Layla's Hunt (female, peril, rescue)

[65sinking]

Back in 2007, inspired by one of Quicksand Artist's pieces ("Tar Terror"), I wrote a story of a young woman getting stuck in a tar pit, and shared it on the Deep Sinking forum under an old username. To date, barring some of the recent short stories I've written to accompany the AI-generated images I post on DeviantArt, it's the only full-length quicksand story I've managed to complete and share. After Deep Sinking decided to exclude adult content, the story was lost.

More than 15 years later, I've finally found it again in one of my old portable hard drives. It's a long read, and there are elements that I would change about it today, but rereading it gives me a sense of accomplishment. I hope some of you might like it.

Here's Layla's Hunt.

**********

Layla halted in mid-step and listened. There was definitely something hiding in the clump of bushes. Readying her spear, she silently crept forwards, peering into the vegetation, poised to strike. Just a little closer...

The bushes in front of her suddenly exploded, and Layla leapt to one side as the peccary charged, gnashing its tusks, its hooves kicking up a storm of soil and leaf litter. It was immediately followed by two babies with striped coats, much smaller than their mother.

Layla jumped to her feet, retrieved her spear and flung it towards her rapidly fleeing quarry. It missed, whistling just above her target's bristly back, and landed in the dirt, the wooden shaft quivering as the stone point struck the ground. The peccaries vanished into the undergrowth, the thundering hooves fading in the distance.

She picked up her spear and swore under her breath; that was the third target she had missed this morning. Her friend Arlina came running up, followed by some dogs. "Did you get something?" Layla shook her head and sighed. "No. Missed. Again."

"Oh don't worry, you'll get something sooner or later. Come with me, they've gotten a camel and they need extra hands to bring it back to camp."

Layla followed Arlina. Perhaps she would be able to catch something later today. For now, she would have to put away her spear, get out her knife, and help in butchering the camel for the rest of the tribe.

**********

Nineteen year old Layla was tall, slender and lithe. She wore clothes made from animal hide, sewn from the skin of a bison. She was a skilled hunter, and was a marksman with her spear. Most times, she managed to nail prey with her first throw of the spear, often scoring a direct hit on the vulnerable areas like the head, chest, or underbelly. She wore two turkey feathers in her black hair, plucked from the first bird she had killed at the beginning of spring that year. Around her neck, she wore a necklace of miniature human skulls carved from mammoth ivory, colourful stones, and canines from a dire wolf, a gift from one of the young men of the tribe who was skilled at carving and avidly interested in her. Another gift he had made for her was a bracelet made from jackrabbit bones tied together with sinew, which she wore on her left arm.

Arlina, twenty years of age, had been Layla's best friend since they were little children. She was an attractive young woman herself, her own clothes made from the hide of a horse. Like Layla, she too was an active hunter, but her specialty was in her powers of observation, helping to find elusive and well-hidden prey, or to track down wounded game. It was a skill that took years to master, but Arlina was quickly becoming one of the best trackers in the tribe. Just like Layla, her dark tresses were adorned with feathers, but these were from a raven, a gift bestowed by her mentor when she passed the advanced trials as a scout and tracker. Her necklace, decorated with colourful stones and talons from a red-tailed hawk, was a gift made by her older brother, the same young man who had given Layla her own necklace. Around her right wrist, she wore a small bracelet which she had carved for herself, made from tortoiseshell and cheetah claws.

Life was quite easy-going for Layla and her people. Although her elders had passed down tales from past generations of how their ancestors fled here from bitterly cold winters and raging blizzards in lands far to the north, here it seemed that her people had finally found a much nicer place to settle down. Several millennia in the future, this would be the centre of a sprawling city, but for now, it was still pure wilderness, where the mammoths and horses grazed, where sabertooths still prowled, and where the only people to be found in the area were a few scattered tribes living mostly along the coast or on the banks of the larger rivers.

The land was carpeted with a mixture of scrub, woodland and savanna. Fire and herbivores prevented the forests from ever completely taking over, and the result was an amazing array of diversity, a land rich in food. When Layla wasn't hunting, she was helping to gather roots, fruits and berries, collecting shellfish along the seashore, or spearing trout in the river. Sometimes, a whale or seal died on the beach close by, and she would help the tribe retrieve as much edible meat as possible. Most times however, she helped members of her tribe with hunting, whether it was following the great bison and horse herds out on the savannas, or stalking through the woods in pursuit of deer, llama or peccaries.

**********

Layla and Arlina arrived at the camel carcass; much of it had already been dismembered and brought back to camp, but there was still some work left to do. They had to work quickly; it would not be long before the aerial scavengers found them, and then the local carnivores would soon be here to investigate. Arlina stared up at the sky and squinted through a gap among the trees; sure enough, the birds were approaching. She pointed out to Layla the vultures circling above their heads, dwarfed by a couple of condors. And then, for a moment, a teratorn soared past, making even the condors seem diminutive in comparison.

Where the birds were, the land-based carnivores would soon follow. Most, such as coyote, grey wolf, black bear, puma, even the mighty jaguar and grizzly, could be easily chased away with shouting and a few well-aimed stones. Others though were not so easily daunted. Dire wolves, though not much larger than the grey wolves, were heftier and bolder, and fearless when a whole pack was around. Sabertooths and lions could be held off if alone, but a pair was difficult to dissuade, and it was usually a lost cause trying to defend a kill if a whole pride of lions should interrupt. But it was the short-faced bears that posed the most trouble for the humans. Huge, yet swift on its feet, the short-faced bear was a supreme opportunist, never failing to investigate a kill in its range, and rarely backing down when a large carcass was at stake.

Layla worked quickly, using her small bone knife to slice meat off the bones, and depositing the flesh in a growing heap, where everyone dropped off the meat they had gathered. The dogs that followed the hunters looked more like wolves than domestic dogs, but it was unmistakable from their playful behaviour that these were dogs. They were a valuable part of the tribe; they helped in hunting, were used as pack animals whenever the tribe was on the move, and in especially hard times, were a source of food for the humans. They belonged to no one in particular, and spent most of their time sleeping around camp, scavenging leftovers, or following members of the tribe on their hunting trips. For now, the dogs hung around, waiting, knowing that to even think of approaching the pile of meat would surely invite a well-aimed rock to the flank. They were content to wait until someone threw them a scrap of meat, or wait until the hunters had taken what they needed, whereupon they would feed from the carcass.

