Death to Bumble Bees

10: bee vs reality

TW: blood

Listen to Cirque Dans La Rue by Plain White T's

Chapter Ten: Bee VS. Reality

"The prodigal son returns!" Jason's teammates jeered at him, grinning agitatedly as the handsomely stoic man shook hands with them all in a very particular manner.



Shawn handed Bee a drink as she stood back, watching Jason bond with the loud boys, "Thanks for bringing him out." He said in a half-yell over the sounds of the excited people in the small dorm room on the second floor of the building.



She looked up at him, his eyes still above hers despite his short height. "You're thanking me?" Taking a sip of the alcohol, she scrunched up her face from the strength of the booze burning down her throat.



Shawn's sun-kissed cheeks flushed, "Well, there's no way he would have come out if you didn't." He explained making her scowl concernedly with a small exhale. "I've never seen someone so wrapped around someone else before." He continued almost nervously, looking at Jason suspiciously now. "It's like he's your personal satellite."



Biting her lip, her stomach churned, "Yeah..." She mumbled, fixing the black antennas on her head uncomfortably.



Shawn clinked red cups with hers, before, with a grim smile, heading towards Jason--his expression turning into a grin as he shouted obscenities at the group.



"A bumble bee?" A girl with curlier hair than Bee and dressed in an angel costume, snickered behind her.



Bee blushed, laughing hesitantly, "Yeah... Jason picked it out." She looked down at the yellow-and-black sleeveless corset. When she first saw it lying out on her bed after her Ethic's class, her stomach had flipped so badly she was almost nauseous.



However, a bumble bee outfit for a girl who sometimes went by the name Bee, wasn't exactly a suspicious coincidence. She got over it.


The girl smiled warmly, "It's cute in a super hot sort of way." She assured her, "The girls and I had a bet going to see if you'd actually show up." The black haired girl raised a perfectly arched brow, "You made me loose twenty--I was so sure you and Jason would be MIA again I almost went all in with my wallet."



Bee laughed at this, apologizing to her with a bemused smile, "I'll buy you lunch sometime, Tess." She promised, making the pretty girl flash her perfectly straight and white teeth happily.



Tess took her up on that offer before linking her toned dark-brown arm into hers, pulling her over where the junior basketball boys' girlfriends (and a boyfriend) were gathered. They all greeted Bee with friendly smiles and enthusiastic commentary on her costume.



The outfit consisted of a satin one-piece yellow and black striped corset, a pair of transparent wings, and a sheer long black skirt with a split up the side to reveal her entire leg and thigh (and she traded the scarily high black heels for her dirty white shoes). Jason almost didn't let her leave the room after seeing her in it, until remembering he wasn't supposed to be doing that anymore and that they were in a cool-down period. Perfectly stoic and always-in-control Jason seemed almost irritated when he stopped himself. He, on the other hand, was wearing a white button up and black tie with a skull painted on his face with his dark hair styled into a twisted curl in the front.



And he was gorgeous.



The familiar feeling of his arm wrapping around her thin shoulders made her look up, "We're about to head out." He informed her, looking up at the others for a moment as their respective partners came and got them as well.



Bee gazed up at him in yearning. She had never seen him look so attractive before--which was saying something since the guy was all around the perfect specimen of a man. She pouted, letting out a frustrated sound as he glanced down with a knowing laugh.



"Let me have you." She gripped his tie, pulling him down hard into her lips.



He smiled against her hungered lips, placing his hand on her flushed cheek before pulling away from her after a chaste kiss, "No."



Frowning enthusiastically, she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, "Whatever, prude."



Kissing her forehead with a laugh at her, he pulled her towards the rest of their companions. Following the noisy bunch out the door, down the stairs, and towards the festival. Bee had never seen the place so lit up before. For the occasion, they seemed to have turned on all the red and yellow lights in the amusement park--a miracle they still worked, surely. The eerie sounds of a circus carnival sounded out through the patch of dead and deformed trees in high and twisted notes that made her shiver. To top it off, like the memory of her fuzzy dream, fog rolled around them in thick misty clouds. They were so heavy, Bee watched nervously as the people in front of her completely disappeared into them.



Somehow managing to follow the recently cleaned up trail to the rusty park as well as the noise of the living, she cautiously looked around--feeling as if eyes were on her from every hidden crevice in the woods. The fog was like a blanket, hiding them all away from her. Shivering again, Jason automatically rubbed her arms--as if to heat her up from the chill in the air. She took another sip of the alcohol, needing it to calm her nerves. She felt the liquid courage seep down her throat in fire as she fought back another tremble, the cool night air biting at her exposed skin.



