Animal Dilemmas – Bee Giant

Short Story

The Giant was moved by the cacophony with the fruit fly. Not moved enough to change religion. But moved enough to turn off the image box, finish his wine and stare out of the window for a while before he went to bed. He didn’t loose sleep either. The wine was circulating and thinning his sleeping hours so he woke up sober but dull.

The Giant was used to the dullness after his customary bottle and crispy plate. He didn’t know what a fresh, crispy mind was any longer. What was to wake up energetic or smiley. Smiling was difficult for the Giant because he did not like other giants and he did they took advantage of him ended up eating and drinking more than usual.

He cured his loneliness with wine and tiny white burning sticks. Although cured is a strong word.

He lifted himself from the bed and sat on the couch to rest. Burning acids and enzymes ran about his body desperately fighting off the cholesterol and other poisons the Giant took on regular basis. After a few minutes on the couch the Giant used a plastic brush to sanitize his teeth. He judged that he doesn’t need further wash up and gravitated to the kitchen to pay tribute to his bad habits.

The mornings were exceptionally difficult because he had to move the dirty dishes from the counter to the sink. He needed help. Luckily the wine bottle on the counter was not completely vacant. He uncorked it and took a long loud sip.

The tasty liquid spilled its best wished inside the Giant’s internal channels and moving the dishes made more sense now.

The Giant opened a large cold white box and took out a sausage, two loafs of bread and an ugly piece of cheese. He sat on the only chair and bit on the food in that exact order, repetitively until the sausage was gone. Then until the cheese was gone. Then he left the remaining bread on the counter for the flies and roaches.

The Giant felt even more tired, heavy with bad decisions. So he opened the kitchen window. The window looked into the inner courtyard of the building. Hanging green plants covered the walls several floors down planted in multiple locations. There were a few branches barring his window.

He never liked green plants. They didn’t taste good. Plus his giant ex-wife loved them. He could not possible like anything that she did. So with heavy heart and stomach he pulled at the branches angrily. After a few jerks he realized that knocking their pots down from the eighth floor was probably a bad idea.

He let go. Dust, pollen and an aggravated bee entered the kitchen through the window. The bee was awaken from its idleness in the green leaves. It was an outcast, bitter and away from home. Unaccustomed to producing honey and accustomed to angrily buzzing about. Upon entering the kitchen it made a threatening circle around the Giant.

The Giant waved his hand and ran out of the room frantically. The bee landed on a drop of wine and sucked in celebration of its victorious aggression. The Giant walked back in the kitchen moments later holding a folded book, walking on his toes, bended forward like a witch. He examined all surfaces with jittery eyes searching for the intruder. He located it by the pool of wine and threw the book at it with all his might.

The bee foresaw the air currents shift, hence the coming danger and flew off and around the Giant once again. It was buzzing as hard as it could. It believed the harder it sounded the more fear it inspired, the better its chances to provoke an opening in the defense and strike.

The Giant picked up the book and waved it around over and behind his head in a disorganized attempt to defend himself against his enemy. The buzzing was working.

Suddenly it stopped, silence filled the kitchen. At least that was what the Giant thought. In fact it didn’t stop. The Giant couldn’t hear it. So he stopped and stood still with the book in his hand by his side. Then he felt a sharp pinch on his neck and instinctively landed his palm on it making a slapping sound.

The bee never stopped buzzing but flew back and away in exhaustion seeking a safe place to land. But when it noticed the quiet surrender of the Giant it shot straight for his neck and stung him with all its venom. Then before his hand landed on the wound it flew right though the window dizzy, hungry and drunk.

The Giant swayed gently and took a hold of the chair. He caught his reflection in the window glass. His skin was bubbling. He touched his mouth, his tongue was swollen. He was ballooning from the allergenic poison. He had never been stung by a bee before. Panic took over his vitals and he collapsed on the floor.

next story: Animal Dilemmas – Cat Bee

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all stories: Animal Dilemmas

photograph by Ryan McGuire

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