Some scavengers had landed, mostly black vultures and turkey vultures. They perched in the low branches above the humans' heads, staring at them balefully, occasionally arguing over preferred perching spots. A pair of condors had arrived as well, and compared to the hissing squabbling vultures, these regarded the scene with a silent, intelligent curiosity. One of them slowly stalked towards the pile of meat, only to be shooed away by someone.

There was a sudden whoosh, and Arlina flinched and nearly fell backwards as a huge winged form landed just a few feet away from her. It was a teratorn, with a wingspan of nearly twelve feet. Arlina looked tiny compared to the giant bird as it flapped its wings a few times and settled on the carcass, while she beat a hasty retreat. The dogs ran around the carcass and barked, but kept their distance. The bird, completely unafraid, spread its wings and hissed at the dogs, then proceeded to rip off strips of meat from the camel's ribs.

"Go away! Shoo!" Layla shouted at the teratorn, which ignored her completely. She picked up a rock and prepared to hurl it. "Forget it, Layla" Arlina said. "We've more or less finished anyway." The humans finished cutting off the desired parts of the carcass and began to trek back towards camp. The dogs immediately fell upon what remained, wolfing down whatever meat they could find, while staying far away from the feeding teratorn. Their appetites sated, they soon left the scene as well. Almost as soon as the dogs had taken off to catch up with the humans, what was left of the camel was soon quickly devoured by a swarm of squabbling birds and a pair of coyotes.

**********

Layla grumbled as she and the others walked towards their camp, saddled with several hundred pounds of fresh camel meat. They soon arrived at the camp, which consisted of several simple large tents made out of animal hides, propped up with wooden poles. This was just a temporary camp; the tribe moved every few weeks, always moving wherever pickings were rich or where game could be found. Sometimes, they would follow the bison herds when they migrated into the area. Other times, they would camp beside the river when the salmon came in to spawn. Once, when Layla and Arlina were still toddlers, the tribe had managed to bring down a mammoth, and set up their camp nearby for nearly a month to take advantage of the mountain of meat.

The camel's meat would feed them well for the next couple of days; the long bones they had brought back could be smashed to extract the juicy marrow, while the remainder would be seasoned with berries and dried in case of harder times. It was never easy to predict feast or famine; the humans had to make the best out of what they had available to them, and while they rarely had to go hungry in this lush and bountiful land, legends passed on to them about the frigid wastelands they had left behind generations ago reminded them to always be prepared.

"Arlina, I'm going off to hunt for a while." Layla dropped off her load of meat, stretched, and picked up her spear. She knew that she didn't need to bring back more meat, but she still couldn't get over the fact that for all her skills, she had missed everything she had thrown her spear at today.

"Alright, if you insist. But I'm coming with you. It wouldn't do if you got yourself eaten by a lion." Arlina picked up her own spear, and took off after her, with a small group of young dogs following closely behind.

**********

Layla and Arlina scanned the woods for potential prey. The two young women encountered a giant ground sloth, busily stripping leaves from a tree. It turned to look at them, snorted and returned to its feeding. The dogs barked and circled the sloth, but knew better than to attack. It would be stupid to do so; several members of the tribe had witnessed before a sloth being attacked by an immature sabertooth; the lumbering herbivore easily shook the cat off its back, and immediately proceeded to pummel the life out of it with its front legs, armed with long sharp claws. The women called off the dogs and carried on the search for easier quarry.

Several times, they managed to flush prey out of hiding, but time and time again, they failed to get close enough to even tell what it was running or flying away from them, let alone get a good view to throw their spears accurately. The dogs though, had better luck; once they returned with bloody muzzles, and tussled over the dismembered remains of a rabbit they had managed to catch. Layla and Arlina would not begrudge them of their kill; they desired larger quarry.

They took off through familiar territory, pointing out landmarks that they remembered from the last time the tribe had camped in this area. Layla remembered the old cedar where Arlina's brother had given her the necklace she now wore. Arlina giggled as she noted the stream that Layla had fallen into several years back. They nudged each other when they came upon a small cave, which they had crawled into years ago when they were little children, and found it occupied by a snarling scimitar cat and her cubs. That encounter, and the subsequent frantic run back to camp, was an experience they would never forget. Just for fun, Layla crushed berries and used the juices to paint two blue marks on her cheeks, like the young adolescents of the tribe did when they were initiated as hunters. “For luck,” she said, and grinned at Arlina, who rolled her eyes.

They ventured out onto the savanna, ever watchful for signs of prey and danger. A pair of mammoth bulls wrestled in the distance, the clatter of tusks and trumpeting reverberating in the crisp air. The two young women climbed a small rocky outcrop, and watched in awe as below them, a herd of pronghorn took flight in a cloud of dust, closely pursued by a cheetah.

Layla spotted a mixed herd of horses and bison some distance away. Arlina contemplated approaching them; perhaps they could pick off a young one. But before Layla could agree, Arlina suddenly turned back towards the herd, and pointed out the small pride of lions that was hidden in the sagebrush, silently stalking. Layla sighed as they carefully slid down the rocks, and headed towards the river, as behind them, the ground trembled with the thunder from hundreds of hooves.

Closer to the river, the land turned to a marsh, where the grass grew taller, providing plenty of concealment. They knew they had to be careful. Anything could be hiding in the grass, and they definitely did not want to bump into a jaguar or grizzly bear. Not far away, a small group of mastodon was placidly browsing in a grove of cypress. They gave the giants a wide berth; prey like this was definitely out of their league.

The two women walked across a small clearing in the reeds. The ground here was softer, and their feet and ankles sank into the soft dark brown mud with every step. The dogs bounded on alongside, running through the mud towards firmer ground on the other side.

"Oh my!" Layla gasped, as she suddenly sank in to her calves. Struggling to keep her balance, she used her spear to steady herself, and pulled herself out.

Arlina turned behind to check on Layla, but did not look where she placed her feet. She suddenly felt herself falling, and then realised that she was buried up to her calves in a soft patch of mud. She tried to lift one leg, causing the surface of the mud to ripple and quake, but to no avail. She continued to sink slowly into the mud, which climbed up her knees.

