Vanessa's Hive (Patreon)

Another of the stories from that discovered archive

Vannessa was bossy. Everyone around her knew that. Even if it wasn't any of her business, she'd barge in and attempt to take charge. Some people, the polite ones, just took it as her nature and let her have her way. Others, forced into her way because she was "good" friends with the boss, merely grumbled and did as they were told. Those that really couldn't stand her, merely quit and moved on. Things got done, of course, when she took charge but there were many who felt that more would get done without her attempting to force everyone to think her way and do it her way.

One of the ones who disliked her (to the point of hating her, but he'd never admit to that) was Donald. Donald had been the the target of her "way" more times than he cared to imagine. Before that busybody had joined, things had gotten done and people enjoyed their work. Now, or so Donald felt, everyone with a new project did as little as possible because they knew she'd take over as soon as she heard of it.

Donald, for one, had had enough of it but he couldn't think of a way to get her fired or at least brought down a peg. That many others held similar thoughts was unknown to him. One of the hallmarks of that kind of personality is that they try to get everyone into their own separate bubbles. Afraid to discuss things amongst themselves for fear of having her arrange their firing, they merely grumbled quietly in peace. It would take someone as nasty as her or a change in the boss to make any change in the group dynamics as far as he was concerned.

He'd just had his last run-in with her an hour before and was packing up to go home. She-who-must-be-obeyed, of course, had insisted that everyone take work home because she'd promised Fred (the boss) that the team would finish the current project four weeks ahead of the original schedule. Fred was delighted as it would give them a real marketing edge. Donald and everyone else put up with it and grumbled or were secretly looking for another position.

He got off the commuter train 45 minutes later and decided that work could go hang itself. He wondered how many others felt that way about Vannessa. There was no real way of knowing, she made sure of that. Any time a group got together outside of office hours, somehow she showed up and took over. He decided that, rather than bringing his angst home to plague his family, he would walk it off in the small copse of trees behind the train station. He walked in the small copse for nearly an hour before he heard a tiny voice calling for help.

He looked all about for the source but there was nothing he could make out. Still the voice called to him. He wandered towards the sound only to have it sound behind him after a few moments of silence. He wondered whether it was some kind of prank when he caught sight of a large insect or some kind trapped in a spider's web. It only took a few moments before he determined that the weak voice calling for help was coming from the insect. Wondering what kind of insanity this was, he carefully knocked down the web and caught the insect before it fell to the ground.

In his hand, though, was no bug. A tiny woman with wings stood there carefully scraping the webbing from her arms and legs. 

"My goodness," was all Donald could think to say.
"You have rescued me from being eaten. I should not have wanted that fate," the insect girl stated. "I thank you greatly."
"What kind of insect are you?" Donald couldn't place anything like this from any of the insects he'd studied in biology classes.
"No insect. A fairy. And a mightily grateful one at that."
"What?" Donald was plainly taken aback by the glow that had appeared about the tiny creature.
"Ah. That is much better. One feels bare without one's aura. I would grant you any wish I could for freeing me."
"Oh no, I couldn't accept payment. Your thanks are more than enough," Donald thought something must be wrong with his mind. Fairy indeed.
"No, indeed it must be so. The Magicks demand it. Is there nothing your heart desires?" 

Donald, the fairy still glowing in his hand, could think of nothing.

"I sense there is someone about you would not have there. Perhaps in the city," the fairy stated calmly.
"Well, yeah. But I wouldn't want her hurt or anything. I just wish she could be someplace else. There are those that would enjoy her kind of manipulation and control. It was so much better before she came. I wish she would go and leave my team and me to do our job without interference."
"So be it!" there was a sparkle and the fairy vanished.

Donald shook his head and decided to finish his walk by heading to the carpark and home. He decided that he must have fallen asleep or something and had a strange dream. It was probably best to forget the whole thing.  Vannessa, too, had been heading home but without the extra baggage she insisted everyone else take. She had a garden to tend to. A perfect garden, with all its stones and plants in neat rows. Every evening, she spent time in the garden making sure no weed dare poke its head through her pristine black soil. She was busy digging about the soil near one of her rosebushes when she heard a strange sound. It was a tiny voice and it was coming from the bloom just at her eye level.

"So you be the one that has caused all the misery," the small figure stood atop the flower with its tiny hands on hips.
"What the hell?" was all Vannessa could think to say.
"Nay, not hell. But your co-workers find your assistance near enough so."
"Those lazy clods? If I didn't ride them, nothing would get done."
"The wee folk have checked and this is not so."
"Wee folk?" Vannessa snarled. "There are no 'wee' folk."

She didn't have time for some ridiculous delusion. Her garden needed her attention. She swung her hand against the side of the bloom, knocking the fairy flying.

"So that is to be the way of it then?" the fairy stated when she returned in a few moments. "He helped and would have accepted no boon for his aid. You would not even listen. Attack would ye? I'll grant his wish then and in a way he would agree would be most fitting."

Vannessa felt the world expand about her. Her clothing expanded until it was a tent and then a circus big top. She struggled from its folds, naked as the day she was born.

"What have you done to me, you little pest?!" she demanded as she continued to shrink until she was the size of the fairy.
"Pest be I? Perhaps, perhaps not. He wanted you out of his life and his work life..."
"Who is this 'he'? I'll fix him when I get in tomorrow."
"Ah yes, tomorrow. But ye'll be too busy to pester him, you'll have other tasks set before you now." 

The fairy pointed at Vannessa and spread a strange dust over her. No sooner had it covered her than Vannessa felt herself collapsing to her knees. From her sides sprouted six insect-like legs and from her head antennae. Her legs fused and became rounded. Her arms vanished. Her vision blurred, broke-up and then reformed as her eyes were replaced by the faceted eyes of an insect. It was all too apparent what the fairy's magic had been. Vannessa was now more than half-bee. A Queen bee, to be precise. 

"Now go found your hive, Your Majesty. Bees won't mind being bossed about. It be in their nature to do so. Leave sensible folk and fairy to their lives."

The next day, Mr. Martel came into the research and development lab. "It seems our valued employee Vannessa has taken a position with another firm 'Apiary, Inc.' I didn't know she'd even posted her resignation two weeks ago and I was quite taken aback when Helene from HR reminded me this morning. We'll have to make do without her, of course. Helene tells me that you, Donald, are next most senior. Would you be able to step into her shoes and manage things?"

"Yes, Mr. Martel. I believe I can."

There would be changes, long overdue changes. Donald was not in the least like his predecessor. Soon the team was humming along in high gear, happy and productive. Far more productive than it had ever been under Vannessa. Even Mr. Martel was pleased.

Photo Credits:
Woman: https://www.DeviantArt.com/E-DigitalFantasy
Wasp: Creative Commons