The Amazing Captain Kind

After breakfast, Jackson went to the backyard to sulk. That's when he noticed something strange. Near the garden, half-buried in the dirt, was a small stone—and it was GLOWING. Actual golden light, pulsing like a heartbeat. Jackson crept closer. He reached out his hand... The stone was warm. It hummed against his palm like it was alive. Then words appeared in the air, written in sparkles: "TO THE ONE WHO IS KIND OF HEART: THIS STONE WILL MAKE YOU WHAT YOU ARE." Jackson's eyes went wide. "Make me what I am? What does that even MEAN?"

A tingle ran from Jackson's fingers up through his whole body. His beach-towel cape began to shimmer and change—becoming a real cape, red and flowing! His pajamas transformed into a superhero suit: blue and gold, with a big glowing K on the chest. "K?" Jackson looked down. "K for what?" The sparkle words answered: "K FOR KIND. K FOR KINDNESS. YOUR TRUE POWER." Jackson flexed his muscles. He didn't FEEL any stronger. "Um, can I fly? Super strength? X-ray vision?" Nothing happened. "Then what kind of superhero am I?"

Jackson tried EVERYTHING. He tried to fly—jumped really high, but came right back down. He tried super strength—lifted his bike, but definitely not a car. He tried laser eyes—nothing. Not even a spark. "This is the WORST superhero power ever!" Jackson groaned, flopping onto the grass. The stone in his pocket grew warm. More words appeared: "YOUR POWER IS KINDNESS. LOOK FOR SOMEONE WHO NEEDS HELP. YOUR HEART WILL SHOW THE WAY." Kindness? That wasn't a real power! ...Was it?

Jackson walked to the park, still grumpy. Then he saw her: a little girl sitting on a bench, crying. His cape tingled. The K on his chest began to glow, just slightly. Jackson walked over. "Hey. Are you okay?" The girl sniffled. "My balloon flew away. It went up into that tree and now I can't get it." Jackson looked up. The balloon was stuck high in the branches. He couldn't fly. But he COULD climb. "Don't worry," Jackson said. "I'm... I'm Captain Kind. And I'm going to help you."

Up Jackson went, branch by branch. His arms got tired. His hands got scratched. But he kept climbing. Finally, he reached the balloon and grabbed its string. "Got it!" He climbed back down and handed the balloon to the little girl. Her face transformed into the biggest smile Jackson had ever seen. "Thank you, Captain Kind! You're my HERO!" And Jackson felt something amazing—a warm glow spreading through his whole body. His suit got a little brighter. His K shone a little more. He hadn't flown. He hadn't used super strength. But he'd made someone happy. And that felt... incredible.

Jackson looked around the park with new eyes. An old man had dropped his groceries—apples rolling everywhere! Jackson ran over and helped pick them up. "Thank you, young man!" His suit glowed brighter. Two kids were fighting over a swing— Jackson helped them take turns, timing each one fairly. "That's a good idea!" His suit glowed brighter STILL. A lost dog was wandering near the fountain— Jackson found its owner by reading the tag. "Oh, thank you SO much!" His suit was BLAZING now, golden light streaming from the K on his chest!

Jackson sat on a bench, looking at his glowing hands. With every kind act, he'd felt stronger. Not stronger in his muscles—stronger in his HEART. The stone pulsed warmly in his pocket. "I get it now," Jackson whispered. "Kindness IS my superpower." New sparkle words appeared: "KINDNESS IS THE GREATEST POWER. EVERY TIME YOU HELP SOMEONE, YOU MAKE THE WORLD BRIGHTER. AND KINDNESS SPREADS..." Jackson thought about the little girl with the balloon. Maybe tomorrow, she'd be kind to someone else. And that person would be kind to someone else. And on and on, forever! One kind act could circle the whole WORLD!

Jackson stood up tall, cape flowing in the breeze. He put his hand over his heart—over the glowing K. "I am Captain Kind," he said in his most heroic voice. "I promise to use my power every day. To help anyone who needs it. To make the world a little brighter, one kind act at a time." His suit blazed golden. An old lady walking by smiled. "What a wonderful young man," she said. "Just doing my job, ma'am," Jackson said, trying to sound like the heroes in movies. She laughed. "The world needs more heroes like you." Jackson grinned his gap-toothed grin. Maybe she was right.

That night, Jackson looked at himself in the mirror one more time. Same curly hair. Same freckles. Same gap where his tooth used to be. But something was different. HE was different. He wasn't wearing the suit anymore—it had faded back into his beach-towel cape when the sun went down. But the feeling inside hadn't faded at all. "I might not have laser eyes," Captain Kind said to his reflection. "But I have something better. I can make people smile. I can make someone's bad day good. I can make the world a little brighter. Every. Single. Day." He struck one last superhero pose. "Watch out, world. Captain Kind is here." And he meant it. Because anyone can be a superhero. All you have to do is be kind.