Art by  genesisw!

* * *

The nighttime sky had almost overwhelmed the last vestiges of the day, but the red skies clung to the Sierras, illuminating Ivan's walk to the gym. It was a short walk, even shorter when he jogged, and it gave him time to decompress his tired, overstudied mind.

He felt better now that he had left the apartment. His father would approve of a decision to take a break from studies--working hard was a good thing, but overworking one's self was not.

"One must remember to feed the inner child, or else suffer its tantrums," the elder Andreev would frequently say.

Even though he was a history professor at the Saint Petersburg University, his father would take time for his hobbies. There was a shelf filled with his collection of dice. Six siders, four siders--even a seven sider, which always fascinated Ivan when he was a child.

"God does not play dice with the universe," his father once said, "but I do."

Ivan would call his family as soon as he returned to the apartment. The phone would be fully charged, and he would be able to catch up on the family's events. Granted, he could email them, but that was so impersonal. There was nothing better than to hear the gravelly voice of his father, the doting tone of his mother's, and even the annoying voice of his little brother, who was quickly filling out into the shape of manhood.

A low, droning buzz soon distracted him from his thoughts, and a small, black banded bumblebee, its legs coated with pollen, flew around his head. His ears twitched, and he fought to keep from panicking. Bumblebees could sting multiple times, and he was deathly afraid of being stung. He was mildly allergic to them, and while his thick coat might protect him, it could always sting him in the less protective areas like his nose. So being stung was something he wanted to avoid at any cost.

Ivan wasn't even sure the bee was still buzzing around him. He did not want to take the chance of being stung, so he broke out into a run, leaping over the small ditch that seperated the apartment complex from the shopping center that had recently been built. From there, the gym was across the street, and he stopped his quick retreat when he reached the gym's parking lot. He leaned forward, hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

Then he heard the buzzing growing louder again. Looking up in alarm, he saw the fuzzy gold and black insect flying towards him. He rushed inside, then felt a sharp pain on his tail. At first he thought he was stung, but then saw his tail had gotten caught by the closing door. He pulled in his tail, the blush burning his ears.

Something moved out of the corner of his vision. The bee crawled up the glass, as if saying I'll be waiting for you.

He swore it winked at him.

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