joeislove's 100-word story for May 6, 2025

joeislove wrote the following micro-story on Hectalex on May 6, 2025. Each story on Hectalex is inspired by a daily visual prompt and must be exactly 100 words.

The low humming buzz of the hive sounded off today. Something wrong. I squatted a few feet away to watch. I heard the crunch of leaves behind me. Held up my hand as a signal to stop. "Queen's dead." "What? Really? How do you know?" Cassie squatted next to me, watching eagerly. "You just get to where you can hear the difference." I watched the entrance carefully. "There." Cassie squinted, spotted the dead queen being pulled and carried by a few workers, undertaker bees. Gasped as they rolled their queen over the edge. "That's it?" "Bees are a practical sort."

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