“Oh my god,” Maggie gasped, “the hornets!”

As we got closer to the truck, we could hear the furious buzzing of what had to be hundreds of hornets, and then rounding the back of the truck we encountered the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen.

Sam had apparently fallen from the ladder as he was attempting to spray the hornets’ nest and he was lying lifeless on the ground at the base of the tree. I could see many stings and welts covering his body.

Sitting on the ground next to Sam was Layla, and next to her was Strider.

There were hundreds of hornets all around them.

Hornets were beginning to hit me and Maggie but we were oblivious to the pain. I yelled out to Maggie over the din of enraged hornets, “Grab Layla, I’ll get Sam!”

Everything happening now like in slow motion, I saw Maggie effortlessly lift Layla from the ground and shielding her with her body run towards the house. Strider followed and I grabbed Sam by the ankles and dragged him with superhuman strength to safety about a hundred feet to our porch.