Riley had always been drawn to the woods—the rustling leaves, the sunlight, and the soft moss hidden among the trees. He considered himself to be an avid outdoorsman, he loved hiking, canoeing, and camping. But on that fateful day, the forest revealed a perilous secret he hadn’t yet anticipated.

It was a crisp autumn morning when Riley ventured deeper into the heart of the woods. His boots crunched on fallen leaves, and the air smelled of damp earth. A large storm had just passed over the night before, and the familiar sent of humid rain and worms filled the air. He followed an overgrown trail, confidence guiding his steps. The sun slanted through the canopy, casting shadows on the forest floor.
As Riley walked, he noticed a depression in the ground—a slight dip that seemed innocent enough. But as he stepped closer, the earth gave way beneath him. Panic surged through his veins as he sank into the pit. And just like that, Riley had found himself moored in a deep pit of clay-based quicksand.

Riley struggled, but the more he fought, the deeper he sank. The mud clung to him like a perilous hug, pulling him downward. His heart raced, and he gasped for air as the cold mud pulled his thighs and waist beneath its murky surface.

Desperation set in. He remembered tales of quicksand—how it could swallow a person whole. But he refused to surrender. With each strained breath, he clawed at the edges of the pit, trying to find solid ground. His fingers scraped against roots and rocks, but the quicksand was unyielding.

After hours of struggling, Riley’s strength waned. He had sunk as deep as his broad shoulders. Much of his struggle was put up against his heavy camping backpack, which weighed him down and made it near impossible to escape the sticky quicksand. He wondered if this was how it would end—for him to become part of the forest, forever entombed in its muddy embrace. But then he heard a voice—a whisper carried by the wind.

“Stillness,” it said. “Acceptance.”

Riley stilled. He closed his eyes, surrendering to the pull. Instead of fighting, he focused on the rhythm of his breath, the warmth of the sun on his face before it was enveloped by the soft mud as he submerged completely beneath the surface.

The surface of the pit churned and bubbled before falling still once more, returning to its serene and unsuspecting nature after having swallowed Riley whole.