Layla carefully walked over to Arlina, using the shaft of her spear to probe the ground in front of her. She got as close as she could to Arlina, who had now sunk up to her upper thighs, her skirt flared out on the surface of the mud. She continued to settle deeper into the quagmire. "Oh my..." she whispered. Arlina's face was flushed with red, and she was beginning to perspire.

"You alright?" Layla asked. "No I'm fine, really. Just that the mud is making me tingle... there." She glanced down at her vanishing skirt, and then looked up at Layla.

Layla rolled her eyes. "I don't believe you. This isn't the time to be thinking of such things."

"I can't help it if it makes me feel good, can I?"

Arlina wriggled her hips; her legs were held fast by the mire, and she was still sinking. "I'm okay for now. I just need... to... get out of this. No need to worry." She placed her hands on the surface of the mud, which quickly swallowed them up, and pushed herself upwards. It didn't work; she continued to sink further. Her butt settled in the mud, which quickly proceeded to suck her until she was waist-deep. Her arms sank into the ground, consumed up to her elbows. Muddy water swirled around Arlina and filled her navel, as the mud continued to rise up her slender body.

Layla began to get worried. "You sure you really don't need help? You're getting quite deep in there."

Arlina glared at her. "I'm fine, really. A little bit more... ah yes." She stood up straight, and slowly pulled her hands free from the mud, which relinquished them with a loud squelching sound, but at the cost of sinking to just below her chest. She bent forward, wincing as she felt the muddy water soak through her top, and tried to kick her legs free from the cloying mud. She continued to sink further in, as the mud rippled around her, and her breasts vanished beneath the mire.

"That's it. I'm coming to drag you out of there."

"No, wait... I'm almost free." Arlina pulled as the mud began to lap at her shoulders.

First one leg, then the other, came free, and she carefully crawled out. Layla reached out and grabbed Arlina's hands, pulling her friend towards her. A few minutes later, Arlina managed to haul herself out onto stable ground, and sat down next to Layla, exhausted. A dog trotted up to her, and sniffed at her suspiciously.

Layla shook her head. "What are your parents and brother going to say, Arlina?"

Arlina looked down at herself, covered from the shoulders down in mud, and sighed. "Oh well, I wanted to sew new clothes anyway." She grabbed her right wrist. "Luckily my bracelet's still here. At least my mentor isn't here to give me an earful about paying attention to my surroundings. I'd never hear the end of it if he knew I was so careless."

"If I didn't know any better, you looked like you were enjoying yourself, and weren't ready to get out just yet."

"Nonsense." Arlina blushed, picked up a handful of mud and playfully flung it in Layla's direction. "Here, this will help conceal our scent." Layla stuck her tongue out at Arlina and pulled a face. She stood up, grabbed Arlina's hand and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, let's go wash up in the river, and then we can carry on with our hunt." They continued walking through the marsh.

**********

Layla noticed something on the ground. She got down on one knee and delicately traced her hand over some animal tracks in the mud. "Deer?" she asked Arlina.

Arlina nodded. "Close." She got down beside Layla and traced her finger around the edges of the hoofprint. "Elk. See how it's bigger? And the hooves are a little different from those of a deer." Layla nodded in understanding.

Arlina got up and moved on to the next hoofprint. "It's injured though."

Layla looked on and agreed. "Yes, I see how this print has a drag mark. It must be limping."

"The prints are still quite fresh. You still want to spear something, don't you?" Arlina winked.

"Of course."

The two of them resumed their walk, but now with renewed purpose. The dogs too quietened down, keeping their heads low to the ground, sniffing the grass.

They followed the elk tracks, until Arlina signaled to Layla to stop. It was strangely quiet; the birds and insects around them had fallen silent. Something large was in front of them, hidden by the long grass. Layla and Arlina could not see much, but they definitely did not want to get too close just yet. Cautiously, Arlina crept forwards, and then slowly parted the grass.

**********

The elk they had been tracking lay slumped on the ground, its legs twitching, blood gushing from its throat. The ground beneath it was stained a dark reddish brown, soaked as it was in elk blood. And pulling at its haunches was a large sabertooth, with a bloodstained face. Upon realising it was not alone, the great cat looked up. It spotted Layla and Arlina and snarled, showing off its canines. The two of them slowly retreated, not wanting to come into conflict with a sabertooth. Sabertooths might not be as bold as lions, but they were extremely irascible and defended their kills aggressively.

One of the dogs, hearing the commotion, foolishly dashed forwards through the grass; Layla tried to restrain it, but she was too slow. The dog stood in front of them and barked at the sabertooth.

They turned and ran as soon as they saw the sabertooth charge. "Stupid dog!" Arlina yelled as she ran. Behind them, the dog yelped as it burst out of the long grass, the sabertooth hot on its heels. The rest of the dogs quickly scattered in a panic. In a split second, the great cat pounced on its target and wrestled it to the ground, raking the hapless dog with its claws. Flecks of mud and grass flew as cat and dog tumbled about, the dog giving a cry of pain and fear that was suddenly cut off. Seconds later, the lifeless form of the dog lay limp on the ground, its spine broken, as the sabertooth growled and returned to its kill.

**********

Layla ran on, not daring to look behind. She knew that the sabertooth would break off its attack almost immediately and return to its kill, but she wanted to put some distance between herself and the cat first. She hoped Arlina was safe. She heard one of the dogs yelp. Better a dog than either one of us, she thought to herself, as she finally stopped beneath a cypress to catch her breath.

She was still in the marsh, but in a more unfamiliar area. She heard the dogs barking and howling all around, looking for each other. She pursed her lips and whistled, a way for members of the tribe to maintain contact without drawing too much attention. Seconds later, she heard another whistle coming from another area of the marsh. She sighed in relief. Arlina was safe.

She climbed the cypress and scanned the marsh around her. From her vantage point, she could see the grass rustling as the remaining dogs regrouped near a small pond. She was glad and relieved as she counted the dogs; only one dog had been lost. It was impossible to miss the muddy Arlina, who was still some distance away, slowly walking through the grass, following the trail left by one of the dogs. Layla whistled once more; Arlina looked up, squinted, and finally spotted her. She waved at Layla, and began a slow jog through the marsh.

