Unexpected Reunion

The creatures continue to hold Alex’s unconscious body into the air. buzzing loudly above the vast marshlands, looking like a yellow predator on top of the food chain. Their ability to shoot the target precisely no matter the distance makes them terrifying to the preys on the land. With their poison arrows, one shoot could be lethal for it contains toxin that will lead its victim to become paralyzed. Although bees are widely known for its vital role in the environment because of its ability to pollinate, these five-foot monstrous creatures are a different matter.

Gaining consciousness, Alex slowly opened his eyes. Gazing thirty feet below the ground made Alex’s flesh shrivel tremendously. Are they going to drop me? He thought. Both of his arms are locked by the creatures’ feet, his body hanging around the spacious sky. Being held captured, Alex could not stop being amazed of how big the marshland was. Trees of varying sizes along with the muddy grounds separated in the different parts of the land looking like a paradise for different animals and insects alike. Animals and insects hop, swim and walk around the swamps making use of the marshland’s serenity and abundance. Alex knew that this scene is a canvas to his own perception of beauty and wonder. Flying, his eyes continue to wander around. His mind tends to forget about the dreadful situation he’s currently in for he has been captivated by the beauty of the land.

Looking far from the horizon, there he saw a massive structure erected on the great land. Upon the grass stands a massive building with holes shaping pentagons. Giant bees continue to swarm around it carrying things that Alex does not want to know. Loud buzzes echo around the giant hive spreading the smell of a sweet nectar. The three creatures who carried Alex are now getting near, Alex tried to stay behave, getting ready to be a future sweet delicacy. The pentagon-shaped-holes grew bigger as they went nearer, revealing the sticky walls inside filled with nectars. In his surprise, common-sized bees are also inside and not just those big bee-like creatures. They further went deep into the hive that became like a giant cave for it’s made up of tunnels.

Alex continued to observe the tunnels as he was being held captive by the creatures. Astounded, A series of shining lights of gold guided Alex and the creatures into the hive’s depths. Taking the helpless human into the center of the hive, and into the queen. Along the way, the same creatures continue to do their jobs as they pass one another, but they never talked but rather strangers with each other. Guess this type of bees don’t treat their comrades as their friends, Alex thought to himself. With a sudden turn, the bees moved rapidly into the hive and left Alex in shock as he witness the center of the hive. A massive space filled with juicy nectars in its walls filled Alex’s sight as he continues to fly through it. It looks like a giant arena in his past world, where people go to watch concerts, but instead of seats around it, it’s filled with blocks of hardened nectars. The creatures responsible for Alex’s capture flew towards the center where a giant tower of nectar was standing. The nectars glowed the color of gold, overwhelming the entire space with glittering lights. As they continue to fly upwards Alex saw a much bigger bee-like creature in the middle. Sitting on a throne which was Alex thought still made of hardened nectar. The creatures put Alex down, stepping onto the gold-plated floor. The creatures bowed in front of their queen, leaving Alex in great confusion of what he must do, instead Alex just stood up. He’s going to be food anyway. He thought. the creature in the middle spoke in a different language. A language that Alex could never decipher. Then the queen bee spoke to Alex. “You, human. How did you get here?” pointing her furry finger towards Alex. He secretly clenched his fist, trying to be calm in the situation. “I don’t know, I just woke up and suddenly, I was already here.” He answered. The queen stood up; Alex turned pale as he witnessed the queen’s size. He could not see it since she was sitting before. But the queen is bigger than any other bee-like creatures. A seven-foot tall human-like bee stood up in front of him looking like the sweet god of death. Her hands do not possess any weapon but he knows that it can kill him with her bare hands because of its size. The queen’s neck has a round furry thing that looks like a neck pillow making her look grander that the rest of the bees. Unlike any other bees, the queen bee has two sets of arms instead of one while the other bees have their other set of arms in their waist. The queen’s feet are long and pointed and not shaped as arcs like the other human-like bees.

