Stars in Orion's belt?

From what I can remember of my seventh grade science astrolab unit, the three stars in Orion’s belt point downward to a bright star. Tonight in Brooklyn it was very bright. I made my wish on it! What star is it? Is it a planet? I thought I saw it “twinkling” and I thought that stars “twinkle” and planets do not. Maude, where are you? Harold.