📸 Photo

In the morning, while it drizzled outside, it was lovely lying in the warm, dry hut. It reminded me of rainy winter days, sitting inside a pleasantly heated home, with my nose up against the windowpane. I decided to spend the day there. I needed to rest before setting out on a long trek. I would get my feet thoroughly dried, get my strength back, eat my fill, and tomorrow . . . tomorrow maybe it wouldn’t be raining. In any case, I would start out tomorrow.

I felt a little guilty about being so soft, spoiling myself this way, but it was so pleasant. I had no trouble appeasing my conscience.

Dreams crowded my mind, and I slipped easily into fantasy. Good daydreaming just takes practice. Once you get the hang of it, you cross oceans and continents at will. My knee suddenly itched. I scratched it and felt something round that didn't want to let go. I pulled hard and found myself holding a leech, about half an inch long and a quarter inch wide, gorged with blood. I heaved it into the fire with disgust and began checking myself over head to foot.

I panicked. I found about twenty leeches all over my body. They were everywhere: in my armpits, on the back of my neck, on my back, between my legs, between my buttocks even. All of them bloated and repulsive. Damn bloodsuckers! I squashed them one by one and threw them into the fire. I vowed to check myself each night before going to sleep to make sure that I wasn't covered with parasites.