A sticky situation

Valerie wandered in the forest, not sure where she was going. It had been a few hours since she had heard any noises, or any trace of anyone chasing her. At least, that was her estimation - she had no way to keep track of time, except for the sun.

She was tired, hungry, and worse, thirsty. She paused for breath, and realized she needed to find some water. Perhaps she could make her way to the river she saw when looking out of the plane. She summoned the last ounce of energy she had, and began to move again.

As she tried to move her feet, she felt some resistance. She looked down, confused.

That feeling turned into horror when she saw what had happened. Both her feet had sunk under the ground. She was stuck in a muddy quicksand.

Valerie froze. She knew that struggling would only make her sink faster. She looked around, looking for something to hold on to. She needed to find something she could use to pull herself out - and fast, if she had any hope of survival.

Unfortunately for her, even the tiny amount of motion from trying to turn caused her to sink deeper. She was now knee deep in the viscous mud. If she didn't free herself fast, she would be entirely underground in a matter of minutes.

To make matters worse, she could hear some animal noises. They could likely smell her fear - and easy prey. Leaves rustled around her, making her close her eyes and pray.