Layla started to climb down the tree, and nearly fell off when she spotted something she had not seen earlier on. Just a few dozen feet away from the tree, a tapir was quietly browsing on some bushes. Strangely, it did not seem to pay any attention to all the noise nearby. A twinkle came to Layla's eye. The tapir looked quite young and inexperienced to her; it would make an easy target. If she could nail it with her first shot, she might be able to start butchering it even before Arlina arrived.

Silently, she slid down the trunk, and readied her spear. She crept forward, never taking her eyes off the tapir, which was becoming increasingly nervous and agitated. It looked around, sniffing the air. Layla got within throwing distance, and smiled. This would be easy for her.

Before she could get a good aim however, the tapir wheezed in alarm, and took off. "Oh no you don't!" Layla almost shouted as she got to her feet and chased after her quarry. She was not going to let this one go so easily.

The tapir dashed through the grass, twisting and turning every few steps. This was proving to be quite a challenge for Layla. She knew that although tapirs were hardly the fastest creatures, they were capable of turning on a dime at full speed. Put some distance between a tapir and its pursuer, and it would melt away into the undergrowth and vanish instantly. She could not afford to lose sight of it.

She had a good view of the tapir's rump, but she did not want to throw her spear just yet. It might not have mattered if she was hunting in a group, but here she was alone. She needed a broadside view; a shot to the rump would only make the tapir run faster, and she would probably lose both the tapir and her spear. No, she had only one chance, and she needed to make it work. Her one shot had to incapacitate the tapir.

The tapir made a sudden turn, and dashed off to one side. However, this time Layla was prepared for it. She had a good view of the tapir's flank. She steadied her arm, and flung her spear.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Layla watched as the spear flew through the air, hurtling towards the tapir. She gave a whoop of joy as she saw the point embed itself in the tapir's soft underbelly, and it took a tumble, rolling head over heels in the soft earth.

Layla picked herself up and ran towards the tapir. It staggered to its feet, squealing, and tried to dash off once more, Layla's spear still firmly embedded in its side. It made it only a few feet, then collapsed to the ground with a splatter of dirt, wheezing softly.

She hooted in triumph, and jogged over to her still twitching prize. She suddenly stumbled; her feet were caught in something. She barely had time to look down as she lost her balance, and she fell forwards, her arms outstretched to break her fall.

Her arms plunged into the ground, sending a stream of bubbles that sputtered and burst on the surface. Upon spotting the telltale black sludge oozing up from the mud and dead leaves, Layla gasped in surprise. Tar pit!

Layla was familiar with the pits of liquid asphalt that oozed and bubbled up from the ground in certain places. In some places, unpleasant sticky stuff came out of the ground, trapping any unwary animal that stepped in it. Her people went to great lengths to avoid areas where these pits were common. Not only because of the risk to safety, but also because the trapped animals were a magnet for dangerous predators.

She tried to get up, grimacing in disgust at the warm sticky wetness beneath her, and which engulfed much of her lower body. It coated her legs and stomach, and her own arms were trapped up to the elbows in the stuff. She winced as she tried to struggle against the sticky trap, feeling the unpleasant goo lick her beneath her skirt. This certainly did not feel good at all. Her struggles only served to stir up the tar, which washed over the leaves and dirt that once covered it, showing to Layla the true size of the pit.

She knew that she was not in much danger; although sometimes animals drowned in the tar when they panicked, the biggest threat came from thirst, hunger and exposure to the elements. People in her tribe had gotten stuck in the asphalt pits before, but they had the good sense not to struggle too much and wait for others to pull them out. Besides, most of these traps were just a few inches deep. Arlina was definitely in the area; Layla just had to call for her and wait for help.

"Arlina! Where are you?"

Layla tried to get up, straining to pull her left arm free from the black slime, even as her right arm sank deeper. Strings of liquid asphalt clung to her arm as she tried to pull it free. She could hardly move her legs now, which were completely engulfed in the tar. She could feel herself sinking in slightly deeper, the tar slowly claiming her hips and clinging to her butt.

"Yuck. How am I going to get this stuff off myself later? I guess my clothes are ruined."

"Layla!"

"Over here!" Layla cried out, relieved that Arlina was approaching. She managed to completely free her left arm, recoiling at the globs of pitch that dripped off it. Holding it up high, she tried to pull her right arm out of the pit. It was hard work, and as she tried to move to a standing position, she could feel the tar creeping higher and higher up her body. Stupid tapir, she thought, as she turned around to see that the dead tapir was still there, impaled by her spear.

"How deep is this stuff," she muttered. She stood upright, and stared worriedly at the slime, which had now swallowed her up to her navel. She noticed how as she sank, her body made a small indentation in the tar, which continued to flow so slowly to fill it up. She could not feel any bottom, and tried to kick her legs, but to no avail. They were trapped in the thick goo. Well, at least her arms were free. She tried to reach forward, stretching her fingers forward to find something to hold on to, but all around her was tar and more tar. Leaning backwards, her hands managed to find purchase on the ground, and she pushed. Slowly, she began to rise out of the sludge. Thick strands of tar clung to her, holding her to the sticky goo. Just as she had hauled herself out to her hips, the ground beneath her crumbled away, and she fell back in, this time several inches deeper than she was previously.

Layla stifled a sob; her fight became a little more desperate. "Help! Arlina! Hurry up!" She screamed as she continued to sink deeper into the tar. She had heard of pits deep enough to swallow a mammoth whole, but they were just stories to scare little children, weren't they?

"I'm coming! Keep talking!" Arlina's voice had a tone of urgency to it; Layla rarely needed to scream for help.

"Quickly! I'm in a tar pit!" The tar was now creeping up her lower ribs.

Arlina's voice now sounded scared. "Okay I'm coming! Don't struggle!"

"I'm trying not to..." Layla said to herself, trying to calm herself. She was trembling with fear, as the ooze began to lap at her heaving chest.