Finally, as the trees parted and the fog departed, the once vacated amusement park stood in all her glory. For one night only, the carnival was open. Decorated in reds and golds, the lights flashed before her with signs pointing towards the opened striped stalls and any working amusement rides. People dressed in a variety of costumes and colours, filled the ghostly park with life and laughter.



"Heads up, kid!" Someone called just as something was launched at them. Jason, catching the beer can in midair, flashed a dangerous look at the assailant--a red haired boy with a wide oblivious smile on his face. "Come on, a game's about to start!" He called over Tess's head who was holding the arm of another boy with buzzed hair and a tattoo peeking out from under his collar.



Bee released herself from Jason's arm, "You go," She smiled encouragingly, "I want to walk around." With a nod towards all the stalls awaiting them, she lifted up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Text me when the game's done."



He seemed torn, bending down as her lips pressed against his prickly five o'clock shadow. "That will make you happy?" He asked unsurely.



Bee rolled her eyes almost painfully, "Seeing you happy will make me happy. So, you bonding with your friends will make us both happy." She explained agitatedly, before softening up after seeing him frown deeper. "And considering you won't let me jump you, I need to go cool down." With a giggle at his suddenly nearly-smug face, she shoved his chest around before pushing his back towards the awaiting group as he stumbled forwards. "You go be your own person, my little basketball player." She teased, reaching up and trying to ruffle the back of his hair, "A little independence won't kill you."



With a forlorn look back at her, he finally nodded determinedly and strode off as she exhaled in relief. As much as she enjoyed being literally suffocated by him, now that she couldn't drown her thoughts in his body, she was beginning to see something that disturbed her. Like how Jason was running on only one thought at all times.



To make her happy... Like it was his whole purpose of being.



Shivering, she took a large gulp of the acidic drink in her hand before walking away. Passing through the groups of people around her, she found herself allured towards the bright lights. They were so pretty, even against the rusting metal of the long-ago broken down rides. Just as she reached the lights on the carousel and was admiring how they twirled around the intricate metal casing, a body suddenly shoved passed her. The sting of pain in her shoulder made her groan under her breath. "Ouch." She muttered, looking back towards the dark silhouette--their reaper costume covering them head to toe as she frowned at their disappearing act. Rolling her eyes, she turned back, feeling her attention spinning from one spot to the next. She was charmed by everything about the amusement park: the eerie vibe of the atmosphere; the spooky sounding ambiance; the creepy glowing clown portraits; the broken down rides standing like pieces of art; and even the stalls rundown but being used for this one enchanting night. She shivered pleasantly as the alcohol burned in her veins, finishing the cup off.



Pulling herself to one of the empty stalls, she poured herself a drink from the running blood-red fountain. As she drank the sweet liquid, her vision blurred with the familiar buzz. The jingle of the carousel made her look up as she drank down the cup with an unquenchable thirst, pouring herself another before stumbling towards the glowing ride. It was turned on--like, really on.



She smiled as she trailed her hand on the railing between her and the ride. Following it until the opening, she tripped towards the moving ride. The ponies were going slowly up and down; galloping on its track as she grabbed a pole and hoisted herself up on the platform. She felt the air move like wind around her as the ride grew gradually faster. Walking unsteadily from horse to horse, she found the one she liked the best--the white horse with the bright blue eyes and peach reins and saddle--and climbed up. As the lights of the carnival blurred in streams of lights around her, she let out an exhale.



The world went on around her--her body completely untethered to anything outside of the bubble within the carousel. She watched as the world became a mere blur, like a fuzzy movie fast forwarding in front of her. She wondered if that was what it would be like if she weren't around--so normal and unaffected. It just kept going and going. Never stopping. The people playing their roles on the stage perfectly--their laughter becoming louder and louder around her.



Bee's shoulder protested then, the spot where the stranger hit her earlier suddenly aching. With a dizzy head shake, she looked down--confused by the feeling of dampness dripping down her corset. Red filtered her vision as she blinked, her fingers trembling slightly as she touched the warm liquid soaking into her costume. At first, she thought that maybe she spilled her drink, but it was too thick--too hot.



It was blood.

And a lot of it.



