The cave was completely pitch black, without the source of light that was on top of Jack’s helmet, he would be utterly lost. He greatly enjoyed venturing into the dark caverns, full of mystery. Normally, he would have been accompanied by a fellow spelunker, but, against the judgment of others, he decided to go alone. His logic was that he had enough experience to manage things on his own, and while company would’ve been nice, it was unnecessary.

Jack carefully slid down the rock wall, a rope attached to his belt, fastened to the top of the ledge. It was thrilling, he had to admit, being by himself. There was an extra sense of danger that he found exhilarating. As far as he knew, he should nearly be at the bottom of the cave. Any moment he was expecting his feet to touch the solid ground as he continued to carefully climb down the side of the stone wall.

However, Jack noticed something odd. He felt a light rattling coming from the rope, which caused his belt to vibrate. He halted his movements, trying to determine what was happening. But before he could fully investigate, he felt complete slack on the rope, followed by a total loss of grip.

Gravity took control of Jack’s body as he fell. The connection to the ledge must have failed, he had been so sure it was secure. Jack was too terrified to let out any noise, even a scream. He felt the wind of the cavern below flow through him as he continued to fall. His helmet had toppled off his head, leaving him in absolute darkness.

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Finally, after what felt like an eternity, but most likely had been only a few seconds, he landed on his feet onto the firm ground below. Pain shot up through his body, as if a white hot sword had been pushed into his legs, as well as his back. Jack let out a scream that echoed throughout the entire cavern. He was unable to move, completely paralyzed. The only body part he was able to control was his head.

As he turned his face, he noticed his helmet, light protruding from the top of it. It lightly illuminated the ground it was laid upon. Jack saw that the floor had an almost sand-like texture, soft and coarse. As if on cue, he felt his body start to sink, as if it was being pulled further into the abyss. Quicksand, it had to be. It was extremely unlikely that quicksand would be found in caves, but it wasn’t unheard of.

Panic set in as Jack realized his fate. He attempted to twist and turn, but his body did not follow the signals his brain was communicating. His entire body was being consumed, and he could do nothing but lay in his own misery. Finally, Jack’s head was forced under the sand, leaving him to suffocate in the caverns he loved so much.