She was distracted by a shadow passing above her. She gazed up, and saw a vulture pass overhead. She sighed and rolled her eyes, trying to take her mind off her predicament. Another vulture circled in the sky, and it was soon joined by several more. A condor flew down towards her and perched in a nearby tree, watching. She sank slightly deeper with every passing second; now the sludge had begun to cup her breasts. Her top, soaked with a mixture of sweat and tar, was beginning to be pulled beneath the surface. Layla shuddered slightly as the tar rose higher and higher. Her slime-coated arms were starting to ache, and she bit her lip, trying not to panic as she felt the tar mould itself to every curve of her body. She felt her breasts first slowly being pushed upwards by the tar, and as she continued to sink, the ooze seeped in between her cleavage, then simply poured over her breasts and consumed them.

"Layla! Where are you?" Arlina sounded like she was drawing closer, and Layla could now hear the dogs barking.

"Over here! Quickly!" Her arms were really starting to cramp now, and she had to fight the urge to rest them. She forced herself to raise her arms higher as the slurping tar swallowed her armpits, and continued to crawl higher towards her shoulders.

Something snorted in the long grass in front of her. Layla could only watch, not knowing what to expect. She couldn't help but scream as a short-faced bear shuffled into view, a huge old male from the looks of it, far larger than any grizzly she had ever seen. Although she knew how huge these beasts were, she had never been so close to one that was still alive. The monstrous carnivore grunted, stopped at the edge of the tar pit, barely ten feet away from her, and stared at Layla with hunger in his eyes. Layla had to look away; she did not like being regarded as a potential meal.

"Arlina! Help! There's a short-faced bear here!" Her frightened cries startled the bear, which reared up onto his hind legs and roared. Layla winced involuntarily; at such close proximity, not only did her ears ring at the sheer intensity of the sound, she could even feel the blast of hot air, and smelled the stench of carrion on his breath. She even thought she felt one or two flecks of bear spittle. His huge form loomed over her, blocking her view completely. Layla hoped desperately that he wouldn't come any closer. One swat to the head from those massive paws and she would definitely be dead, tar or no tar.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Layla fought the growing surge of panic. Right now, all she wanted to do was struggle and try and run, anything to get her away from the fearsome bear. Tears welled up in her eyes as she squirmed in her gooey prison, which oozed over her shoulders and sucked at her neck.

Arlina was coming closer; the dogs barked nearby. It seemed that the bear heard them coming as well; he dropped back down on all fours and looked around.

The dogs charged out of the grass, but drew back when they saw their fearful adversary. "Go on! Go!" Layla heard Arlina shout as she too ran towards the bear.

"Arlina! What took you so long?" Layla tried to shout, trying not to move too much as she sank just a little deeper.

"Oh my-" Arlina's jaw dropped as she saw Layla's mortal peril. "Okay, hold still, I'll try and drive off this bear first. Don't go anywhere!"

"I'm not going anywhere but down! And be careful!"

The dogs surrounded the bear, barking angrily, yet staying just out of reach. The bear lunged here and there; he was quick, but the dogs were just slightly more nimble. Arlina shook her spear and shouted at the bear. She hurled a large piece of wood, which bounced off the top of his massive head. The bear roared at her and reared up; Arlina whimpered as she fought the urge to turn and run. Trying to put on a brave front, she continued to shout at the bear, while the dogs darted around him, trying to get behind, nipping at his feet. The bear turned on one of the dogs, but was immediately distracted; there were just too many targets.

Layla felt the tar slurping at her chin, and prayed that Arlina would come to her aid soon. She leaned her head backwards; she couldn't help but lower her arms a little to relieve the cramps. "Arlina, please hurry up," she whispered.

The bear charged straight at Arlina. She forced herself to stand her ground, even as the hulking form of the bear loomed closer and closer. Then, at the last moment, when she was close enough to feel the hot blast of breath from the bear's exhalation, she leapt to one side, feeling the rush of wind as the bear missed her by inches. She hit the ground, rolled, and found herself next to the dead tapir. So, Layla did manage to catch something after all, she thought to herself, as she pulled Layla's spear out; blood trickled out of the gaping hole left behind.

Layla watched the scene from the corner of her eye. She strained her neck back as she felt the warm sticky embrace of the tar all around her. She felt the back of her head pressing into the tar, her hair spread around her slowly vanishing head. Before she could flinch, she felt the ooze pour into her ears. In moments, she could hear nothing but her slow, laboured breathing. "Arlina..." she called out, as a tear ran down her cheek. She could not take it any more; her arms were burning, and she rested them on the surface of the tar, which accepted them greedily.

Arlina looked over at Layla, and gasped, but it was a near-fatal mistake. She did not see the bear coming at her until it was almost too late, and although she did manage to jump to safety, the bear's claws grazed her leg. She winced in pain as the blood began to flow.

Rising to her feet, she raised her spear and threw it at the bear. The bear dodged, but the point still managed to graze his shoulder, leaving a shallow cut. He turned to lunge at a dog, and clamped his jaws on one of the dog's legs. Throwing his head back and forth, the bear shook the dog furiously, which howled and then went limp, its back broken. He dropped the dog, and then savagely turned on another. The dog feinted and tried to dart out of the way, but the bear hooked it with one huge paw, then ferociously battered the helpless dog with his front paws. Seconds later, the bear stopped his mauling and turned his attention to another dog. The mortally wounded dog tried to crawl away, yelping in pain as the bear trampled its crushed body. It was a horrific sight, its skull smashed in, legs shattered and belly torn open, entrails poking out of the gaping wounds. It collapsed, never to rise again.

Arlina gasped in horror at the brutal carnage. Two dogs killed, and she felt relief as yet another dog just barely slipped out of the bear's grasp. The bear turned back towards her and reared up. She picked up Layla's spear, paused as she took aim, and threw it with all her might. The bear roared once more as the spear pierced his thigh. He turned in circles, trying to dislodge the spear, then seeing Arlina and the surviving dogs running towards him, finally seemed to give up the fight, and took off. He galloped through the grass, leaving a trail of bloodstains. The shaft of the spear, still embedded in his leg, struck the trunk of a tree as the bear ran past. It was finally wrenched free, and the bear roared once more. And then, he was gone, with the dogs still in pursuit.

