold back but couldn’t resist laughing too.
As soon as they got back to their cabin, Vanessa began anxiously searching for the life vests, opening all the closets and cabinets.
“Honey don’t worry. What will be, will be,” said Rocco, removing his pea-soup-stained jacket.
“Ay Rocco! I have no patience for your hippy-dippy-psychobabble right now. I’m about to freak out! I’ve never been through a hurricane and have a healthy amount of respect for Mother Nature, especially when she’s had enough of us humans!” said Vanessa, pulling out two life vests from under their bed.
“It’s so cute how your Cuban accent comes out when you’re upset,” said Rocco with a mischievous grin.
Vanessa folded her arms in protest, leaning on one hip, releasing a doubtful “humph” through her curled lips.
“I don’t know how you do it. You can actually express non-verbal contempt with a Latin accent.”
A life vest shot across the room, hitting Rocco squarely on the forehead.
“Ouch! Okay, okay. Got it. Come to papa...you can bring your baby-floaties with you,” said Rocco with a confident grin.
Rocco kicks off his shoes, inviting Vanessa to lie next to him.
