General Fiction posted July 14, 2023

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When Bea & crew wereat the dumpsters, there was a commotion

A chapter in the book Be Wee With Bea Part 3

A Costume Contest

by Liz O'Neill

Background
Bea, Sammy and Athena were down at the dumpsters harvesting yummies for themselves and there is a commotion that Bea gets involved with.

Cast of characters

Bea –mom bear to puppies & Scruffles

Sweet Puppy– from Part 1 invited by Bea to live in cave

Scruffles– from Part 1 invited by Bea to live in cave (RIP)

Doolie –mom bear to puppies from Part 2

Benny–miniature sheep dog from Part 2 (RIP)

Annie–Brussels Griffon from Part 2

Maddie–3-legged Brussels Griffon from Part 2

Zoe– Tibetan Terrier from Part 2

Osala bear--the mom of Osala kitty who discovered Sammy the kitten

Osala kitty--she was the first to discover Sammy the kitten

Billie bear--Bea's friend from years ago who was in a group with her to learn to talk to the maker

Jazzy--Billie bear's puppy who was getting beat up by Sammy the cat

Sammy--a cat who was living with Jazzy & Billie bear after being found under a picnic table

Athena--a bobcat who is introduced to Bea by Willow who will help tame Sammy

Willow–counseling tree (metaphor for people who help children)

Previously: Bea is meeting with the same attitude problem of Sammy the rescued kitten as Osala bear, Osala kitty, Billie bear, and Jazzy had. She will go to Willow for a solution

Previously:
Bea, Sammy and Athena were down at the dumpsters harvesting yummies for themselves

*******

Sammy appeared apprehensive when meeting Athena who glanced at Bea, so she would notice the bobcat knew what she was doing. He also peered at his mom for confirmation Athena was a safe person. Later, Bea told Sammy if he felt uncomfortable with anything Athena asked him to do, to immediately let her know.

When they had more time together, Athena confided to Sammy she was in a Bobcat gang of girls named Cats. The boys’ gang was called the Bobs. They used to group up, to find caves or burrow entrances to frighten everyone. She worried Sammy might get caught up in one of those groups because he was so aggressive, violent and hurtful. She explained no one in her group would hurt anyone, but just startle them. But there was one time they were the ones who got more than scared.

Athena described how there was a human around with something made of a kind of brown wooden branch with a black thinner branch coming out of it. Whatever it was, it threw out tiny pebble-like things. She snarled when she announced they hurt more than pebbles. They stuck right in the body and didn’t bounce off like a pebble would.

Athena’s voice shook as she told how her friend Pallas had the sharp things sticking in her ribs. Pallas’ caring, concerned friend clawed & clawed at the place where those pebbles were sticking in her and finally got it out. It was a strangely shaped object made of material she didn’t understand.

Athena tearfully reassured Sammy, after taking a long time to be able to run or breathe right, Pallas was finally okay. Athena made a promise neither of them would go anywhere near the Cats’ gang, whether or not they were still gathering to bully anyone.

Bea shuddered as she heard this story. She knew exactly what Athena was referring to. This description of the stick shooting out hurtful pebbles brought her back to the traumatic time she and her mother were searching out good honey trees, where bees made her ’be good to myself’ treat.

There was a thunderstorm with jagged lightning. The wooden building where Bea’s mom felt they’d be dry and safe turned out to be as if they’d walked into a dark world filled with her relatives who had been targeted for the bridge of rainbows. Yes, she was very aware of what Athena was describing.

Sammy’s ears perked up. That was a memory Sammy was interested in learning more about. Athena’s story along with his mom’s felt like a warning for him. He’d had enough trauma and sufficiently raised the level of chaos for others. He wanted to be done with it all.

*******

Bea was on alert when she heard a great commotion around the front of the dumpster building where she had led everyone for their cache of goodies. She knew she was responsible for two others. Athena and Sammy were harvesting treats from the dumpsters and she hoped they heard nothing to alarm them. Athena was thrilled to find turkey, definitely not on her usual meager menu.

Tiptoeing closer, Bea peeked around the building. She did not rebound soon enough and was spotted by a group of costumed young humans. What would she ever do? She had to warn Athena and Sammy. She couldn’t flee, they were already running toward her. She could never harm them. These were children whose stories Willow recounted.

They surrounded her, shouting they had found the winner of the costume contest She was the winner? Their shouting wasn't the hurt feeling of shouts the mean bears used when she was little. They were laughing and dancing too. It wasn't the same kind of laughter of making fun.

She did a little two-step herself. The shouting and laughter actually made Bea feel good. Feeling unexpectably important, she followed the wave of costumed young ones.

The dazzled wee bear zoomed in on an elegant poodle who introduced herself silently as Sophia the special white Poodle. She could trust Sophia who told her no one knew she was a real Poodle, but believed her to be a tiny human with a great costume.

Bea gathered enough clues to assess she was now the participant of a costume contest. Sophia told her the little humans thought Bea was one of them with the best costume. They were yelling they'd never seen such a great bear costume looking so life-like.

There was a momentary panic when Bea spied all of the steps she would have to climb. How would she do it? It didn’t resemble the extremely tall tree she had climbed and safely descended for Timothy her friend the clay pot making, wood carving beaver.

Above the deafening drone of anxious bees within her, she remembered to talk to the maker of steps about her dilemma.

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There is one more chapter for ages 9 and up. This is about the problems I had with my feral cat Sammy. He has, after 5+ years, settled down. We're now in enjoyable routines. He even comes with me when I go for a walk. I still miss Sweet Puppy a lot.

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When Bea & crew wereat the dumpsters, there was a commotion

A chapter in the book Be Wee With Bea Part 3

A Costume Contest

by Liz O'Neill

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