“Another human.” The queen muttered. “what do you mean another human? Am I not the only one here?” Alex asked, out of the queen’s intriguing statement. The queen laughed and then turned angry. “Humans are disgusting! Such foul creatures walking around my kingdom!” she then, turned her back to Alex. The queen’s butt was bigger than other bees. The queen bees are the ones who lay eggs for the other bees to be born. Alex guessed. “Into the dungeon!” the queen bee commanded the creatures. They grabbed Alex’s hands and flew right where the dungeon is. A series of tunnels have been passed by them. While Alex tries to make familiar with the architecture, he realized that even when he escaped, there’s no way he could get past these tunnels. Flying deeply into the cave the creatures continue to fly rapidly. Then Alex saw a prison that is also made from hardened nectar.

Then, familiar faces greeted him with glee. “Alex!” shouted Darline, her face didn’t change but her uniform became rugged and dirty. It seems like she’s been there for quite a long time. “Oh my god! What are you doing here?” said Alex while being pushed inside the cell. The creature immediately locked it and went flying away. “Captured, of course. I was having a nap after I finished swimming in the river, but these bees came with me with an arrow. I couldn’t help but to run and still ended up as a prisoner. Oh well, it’s not like I would be the one getting eaten at first.” She said jokingly, Alex couldn’t help but smiled. In this misfortune came a blessing – he met his friend again.

Darline pointed the other cells and Alex was shocked that his other classmates are here too. “Everyone’s here except you. But, then here you are! Attendance’s good guys! All are present!” she shouted. The guard bee let out a hiss, making Darline to shut her mouth, where she immediately followed. His classmates greeted him from the other cells. Still shocked Alex asked Darline, “How long have you been here?” “about a week now, but Kent is the first one to arrive here. She’s slow so I’m not really that surprise, maybe she was immediately captured after waking up. Hahahaha!” Darline joked. Alex couldn’t help but to laugh, too. Why do his friends still manage to laugh while being in a dangerous situation? We’re talking about becoming the next meal here! He thought. But for a moment, he never thought of becoming one, for he knows that they will surely escape this sweet prison, together.

Darline and Alex talked like they have never seen each other for decades. Darline said that she also thought that the poison gas was the end of them. But it wasn’t, she woke up in a wet ground and roam around like what Alex did and eventually ended up in the same place, still. “So, what are your plans to get out from this cell? “Alex asked Darline, trying to whisper so the stationed guard couldn’t hear them. “Don’t worry, we do have one. check this out.” Darline crawled into the back side of the cell, away from the golden light from the outside. Darline grabbed a piece of a hardened nectar that is in between them and their other classmate’s cell and successfully removed it, opening a passage between them and the others. “How did you do it?” Alex asked. “Nectars are food, dude!” We won’t survive if we don’t have something to eat in here. This place is like the gingerbread house in a famous fairytale but with one recipe only. It’s sad but it doesn’t matter wouldn’t it?” she answered happily. “The cell here is nothing but a hardened food, one could get away easily if they just eat the shit out of it.” Darline added. “But how did you eat it? It’s very hard, there’s no way you could easily munch through it!” Alex asked again. “We lick it until it becomes soft and easy to break, of course. Just like a sweet lollipop. Christian’s been here for a long time, together with Gloyd, they made the best team in licking.” Darline laughed hard. She put her hands on her stomach, trying to forcefully stop herself from extreme joy. Alex laughed, too. “Okay so what’s the plan?” Darline stopped giggling and guided Alex to walk inside their other classmate’s cell. They hugged each other and shared their own stories of how they got there. Well, most of them were captured after taking a nap and some are just too slow to run and captured immediately after waking up. “so good to see you, Alex.” A familiar voice said. Kent walked towards him. Although Kent is known for being snob in their past world, he couldn’t deny the fact that she’s extremely caring to her classmates, especially when she’s tasked to become as a mayor. It may be a façade to others but Alex did not bother. Alex immediately hugged Kent and Kent asked them to gather far from the cell’s entrance. So much for being a mayor. Still being one in supposedly other world. Alex couldn’t help but to be amazed.

Suddenly, the flow of the wind changed as Kent, together with their other classmates laid out the plan in escaping the hive. Hours of discussions and suggestions, but they eventually made a plan with the highest percentage rate of escaping. Then, Alex realized, that together, they will escape this hive.