**********

Arlina turned back and ran towards the tar pit, taking care not to step into the same trap that had now almost completely swallowed Layla. Finding what was left of Layla cost Arlina a few precious seconds; it was difficult to spot her, her face a rapidly vanishing island in a sea of black ooze, her fingertips still desperately scrabbling at the surface.

"Layla!" Arlina called out. The dogs had returned, and now they warily circled the tar pit. Some of them sniffed at their fallen packmates and began whining.

Layla could not hear anything, but she opened her eyes, and saw Arlina reaching out for her. She was now crying in fear, even as she tried to maintain her composure while she was being devoured by the asphalt. She whispered to Arlina. "Goodbye", and then closed her eyes as she felt the tar creep up her chin and swallow more of her face. Bubbles rose around her and popped, splattering her face with tar. She had to suppress the urge to cough; her nostrils were filled with the stench of decay and sulphur. Any moment now, she thought, expecting the pitch to come pouring into the small depression she was in and envelope her forever. How much longer did she have until she slipped under? Layla whispered a silent prayer for the future that she would never get to experience, and for the members of the tribe who would grieve for her.

Arlina stretched her arm out towards Layla, but she was too far away. Trying to fight back tears and remain calm, she ran to grab her spear. Holding the end of the shaft towards Layla's fingers, she leaned out as far as she could, hoping that she would not fall over into the tar pit herself.

"Come on, Layla, come on." Arlina tried to smile reassuringly as the tip of the shaft just barely brushed against Layla's tar-coated fingertips. "You were never one to give up so easily. Come on, you can do this." She shuffled forward a few inches; her toes were touching the tar now, but it was nothing compared to Layla's situation.

Layla felt something touch her fingers. It took her a moment to realise that it was the shaft of a spear. Reaching her hand out towards it, she strained to resist the tar that was holding her arm back. She managed to grasp the spear with one hand, and held on. All she could see now was the sky above, and in the corner of her eyes, the walls of semi-solidified tar that surrounded her face, threatening at any moment to pour upon her face and consume her.

"Yes! Hold on!" Arlina pulled as hard as she could. The grip of the slime was strong; she was being dragged further forwards into the pit, yet Layla hardly moved at all.

"Arlina! Save yourself!" Layla whispered.

"No way! After all the trouble you've made me go through, getting chased by a sabertooth, and nearly getting killed fighting a short-faced bear, the least you can do is not die!" Arlina resumed pulling, holding the spear against her side so that she would not impale herself upon the point.

Layla felt as if her left arm would be wrenched out of its socket before she would even rise an inch, but she clung on for dear life. The tar gurgled as the two young women fought against its relentless grip. Ever so slowly, Layla's head began to rise from the goo. Arlina's hands nearly slipped once, but she quickly regained her grip and held onto the spear with renewed tenacity.

Arlina pulled the spear slowly but steadily, fighting the grip of the tar that not only covered Layla, but which had also swallowed her up to her ankles. It was exhausting, trying to fight the sticky tar. Yet slowly, inch by precious inch, her efforts began to pay off. Her arms burned, but she knew she could not afford to stop. As Layla continued to emerge from the ooze, she tried her best to lean forward, getting a better grip on the spear. A thick film of tar clung to Layla, refusing to relinquish its hold on her.

Progress was agonisingly slow. It seemed to take hours just to get Layla out to her neck, as the two young women battled against the treacherous pit. Layla gritted her teeth and tried not to cry out, even as the tar continued to tug at her, pulling at her, reluctant to let go of its victim. Her ears cleared, and she winced at the noises that filled her ears.

Layla wriggled her arms, trying to free them. She fought a wave of panic as she felt herself sink a couple of inches deeper while she tried to pull her right arm free.

"Don't do that! Hold still!" Arlina shouted.

Arlina groaned as she pulled; the effort was taking its toll on her entire body. Even as Layla slowly emerged from the sludge, she herself was slowly sliding forward into the pit; now it was sucking greedily at her calves, but for now, she had other things to worry about.

Layla slowly wriggled her arm free, grimacing as she lifted it up through the layers of tar, and grabbed the spear with both hands. Arlina suddenly felt the spear being pulled out of her hands, and caught it just in time. She looked up at Layla, who was staring straight at her with tear-filled eyes. "Hang in there, Layla. Be strong."

It hurt for Arlina to even move now, every muscle in her body was cramping, screaming for rest. Her laboured breathing betrayed the incredible strain and effort she was going through. Groaning as her aching body cried out for her to stop, she gave another tug on the spear, her hands trembling. The dogs ran about excitedly, barking encouragement.

Arlina suddenly screamed as she lost her balance and fell on her butt. The spear was yanked out of her hands, but she managed to lean forward and grab onto it just in time. Slowly rising to her feet, she pulled against the tar that clung to her butt and the back of her legs, noting that she was now up to her knees in the pitch. At least Layla had finally managed to free both arms and was now up to her shoulders.

"Are you okay?" Layla asked, concerned about her would-be rescuer's safety. The last thing either of them needed was for Arlina to get trapped as well.

"I'm fine. Just... a little deeper than I was before. At least I can feel a bottom here." Arlina tried to raise one leg, but gave up after a short struggle. "Oh, the bottom moves."

"I think it's not ground you're standing on, but bones."

"Perhaps. I don't really want to find out. How are you?"

"I'm still alive. I think this stuff is drying on me. I can move my hips a little, but my legs are still stuck though."

"We're making good progress."

"Yeah I hope so. I'm thirsty."

"Yeah me too."

The two friends laughed; it was all they could do to take their minds off the grave peril of their predicament.

"When I get out of this I am going to beat that stupid tapir for getting me into this mess."

"Well I'm going to beat you first for making me go through all this."

"Oh come on, we're friends, remember? Friends are supposed to stick together."

"Right. Talk about sticking together. I don't plan to be stuck together with you in this horrible place." Arlina resumed pulling with renewed vigour.

Gradually, Layla felt more of her body begin to slip free from the tar. Her chest re-emerged, covered in the black nasty stuff. Arlina squinted at Layla. "Is your top still on?"

"I can't tell. I think it is." Layla used one hand to feel her chest. "Yeah, it's still there. But it's full of tar."

Arlina chuckled to herself. "What's so funny?" Layla asked.

