Chapter 4 – Sting Like A Bee

The sun was close to setting as Donkey sat on a bench looking out over the Duloc falls, eagerly awaiting Shrek's arrival. Sure, he was about half an hour early, but he just couldn't wait to propose to Shrek with the ring he bought earlier. Originally, he planned to wait a little longer to propose, but he figured it would cheer Shrek up. Plus, Barry might realize Shrek won't be getting back together with him if he got engaged. Then, Donkey and Shrek can finally live happily ever after.

Suddenly, Donkey heard a car pull into the gravel parking lot behind him. He doesn't need to look to know that it's Shrek's green Ford Focus. He figures that Shrek couldn't wait either and also arrived early. Actually, what if Shrek planned on proposing too? Donkey quietly laughs at the idea of them both pulling out their rings at the same time.

Donkey hears footsteps as Shrek walks up behind him and can no longer contain his excitement. He turns around on the bench to greet Shrek with a kiss. Except, Shrek is nowhere to be seen. There's only Barry B. Benson.

"I thought I'd find you here," the short bee said in a cold voice.

"What the hell do you want, Barry?" Donkey asked, still pissed over that morning.

"I want you to leave my boyfriend alone," Barry said with a scowl. "He may have run off to Michigan, but he would never stop being mine. This affair needs to end before I can take him home."

Donkey was shocked at his audacity, and couldn't think of a response.

"So, we're in agreement then?" Barry asks.

Donkey snaps out of it. "Buzz off, Barry," he said.

Barry sighs. "So, I have to do this the hard way then," he says before pulling a gun out of his sweater. "I thought that you could see reason, but I guess I'll just have to hope that without you, Shrek will finally remember his love for me."

As soon as he points the gun at Donkey, Donkey kicks into action. He ducks behind he bench as Barry pulls the trigger. Wood splinters as the bullet pierces the bench just above Donkey's head. Barry can't see behind the bench and briefly hesitates as he tries to figure out if Donkey was hit. But he gets his answer when Donkey rushes around it and begins to charge at Barry on his four legs. Barry quickly points the gun at him and is about to shoot, but wasn't fast enough and Donkey collides with him. He drops his gun and the two of them go tumbling across the ground until they roll to a stop near the edge of the cliff.

Barry manages to stand as Donkey groans in pain. "I already told you," Barry says in between breaths. "Shrek is mine."

Donkey looks up just in time to see Barry kick him over the cliff. The wind rushes around him and through his fur as he plummets alongside the waterfall. He looks down to see the rocks below him rapidly growing closer. In his final moments, he can only think of how he wanted more time with Shrek. The last thing he feels is a sudden jolt of pain, before everything goes black.


Shrek pulls into the parking lot at around 6:57, only three minutes before the time Donkey gave him. He's not sure what Donkey's surprise is, but he's sure Donkey wasn't expecting him to bring his own surprise. Because tonight he finally proposes.

He gets out of his car and looks around the small, gravel parking lot. There's only his car here, which, since Donkey can't drive and has to take the bus, means that it should just be the two of them. Shrek grins. They can do whatever they want tonight.

He starts walking over to his and Donkey's favorite bench. The one they sat at on their first date. On the way over, Shrek notices the grass is scuffed up and there's a hole in the bench. The park clearly needs to increase the maintenance budget. Shrek arrives at the bench and Donkey is nowhere to be found. However, Donkey's phone was sitting in the middle of the bench, face down. Shrek picks it up and finds that the screen is already on, with a note open. That's odd, but perhaps Donkey has some sort of game for him. The kind that ends in sex, of course. Shrek sits down and goes to read the note.

"Dear Shrek, my beloved,

"I am deeply sorry for doing this to you, but I cannot help but feel like the entire time I've known you I have been nothing but a burden. I have done nothing but weigh you down in life, preventing you from accomplishing anything. Barry's arrival only made things worse. I can't help but wonder if you would be happier with him. With someone who has hands, not hooves. After seeing what I stole from you, I don't think I can live any longer. I am sorry for hurting you, but I'm sure you will be happier without me. Farewell, Shrek.

"Your love, Donkey"

By the end of the note, Shrek was in tears. He could feel his whole world fall apart around him. If he had been standing, he likely would've thrown himself of the cliff as well. But instead, he doesn't feel like he can move from that spot. He just sits, looks out at the sunset across the waterfall, and weeps.

By the time no more tears come from his eyes, the sun has long since set, and the waterfall is lit only by the moon. It's just not fair, Shrek thinks. He was supposed to marry Donkey. He was going to propose tonight. They were going to live happily ever after. But instead, Donkey killed himself.

All because of that fucking bee.