(Nozomi Yoshida Is) Queen of the Swamp

Chapter 2: Swamp Song

Mei

I was pretty hammered, but I still remember most of what went down. Today was my day off of work, so I just decided to screw around town for a while. I was about to just stay at home and watch TV, but that got boring really fast.

I started drinking around noon. And before you begin to fuckin' judge me, I can quit whenever I want. So by 2:30 pm, I was pretty bricked. I left my house and wandered the streets around my house, eventually stumbling upon the trail that leads down to the nearby nature preserve. Deciding I had absolutely nothing better to do, I spent an hour walking through the preserve. There's a swamp deep in there, not many people go there except for kids from the nearby high school.

So here I am, walking through the high brush holding a half-empty bottle of sake.

I'm a real fuck-up, I thought to myself. I swear, I always thought I 'd be doing a whole lot better at age 22. Guess I was wrong.

I sat down on a fallen-over log and took a hefty swig of the fiery liquid. It really burns, but soon the feeling recedes. Guess that's the magic of it all. I figured that, based on the amount I had been drinking today, I was at most one or two sips from just blacking out entirely. For the second time this week.
Sometimes I use this time to reflect on my life. I mean, my life recently has gone to absolute shit. This past week alone was absolutely and positively hell. I broke up with my boyfriend, I almost got fired at my job, and to top it all off... my fucking dog ran away.

I watched my surroundings for a little while, the mountains in the backdrop, the sky just above it, pushing the land down in its place.

That swamp is only about three-quarters of a mile from here. I consider walking to it. I'm pretty tired, to be honest, so walking doesn't sound that fun. But after a couple minutes, I reached a decision. I stand up and begin to walk towards the swamp. Well, to me it was a walk. In reality, it was probably closer to stumbling.

The ground is relatively smooth for the first quarter of a mile. I accidentally scratched myself on some sharp plants. I wince and look down at the mark. No blood, just a white line on my leg indicating where the plant crossed my skin. I shrug and keep walking for a few more minutes, hoping to reach my destination soon.

Soon enough, the ground began to slant downwards, and I started to panic internally. I walked really slowly, planning out each step very carefully.

This is the final stretch that leads down to the swamp. Quite paranoid, I clutch my bottle a bit tighter, thinking that'll keep me from slipping and tumbling down the hill. It was nerve-racking, as I carefully stepped down the slope. It took me around five minutes to clear it, but soon enough, I reached the bottom of the hill. I sigh and begin to relax a little bit. I can see the reeds that obscure the murky water.

Here I am, I thought.

As usual, the swamp was completely deserted, except for the animals. The animals were louder than the last time. It's probably mating season for the frogs.

Horny frogs, I thought to myself, giggling quietly.

I took another swill of the sake and hid the bottle behind a tree stump, just in case anyone is here that I didn't see. I parked my ass on top of the stump and watched the swamp for a bit. Picking up a rock, I threw it as far as I could. It sailed through the sky, eventually striking the water with a loud, thumping plop.

However, after a few minutes, something else piqued my interest. For the first few seconds, I wasn't quite sure what it was... I mean, it was a sound I didn't expect to ever hear emanating from the area around the swamp. It was...