"Sorry, couldn't help but realise something," Arlina giggled. "You remember when I fell in the mud earlier today, and you asked me what my family would say when they saw how my clothes were ruined?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Well, seems like you're in the same situation as well."

Layla sighed and looked down at herself. Arlina did have a point. She was nearly completely coated in a thick layer of tar. No amount of washing and sunning would ever get her clothes clean. She was now up to her waist, and leaned forward so that Arlina could stand a little further back where the tar was not so deep.

"At least all I have to do is wash up in the river. You'll need to go for a good soak in the mineral pools. And if you're lucky, you won't lose your skin and hair when all that muck comes off."

"Thanks for the reminder. Don't forget you're in need of the mineral pools yourself." Arlina knew Layla was right. Besides having the back of her legs and everything from the knees down coated in tar, much of her body was spattered with small flecks of it. At least her clothes were ruined even before this.

Layla's hips began to slide up and out of the tar. She tried to stifle a sob as she found herself being able to move her legs a little. Leaning even further forwards and resting herself on the surface of the tar, she tightened her grip as she willed her legs to rise out of the gooey asphalt. "Um… Arlina, I think my skirt is sliding down my legs."

"Nothing I've never seen before."

Layla held back tears as she felt her thighs slip free. Several minutes later, she could kick with her feet. Arlina gave a shout of joy as Layla's feet finally slipped out of the tar with a loud pop, and she could not help but cry even as she pulled on the spear, letting Layla slide across the surface of the slime towards freedom. Layla tried not to blush as she felt her skirt slip off her legs and into the tar, which swallowed it up with a satisfied slurp.

Arlina stepped backwards, tugging and pulling her own tar-coated feet out of the pit. She dropped the spear and collapsed in an exhausted heap. Layla crawled up to her, and slumped to the ground beside her. The two friends embraced and kissed, while the dogs paced around them excitedly.

"Thanks." Layla began to sob as she held Arlina close.

"I thought I was going to lose you in there." Arlina blinked back tears and tried to run her fingers through Layla's hair. Realising that she was running her hands through globs of tar, Arlina grimaced and shook her hand to dislodge all the tar stuck to it.

"I know. When that bear arrived, and took so long to finally leave, I thought it was the end for me. I wouldn't be alive now if not for you." Layla hugged Arlina tighter, leaving more smears of tar on her upper body.

Arlina plucked the feathers from Layla's hair; barely recognisable as feathers, they were covered in a thick sludge. "Your feathers are ruined."

"I guessed so." Layla sighed. "At least my necklace is still here. And my bracelet - oh dear. Adnan will be so sad when he finds out."

"Don't be silly. My brother can always carve a new one for you. I think he'd be so happy and relieved that you're still alive."

Arlina looked up in the sky; it was afternoon, and the sun's rays were beginning to make the tar on her and Layla dry into a thin crust. "Let's head down to the mineral pools before this gunk dries."

"Yes, of course. I'll need you to help scrub my back."

"What about that?" Arlina gestured in the direction of the tapir.

"We'll go pick it up once we're done. Hopefully the vultures won't find it so soon. You're not expecting us to bring it along to the mineral pools, are you?"

"Hush. You hear that?" Arlina put a finger to her lips and listened intently; another dog in the grass was barking. Layla struggled to get up, and reached for her spear.

**********

One of the other dogs from the tribe emerged from the grass, quickly followed by a young man, slightly older than Arlina. He was thin but well-muscled, with a tattoo of a snarling wolf on his bare chest. He wore pants sewn from deerskin, and had a necklace of seashells and bobcat claws.

"Arlina? Layla? How did you..." he paused in mid-sentence, and raised an eyebrow at the scene before him.

"Catan! What are you doing here?" Layla asked. Arlina blushed slightly, and Layla grinned; she knew Arlina had feelings for Catan.

"I was hunting ducks over at the river with old Nuba here” and Catan nodded his head at the dog that accompanied him everywhere. "We heard a great commotion, lots of dogs barking and people shouting and screaming. We decided to investigate, and nearly got flattened by this wounded short-faced bear that came straight at me. Luckily I managed to jump out of the way, and he ran off. I guess that has something to do with what happened here?" he asked quizzically.

"Yeah. Long story short, she was hunting a tapir, fell into the tar pit, the bear came along, me and the dogs chased him off, and I'd just gotten her out." Arlina smiled at Catan.

Catan surveyed the scene, and looked impressed. "Considering that most times, it takes half a dozen men to drive away a short-faced bear... and you single-handedly managed to pull her out of the tar pit? Wait till the tribe hears of this. Anything I can do to help?"

Arlina got up and walked towards Catan, her arms outstretched. "Well, a hug right now would be perfect."

Catan backed away quickly. “I’d love to, really. But no thanks, I'd prefer my clothes to stay clean." Arlina pretended to look hurt, and Layla laughed.

"Well, we'd appreciate it if you could help us carve up that dead tapir while we head to the mineral pools and clean up."

"Sure, definitely. You want me to stay and wait for you?"

Layla winked. "Well, if this is a plan to see us come back all clean and naked..."

Catan's face turned red. "Er no, not at all... I understand." He looked over at Arlina, whose face turned a deeper shade of red.

"Layla, let's not stay here and chit-chat. Come, we need to go wash up. Bye Catan." Arlina smiled at Catan, grabbed Layla's hand and strode off through the grass.

"Bye." Catan smiled at them, unsheathed his knife and turned towards the tapir.

**********

"Aw, you're shy, aren't you?" Layla poked Arlina in the side with one finger when they were out of earshot. The dogs had stayed at Catan’s side.

"Stop it, will you?" Arlina swatted at Layla playfully; flakes of dried tar came loose from her shoulder and fell off.

The trek to the mineral pools was not very far, but by the time they had gotten there, both women had picked up a layer of leaves, soil and other debris, which stuck to the tar on their bodies. "I'll be glad to wash all this off." Layla said, and Arlina nodded in agreement.

They were headed towards a nearby volcanic area, where numerous warm springs bubbled out of the ground. The tribe almost never visited these pools, except during those extremely rare occasions when someone fell into a tar pit and needed to be cleaned up.

"Yuck." Arlina screwed up her nose at the smell of the fumes.