Jerking back, she fell off the horse as it went down--her head crashing back into the pole between the horses. She could see the red pool of blood below the now-bloody horse, smudged where her shoe slid in it. Groaning, she reached back, touching her tender head. Her vision felt heavy--the lights suddenly too bright as everything spun too quickly and far too distorted around her. Crawling towards the edge of the platform confusedly, Bee found herself on an out-of-control ride--the metal shrieking as it bounced and dragged dangerously on the tracks below. Sitting back, she felt her brows stitch together as her vision spotted with both colour and darkness.



This was probably not good, she decided as she grabbed the pole beside her to keep from being thrown off the ride. Her stomach lurched as the dizziness set in. Somehow, through the fuzzy lights and darkness of the forest behind the carousel, she saw familiar silhouettes stepping forward.



The shadows.



Backing up with the race of her heart, she found herself scrambling to stand up--pulling herself up by grabbing the moving horses. The movement sent tremors of nausea through her as she stumbled backwards. Her shoulder was burning now as she grasped at the invisible wound somewhere along her bloodied flesh.



She had to get off the ride, but she didn't know how to. Everywhere she looked, the creatures were creeping towards her--their limbs twisting towards her impossibly. Without any time to ponder it, she pushed herself back to the edge and jumped--knowing she was possibly leaping straight into their lethal claws.



As the world stood still around her once on the solid ground again, she felt anything but still. Tipping to the ground as she tried to run towards the lights of the carnival, her brain spun with no sense of gravity. Closing her eyes, she crawled forwards, her blood dripping down her arm in small streams and leaving a trail in the dirt. Relying on her sense of touch, and the bright lights shining from behind her eyelids, she scrambled up in a whirl of dizziness; trying to push herself forwards.



She felt the slash of claws slice briefly into her back, making her gasp out loud as she stumbled back--closer to the monsters--before pushing onwards despite the stinging pain. With her eyes opened now, she saw she was on the outskirts of the park--the carousel perfectly still beside her as if it had never spun before while her back faced the trees. Faced the shadow monsters. She saw them swipe out again from the corner of her eye, making her duck and push forwards, towards the bright tunnel on the other side of her--the closest path to the festival ahead without going back on the carousel (which she no longer trusted). With adrenaline fighting the intoxication in her blood, she ducked under the ropes separating her from the amusement park attraction. Going through the tunnel, she found herself in a hall of mirrors and she almost groaned out loud.



Bad and cliche move, she thought dryly as she tried to get through the maze as the shadow creatures followed in after her. Seeing as she couldn't even see the monsters clearly, the mirrors were like another mirage on top of them. She was more than confused and distorted as she ran in random directions--only to run into dead ends and other traps. Leaving bloody handprints and footprints, she was like a whole ass neon sign pointing straight to her.



Finally exhausted and tired of fighting something that felt inevitable, she backed up against a mirror--the sensation of her pounding heart the only thing louder than the ringing notes of music in her ear. She was so close to everyone--so close to safety. She could hear them laughing outside. She thought about screaming, but the thick liquid-y atmosphere was so stifling, she could barely open her mouth to keep breathing. Bee wasn't even sure if she was in the same reality as them--perhaps she'd slipped into another dimension and couldn't be heard by anyone even if she did cry out. Perhaps no one could even see her.

She was like a ghost.

She swallowed back the panic. Her palms touching the cold of the glass behind her. If she were in another reality, did that mean it had different rules? Did that mean something was creating those new rules for that reality? She pressed harder against the glass as she watched the figures finally find her--their darkholes of eyes in the mirrors around her. How did she get here? Did something pull her here? Or did she wander into it herself? Her fingers protested under the pressure against the mirror, the pressure nearly shattering the glass. If she did it to herself, surely she could also find a way out.

This mirror, she thought desperately, is a doorway. She knew as much as the next person; the idea that mirrors were slivers into other words. Doorways into different realities. If she was the reason for being there, she would be the reason for getting out--and a mirror seemed like a very convenient passageway to test that theory.



"Open your eyes." Bee remembered Rath telling her before--at the time it made no sense to her. Her eyes were open. But now, as she felt the glass shutter beneath her will, she realized he didn't mean it like that. He meant wake herself up from the reality. 



And suddenly, with that knowledge filling her, the mirror's glass shattered, and Bee fell back into it just as claws reached out for her.



End of Chapter Ten

Apparently, we now got a stranger things thing going on. I promise it's a lot different but lol oops for any accidental ripping off of the idea (although I suppose dimensional spaces have been used before the series, so It's not that bad).