The Terrible Death of Ant Hildi

It always makes me terribly sad when these things happen. I mean, it happens everyday but sometimes, especially like this—when it is so preventable, it really gets to me. Poor Hildi. Yesterday was only her second on the job. I was in charge or training her, showing her the ropes and keeping her out of trouble. I really liked her, she was a free spirit… an artistic type, you know? Not really well suited for this kind of work but what’s a girl to do? You have to leave the nest sometime.

It was just like any other day, it was particularly warm and sunny, this winter’s actually been quite mild in general, and we set out, like a thousand other workers, just doing our job.

We decided to work the west quadrant, next to the stone sea, it’s one of my favorite places to work because you can always find something there… mostly popcorn. Well anyway, I was showing her around and how to avoid the dangerous spots. It’s really easy, actually, you just stick to the crevices, that’s were a lot of the best stuff ends up anyway, and I was telling her how to keep track of how to get home. I could tell she was getting a little antsy (pardon the pun), this really isn’t the kind of job I would give her… overseeing the aphids maybe… but I’m pretty serious about training my new girls. It’s a terribly dangerous world out there, you know, and we’re only given three days to get them ready to strike out on their own so I think its really important to give them all the essential stuff right at first.

Well Hildi just couldn’t contain herself after a while. “I’m going up the wall… I think I see something wonderful to bring back.”

“No Hildi, it’s too dangerous on the sea. There’s big creatures that kill and maim without any thought at all… there’s a million ways to die up there. We’re better off down here where it’s safe.” She didn’t listen, though, she ran right up to the wall, with her childlike zeal and grace, and climbed straight off into the wilderness. I couldn’t stop her, I’m not her keeper, so I was forced to stand by and watch the whole terrible thing.

She didn’t get very far. She was only a minute into the sea when two great creatures stopped over her. I saw him reach into his pocket, pull out a box and I knew what was going to happen. He told her he had a question and I screamed, “HILDI! Come back! Run honey… you can make it!”

Her perfectly youthful legs worked their hardest but neither of us was fast enough. His knee was looming over her and I could see by the look on her face that she knew it was already over… but still she ran.

His knee came down hard, he was nervous (I think) and he loudly asked “Will you marry me Doris?”

I didn’t even hear her answer and I couldn’t see for the tears in my eyes. All I could do was turn around and go home.

Poor Hildi… She should have been a poet.