The two friends removed their clothes and waded in. They spent the next hour washing off all the tar, scrubbing at their skin with their fingers. The tar came off in little pieces that floated away and gradually dissolved in the water.

"My hair feels funny." Layla twirled at her locks. Arlina washed her spear in the water, rubbing off the coating of tar. "Here, help me scrub my back. I can't reach." Layla turned her back to Arlina, who obliged. "You've missed a spot there." Layla said, as she turned her head and picked at a spot of tar on Arlina's cheek. “Thanks for everything. I owe you one.” Layla looked into Arlina’s eyes, and they kissed once more.

"I wonder if my clothes will be clean if I soak them in this water." Arlina reached for her top and dunked it in the water. Rubbing it underwater for a few moments, she brought it up and wrung the water out of it, then shook her head and tossed her top back onto dry land. "No point, it's completely ruined."

"Well, when's the last time we walked around in the woods completely naked?"

"When we were seven, Layla. You'd better hope we manage to sneak into camp unseen. Don't want all that unnecessary attention from the men."

"Catan would love to see you like this." Layla winked.

"My brother would be so happy to see you naked." Arlina splashed water at Layla.

"Okay, I'm clean. Let's go for a dip in the river before we head back."

Layla and Arlina climbed out of the pool and walked in the direction of the river.

**********

After the two of them had bathed in the river, they swam downstream, letting the current carry them along. They knew that the river would bring them nearer to their camp, and simply enjoyed the view. They floated past a herd of bathing mammoths, and watched while a mother short-faced bear brought her cubs down to the river for a drink. She stood on the riverbank, watching the two women, then nuzzled one of her cubs and retreated into the reeds. Both friends let out a sigh of relief; one confrontation with a bear was enough for today.

They climbed out of the river, and snuck through the woods towards the camp. The rest of the tribe was busy; some were preparing a fire, while others were cutting up and preparing the camel they had butchered earlier that day. Some of the camp dogs ran up to greet the naked Layla and Arlina, wagging their tails and panting excitedly.

"See you in a while." Arlina ducked into the tent occupied by her family.

"Sure." Layla crawled into her own family's tent, put down her spear, and rummaged through her belongings until she picked out another set of clothes sewn from horse skin. She put them on, and poked her head out of the tent when she heard a commotion. She saw a group of people gathered in front of Catan, who had returned with the butchered tapir, and who seemed to be engrossed with telling them something. Probably weaving a tale about the adventure that she and Arlina had today, she thought to herself, and smiled.

"Oh, and there they are!" Catan pointed excitedly. Arlina had stepped out of her tent, and she was now clad in the striped skin of a quagga. Layla came out of her tent and waved sheepishly as the crowd gathered. Layla’s parents came up and embraced her tearfully.

"So these are the hunters who fought off a short-faced bear?" an older man asked, visibly impressed.

"Well, it was Arlina." Layla smiled. “I spent the whole time stuck in a tar pit.”

"I had plenty of help from the dogs." Arlina explained.

"Layla?" She heard someone call her name, turned and saw Adnan.

Layla ran up to him and hugged him.

"I'm glad you're safe." Adnan held her close, and delicately brushed the hair from her eyes.

She looked up at his face and felt tears coming to her eyes. "I wouldn't be here if not for your sister."

Arlina bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders. "It was nothing. I mean... that's what friends are for." Catan sneaked up on her and hugged her from behind, startling Arlina. "Now you can hug me." Arlina turned to face Catan, smiled, and returned the gesture.

Layla laughed, and turned to Adnan. "Come, let's go prepare some tapir for dinner."

**********

Two weeks had passed since Layla's encounter with the tar pit. Although there were some nights when she woke up in a cold sweat, having nightmares of drowning in the ooze, she had more or less put the incident behind her. She waved at Arlina and Catan, who were walking hand in hand, a freshly-killed dwarf pronghorn slung over his back.

Layla had sewn a new set of clothes made from the hide of the tapir she had killed, and now wore feathers from a bald eagle in her hair. She jogged through the woods, reaching the old cedar where Adnan was waiting for her. Slim and well-built, he wore pants sewn from llama hide, with golden eagle talons and a small ivory figurine of a sabertooth hanging from his necklace. A stylised tattoo of a charging bison adorned his left bicep, and he wore an armband of jaguar claws. To Layla, he looked absolutely dashing.

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and they hugged briefly. "I have something for you."

"Really, Adnan? What is it?" Layla looked up at him expectantly.

"Here. A little gift I made to replace the jackrabbit bone bracelet you lost." He opened his hand.

"Oh... it's beautiful. You shouldn't have..." Layla gasped as she saw what he had, and they kissed.

In Adnan's open palm was a brand new bracelet, decorated with two small figurines of a rearing short-faced bear and a running tapir carved from mastodon ivory. Dangling in between them, shaped into a perfect teardrop, was a shiny, polished piece of dried tar.

FIN

[TAP_bagan]

I was looking for this story a few months ago, thank you for reposting it, it's one of my favorites.
Great Job

[65sinking]

I was looking for this story a few months ago, thank you for reposting it, it's one of my favorites.
Great Job

Oh wow, I didn't expect that my story had such an impact, especially for a creator like you. Thank you for the praise!

[songs4theDeaf]

Bloody fantastic story here. I like the detail you put on Layla's sinking, a lot of stories tend to exposit internal monologues and eventually go "oh yeah they're up to their neck now btw". And the tension of having a bear show up! Really throws a spanner in the works of the rescue, I know the title implies that she gets saved but that climax really had me wondering if she was gonna make it for a second.

[65sinking]

Bloody fantastic story here. I like the detail you put on Layla's sinking, a lot of stories tend to exposit internal monologues and eventually go "oh yeah they're up to their neck now btw". And the tension of having a bear show up! Really throws a spanner in the works of the rescue, I know the title implies that she gets saved but that climax really had me wondering if she was gonna make it for a second.

Thank you so much for the kind words! And it's really amazing that you decided to leave your first comment on this forum in response to my story.

Yes, I find that it's often a bit of a struggle to find the right balance between describing the sinking, and elaborating more on the characters' thoughts and emotions. I'm glad that you liked it!