Pleasantly Raising Cain

Killer Bees

Valkyrie was just sitting next to the Bentley in amongst the meadow. It was a beautiful day, and the sky was a perfect, cloudless blue. The perfect day to just sit around and relax. Skulduggery stood with his hands in his pockets, watching her as she blew the seeds from a flower. They flew away in the wind, and Valkyrie grinned. It was nice to just sit around and have fun. Fun, until something tries to kill you, which in Valkyrie's case, was almost everyday.

But today would be different, it had to be. No monsters, no bad guys, no criminals. Just her and Skulduggery, hanging out in the sun. That's when, something really, terribly bad happened.

Valkyrie pulled a purple flower from the ground and admired how pretty it looked.

"You just killed that flower," Skulduggery said. Valkyrie scowled.

"Shut up. I did not."

"Yes Valkyrie, you did. You pulled it from the ground, and you've killed it."

"Since when are you an expert on flowers?"

"Since there is a bee buzzing around your head and you haven't noticed it yet."

Valkyrie froze, and her eyes widened. A bee? Shit. A bee! It was going to sting her! She watched, paralysed as the dangerous flying insect buzzed around to the front of her face.

"Nice bee. Good little bee," she cooed, trying not to freak out. "Please go away little bee..."

And that's when the bee, flew straight towards her face. Valkyrie shrieked and scrambled to her feet. She sprinted around the Bentley and hid behind the back tire. She was breathing hard. Bees, she hated them almost as much as she hated penguins. Nasty little creatures. When they stung you, it hurt. Valkyrie didn't want to get stung, not today.

Then she was running again, the bee buzzing right behind her. She crashed into Skulduggery and sent them both tumbling to the ground. Seeds went flying and it looked kinda, beautiful. Valkyrie scrambled away.

"Where is it?!" She exclaimed, taking a fighting stance and looking around. "Where did that monster go?"

"Monster?" Skulduggery asked, getting to his feet and straightening his tie. "It's a bee Valkyrie."

"A bee that will hurt me."

"It's little."

"So is a grenade!"

"But a bee isn't a grenade Valkyrie. And it's right behind you, just a heads up."

Valkyrie shrieked and whirled around, catching Skulduggery in the side of the head with a punch. She started giggling.

"Oops," she said. "Sorry." Then she turned back around. "Where did the bee go?!"

"Right there," Skulduggery pointed. Valkyrie turned slightly, and saw the bee staring straight at her. She squealed and swatted at it. Then the bee was gone.

"You killed it," Skulduggery said.

"What? No I didn't."

"It's on the bonnet of the Bentley, and it's dead."

Valkyrie frowned and turned around to see the body of the bee laying on the front of the car. She suddenly felt awful. Poor little bee. But it was going to hurt her! But still, poor little bee.

"Oh," was all she said.

"Come on, let's go bury the bee," Skulduggery said. Valkyrie nodded and fought back tears. She had killed a bee! What a monster she was!

She watched as Skulduggery gently scooped up the bee's body and she followed him as he carried it over to a large tree at the edge of the wood. He dug a small hole and placed the bee into it, before covering it up again. Then he stood.

"How many things have you hurt or killed now?" Skulduggery asked. Valkyrie pouted.

"It was a bee."

"Still a living creature."

"Since when did you get all caring about living creatures?"

"Since I met you."

Valkyrie froze, and didn't say anything. There was silence, but it wasn't awkward, it was a nice silence.

"You also killed a flower too remember?"

She glared daggers at him and sighed.

"I'm a murderer."

"Don't worry about it. Come on. Let's go back to the Bentley."