Sweet
Melissae
by
Erik Jorgensen copyright 2013
Humming contentedly, Melissa examined each wide white
blossom closely and methodically.
Performing each careful test, then analyzing the results with her
expertly experienced senses, she concluded that this new patch of flowers was
adequate - just like all the others. Not
nearly as good as the little clustered purple blossoms she remembered from her
childhood, but still within tolerable parameters: acceptable, but boring. On the other hand, it was getting harder and
harder to find new patches anywhere, and she thanked her lucky stars for finding
this untapped source at all. She
gathered as much pollen as she could, drew up a sample of nectar, then made a
beeline straight back home.
The Tower was easy to spot from far away, and Melissa had
never been grateful for that before today.
Her quest had taken her much farther than she imagined; she had just
gone from patch to empty patch, each time thinking, "Maybe I'll find
something around the next corner..."
Passing those hundreds of withered, wilted patches of blossoms again,
she had a long, long time to think as she returned to the Tower. Nobody talked about it, but Melissa could see
for herself that there were fewer flowers to find, and further away. She didn't know what was going to happen when
all the blossoms disappeared, and it wasn't her job to know. Still, she couldn't help but wonder.
One of her sisters was waiting for her near the
entrance. They exchanged pleasantries,
then discussed details of this new batch of pollen, same as the old batch, which
Melissa then handed over to her sister.
She never knew what happened with the pollen after that, and it wasn't
her job to know; it was just her job to find it, get it, and bring it back. As she turned to return to work, she saw two
of her little sisters staring out the entryway, talking each other out of going
outside. They weren't the same age, but
were about the same size and looked like twins.
The older one was at that difficult, contrary stage where she grumbled
about everything and anything, and her younger sister did her best to imitate
her.
"Why even bother going out? We've already been everywhere, and there's
nothing to do anyway."
"Yeah - nothing anywhere, ever." She casually glanced over at her older
sister, making sure she was slouching just right, and matching her
aggressively-bored expression.
Melissa jumped playfully between her sisters, and
borrowing the tune of an old childhood song, began singing about an endless
fragrant paradise of beautiful flowers - it's far away, and the journey will be
long, but that makes it so much sweeter when you finally find it. As she hummed and sang, she danced around and
around her sisters, bumping them playfully with her round behind in a wiggling
figure-eight frolic about flowers. The
younger sister quickly joined in the impromptu song-and-dance, since that was
lots more fun than just slouching, and soon she was making up her very own
verses about the joy of finding flowers when nobody else can, and
bump-wiggle-bumped her older sister into finally joining in the dance,
too. Dancing a looping farandole around
each other, they all sang the traditional childhood verse together. Polite applause arose from everyone in the
entryway.
"I haven't seen anybody lead the Happy Flower Song
that well in ages," a regal voice boomed. Everybody stopped and turned,
and then all bowed politely before the Queen, who approached Melissa, who felt
examined by a thousand eyes. Awkwardly
flattered, Melissa stammered for anything to say, embarrassed because Song
Leader was not her job.
"Well, Your Majesty, it just made me sad to see my
sisters inside on a beautiful day like today, especially when there are still
flowers blossoming."
“I just thought it was fun!” little sister buzzed
excitedly.
Next: Part 2 - Days of Droning Darkness
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