A Short Story.

Once upon a time there was a young lady called Staz. She lived in Bumblebee Hill with the honey makers. After an apprenticeship at the Central Hives, she got a full time job collecting the royal jelly. It was testament to just how hard she had worked, as this was a highly sought after position. Young Staz would collect the royal jelly and put it into the special safety jars for transporting to the factory, where they would be labelled and then distributed throughout the land.
Once every year, the queen bee would call for her most prized worker to collect her very own special royal jelly. That which the queen had made herself the previous year, and left to mature in the diamond mines of the mole people. The queen announced that this year it would be Staz who had the honour of this most highest of praises. Staz could not fucking believe it.
The day came and, dressed in the traditional ancient robe of the ancestors, Staz went forth into the Mole Mines of Annanabhar to collect the royal jelly. She gazed upon it in total awe. "Wow." She said. Her mouth was watering. As a child her parents had not been rich enough to afford even the smallest jar of "Queen Gertrude's Amazing Matured Royal Jelly", and here she was, holding the very object of her life's desire. She could not resist, and opened the maturing pot to have a little taste.
"Mmmmmmmm! It's delicious!"
Then the alarm rang.
Terrified, she placed tried to put the lid back on the pot, but she still had some royal jelly on her hands, and it slipped crashing to the floor and breaking into many pieces. She could hear footsteps. Panicing, she ran and hid In a mole tunnell.
"Where is she?! Where is she?! Someone find her immediately!" It was the queen's voice. She dare not show herself, for fear of what might happen. She stayed hidden.

Meanwhile, outside the Central Hives, all the workers had congregated, and the queen was checking who was there.
"Where's Staz?! Has anyone seen Staz?!"
No-one had.
"I saw the smashed lid! I know she was in there! Where is she?!"

Staz was getting very hot. She stayed hidden as long as she could bear it, but she was getting so hot in the mole tunnell, that she could no longer bear it, and had to exit. She prepared to face the music, and crawled out.
"Oh shit!"

Sirens were coming up to Central Hives. The queen greeted them as the vehicles approached, but was clearly aggitated. "You HAVE to find Staz!" she cried. "She's the only one who hasn't made it out!"

Staz's exit was blocked by fierce flames, and smoke was filling the room. She tried to climb back into a mole tunnell, but they were collapsing under the pressure of the fire and there was no way she could get through. She started to cry for help, but immediately her lungs filled with thick black smoke, and all she could do was cough. Unable to breathe properly, she collapsed to the ground and fell unconcious.

Minutes later the fire crew emerged from the Central Hives carrying Staz. They tried to resussitate her, but to no avail. The queen screamed. Virtually unconsolable, she threw herself crying onto Staz's body. In desperation she started giving CPR to Staz herself, but everyone knew it was too late. The queens guards stepped in to intervene.

"Cough cough cough....."

No-one could believe it. The fire crew ran back with an oxygen tank, and they took her to an ambulance. Against all odds the queen had managed to bring Staz back to life.

A few days later Staz was discharged from hospital, and after a couple of months she was back at work and fighting fit, helping to rebuild central hives. On her first day back, she recieved a heroes welcome. The queen had been slightly annoyed at Staz's misbehaviour, but was so glad that she was alive, that she fully pardoned Staz, and her record remained unblemished.

In a couple of years everything was back in full swing. Staz was once again given the honour of collecting the special royal jelly. She performed the ritual perfectly. Everyone was extremly proud of her.

That Christmas, Staz got a special present from the Queen. Her very own jar of "Queen Gertrude's Amazing Matured Royal Jelly".

THE END.