Lara's Leap

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Viridian
Posts: 1587
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:03 am

Lara's Leap

Postby Viridian » Sat Jun 18, 2022 7:06 pm

It was a jump that Lara had made a hundred times before in a hundred different places, sometimes while being shot at or eluding a cascade of traps. The gap she intended to cross was simple in comparison, and with no threat other than the heat of the jungle. It was perhaps this relative ease that made her complacent. A short run up, and she flung herself across the chasm, leaping majestically across the treetops, aiming her climbing axe at the rock face ahead. As if a divine being above her had blinked, she mistimed her swing, the tip of the axe glancing off the rock, and she began to plummet straight down. She swore out loud. Instinctively, she whirled her arm around for another attempt, this time using both hands to dig into the rock. The axe clawed through the softer rock, doing little to slow her down. She had no choice but to hang on and hope that she caught something solid. She did, but the abrupt stop jolted her. Her fatigued arms gave way. She yelled as she unconsciously let go, flailing her hands towards the handle in a futile attempt to stop her fall.

It was good fortune that she was only a few feet off the forest floor. The force of her landing was fully absorbed by cool, squelching mud. She landed flat on her back with a loud splat, the mud soaking through her grimy clothes and hugging her with an unnatural suction. She relaxed as she realised she had not broken anything and was still very much alive. In a different situation, the cool mud would have been a pleasant way to relieve herself from the heat.

Something was odd about this mud though. She had fallen into mud pits numerous times in the jungle, some deeper and thicker than others. This one was particularly stubborn. She had been settling deeper into the mud as she pondered her mistake. Her hips and abdomen were already submerged. Lara pushed off with her arms, but they sank right down behind her. She felt a moment of panic when she couldn't feel anything solid underneath. The mud grabbed onto her arms, leading her further down. Lara countered by tensing her abs and digging her feet in, but she looked in shock as her boots sank into the sucking mud. "Damn it," she muttered to herself, annoyed at the tenacity of the mud.

She prepared for another attempt to free herself, but she paused. She could her something beneath the mud, like water filtering through the soil beneath her. She could feel the damp earth moving, sagging beneath her weight. Previously suspended by the groundwater, the soil had been disturbed by Lara's heavy impact, and now the water was seeping through. It was only now that Lara noticed the wide ripples across the clearing, which now glistened in the dim light beneath the canopy, revealing its true nature.

It was quicksand.

Lara nearly choked. She took deep breaths to calm down. She could feel herself slowly sinking deeper into the clearing. She told herself that she had been through many perils before. She just had to think things through logically and solve the puzzle. Unfortunately, she had left most of her tools behind - a rope or grappling hook would have been the ideal solution. Her only hope dangled overhead - her climbing axe. If she could reach it, she could climb out of the quicksand pit.

Though how she could reach it with her arms and legs trapped was another challenge.
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Viridian @ deviantART: http://viridianqs.deviantart.com/

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sixgunzloaded
Posts: 918
Joined: Tue May 05, 2015 8:16 pm

Re: Lara's Leap

Postby sixgunzloaded » Sat Jun 18, 2022 9:59 pm

Excellent story, excellent drawing! I always enjoy it when Lara finds her way into quicksand. As I read it, I was picturing it in my head with the latest modern version of the character and Camilla Luddington's voice speaking and making struggling noises.
I like how you've got her sinking butt first with her knees above the surface. Well done! :)
How long did Tarzan watch before deciding to save Jill..?

Madbadger666
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 6:40 pm

Re: Lara's Leap

Postby Madbadger666 » Tue Jun 21, 2022 11:55 pm

excellent story, and brilliant bit of art work to go with it

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quagmire_uk
Posts: 1441
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:04 am

Re: Lara's Leap

Postby quagmire_uk » Sun Jul 03, 2022 10:59 pm

I concur! A marvellous scenario for Lara!


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