Sanders had been in this situation many times before and knew that she shouldn't panic. However, most of the time, the crooks left her alone to succumb to her peril, and she would always find a way out. That would take time, and this time the crooks were looking for her. She had no choice but to hurry.
She tested the suction of the mud. It had a firm grip on her boots, but not something she was too worried about. Her descent picked up, however, and her knees soon disappeared into the slimy mud. She looked at the closest solid ground. It was a risk. Either she clawed her way out now, or she would be stranded waist-deep within minutes, left to the mercy of the crooks who would likely stay and watch her go under. She took a deep breath and began wiggling her legs, leaning back and forth to get some momentum. This made her sink deeper still. Before the quicksand swallowed her thighs, she suddenly lunged towards the quicksand's edge. The quicksand held her legs firmly, causing her to buckle. She fell forward, stopping her fall with her hand, planting her chest into the hungry mud. Gritting at the mud finding its way into her cleavage, she continued to struggle towards the edge. The quicksand was still holding onto her feet, and it was taking too long to break free of its suction. She had to make it out now!
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Yes! The roots were brittle, but they were enough to get her free. The quicksand release Sanders' legs, allowing her to slide free of the deadly trap. Breathing in relief, she brushed off as much mud as she could. Her rest was short-lived, however, as the sound of voices and cracking twigs alerted her to the nearby pursuers. She was still too weary to resume her evasion. Instead, she came up with another desperate idea. She took off her shirt, ripped it into pieces, and placed it back in the mud where she had just escaped from. Then, she found a spot to observe from.
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Two men appeared, looking tired as well. "Did we get her?" one of them asked. He spotted the red fabric in the clearing. "Golly! It actually worked!"
"I told you she'd fall for it," the other man said. He picked up a wooden sign that had been knocked over. Sanders nearly choked. They had deliberately chased her into the quicksand! She was lucky she had found a way out.
"Do you reckon she got out?" the first man asked. "She could have used her shirt to pull herself free."
"Don't be stupid. She'd take her shirt with her then. You think she's going to run through the woods topless?" He laughed. "I'd pay to see that. Come on, let's go tell the boss."
Sanders sighed. They were gone, but they also had a point. She had to make her way back half-naked.
