Conception began with a bang and a buzz, or so she likes to think. Mom never told her the story, just that there had been someone and later in, along came Pollen. It had always been just the two of them and that had been just fine. Well, the two of them and the hive of honeybees that claimed Pollen as theirs. Or she had inadvertently claimed them as hers.
She remembers being only a month old. Many flowers christened the fields she played and slept in under momma’s careful watch after the first few warm days and long hours of lazy sunshine. Some gentle rain showers helped too, and so all these flowers grew and in their growth, attracted insects the likes of which she’d never seen! Beetles and ladybugs, butterflies and dragonflies, and then - a buzz that made her tingle from the tips of her toes to the top of her brain.
Pollen felt it like a tug on her soul and she followed it until she discovered a little honeybee shaking its fuzzy little butt on a flower. Curious, she watched and mimicked it for a bit before the bee buzzed right by her nose and chose to land there. She ended up cross-eyed trying to stare at it until the bee moved her face and nestled into her forelock. It all felt so right that she didn’t think much of it until more bees began to flock to her and build a hive in the scraggles of mane that began to grow down her neck.
The bees picked a queen but really it was Pollen who ruled them because she could bend them to her will. Usually she just let them be and they buzzed and flew about, collecting pollen and making honey as she grew. Her mane and tail lengthened and grew sticky with honeycombs and tiny swarms of bees. She didn’t mind though and only once, did she have to manipulate them to keep a pesky stallion away from momma and her.
But then there comes a time when a girl just has to set off on her own. The golden girl did just that! She nuzzled her mom’s cheek and stood close together for a long tight hug, both trying to hold back the tears that wanted to run down their faces. No promises to come back were ever made because Pollen didn’t want to say something that might not be true. Their embrace broke and they came apart, sniffling a little in sadness because goodbyes are usually always sad and Pollen drew upon her bees and all her courage and pointed her nose towards the boundless horizon.
First she walked, then she trotted and finally, as she felt brave and reckless, she began to run. Ran straight towards the sunset that set the sky on fire and burned all the light right out of the horizon that she remained intent upon reaching. The swarm followed her as her pale gummed up mane and tail streamed out behind her, buzzing in anger and frustration until she slowed and stopped. Pollen had come to what she thought was the horizon’s end.
She stared and stared, sucking in air until her lungs stopped screaming for breath and the sweat began to cool on her skin. It was a field and unrecognizable to her but it showed promise by the heavily trampled grass and multiple paths spider-webbing away from its epicenter. Some trees offered shade here and there, or a place to scratch an itch and streams burbled about fresh cold water and no more thirst.
Yes, she liked it well enough to make a small circle as she took in her surroundings and gave small nods to some of the strangers that looked her way. Then the buzzing cloud alighted upon her and though the buzz died down, her hair seemed to seethe with life of its own from the mess of bees everywhere. One landed on her cheek, threatening to sting if she took another hasty step so Pollen just settled in to wait out the night and see what the new day would bring her.