Deciding that then and there was not the place to camp for the night, Sloane turned around for what felt like the ten thousandth time, and started trekking in a direction that might be the ticket to freedom.

Before she knew what had happened, the feeling of weightlessness took over and darkness surrounded her. The feeling of nothing below as she fell would have heightened her fear except that all senses were lost for a split second.

The shock of the fall and intense burning sensation in her foot took her breath away, causing a delayed reaction. Her back hit something firm, helping to further deplete her lungs of oxygen. Once she could gulp in any kind of a breath, it was used to let out a shrieking cry.

Thick tears streamed down her face, obscuring her vision. After blinking several times, shapes began to form in the dark, showcasing the walls of a man-dug hole. It wasn't deep; one could stand and touch the top. But the metal stake driven through the ball of her right foot made that quite a bit difficult.

Her body trembled as she stared at the blood dripping off the piercing tip, down her foot, and to the ground. Her leg was bent at an odd angle from the way she had fallen and she found herself staring at several eclectic objects that could have impaled other various body parts. A shudder coursed through her as a pair of heavy, rusted shears just inches from her right hand came into view. A circular saw blade stuck out of the ground to the left. She forced her eyes away before she could begin thinking about how much worse the fall could have been.

Her vision blurred again when she tried to reposition herself to see if it would be possible to pull her foot up. Another wail pierced the air and she fell back against the wall. She couldn't keep her extremities still, which caused the injured foot to push and pull against the stake, creating a never ceasing affliction to plague her.

She struggled to control her breathing, but it was no use; the pain was too extreme.

"Help!" Sloane tried to scream but her throat was tight and she was sure even if anyone else had been in those woods, they would have never heard her. Over and over again, Sloane screamed out in desperation, never having any real hope of being rescued.

The light of the day was gone and noises that would frighten anyone could be heard. Her hand groped in the black for the phone with no luck. Disappointed and scared, she figured it had been flung into the woods when she'd fallen.

The bulge of the bag pressed into her back, giving little comfort. After several attempts, she managed to free an arm of one strap. Each little movement renewed the torment in her foot.

Sloane pulled out her torch flashlight, pushed the power button, and cursed. The stupid thing wouldn't turn on. After realigning the batteries and the device still not turning on, it was chucked into the darkness. A soft thud sounded as heavy metal landed somewhere in the pit.

She struggled to keep her eyes open and her brain felt foggy. At some point, fighting against the feeling and the anguish became a losing battle.

Between waking to the same dark and the pain being more intense than before as she went to move her right leg, nothing felt any less frightening. The movement sparked a whole new round of blood curdling screams and body spasms.

When she was able to calm down enough that rough sobs escaped her mouth, she risked trying to lift her foot away again. Of course, the outcome wasn't any different. Another mournful wail erupted as tears left their trails down her ashen face.

This time, she fainted much quicker. When she came to, only a few minutes had passed and she wasn't surprised to be in the dark. She repeated this cycle several times, losing count of how many. But at some point, the sky started to lighten.

Sloane risked looking at the injury to see blood had seeped around the metal and dribbled into a large puddle at her foot. She was sure her boot was filled with blood and realized she would have bled to death if she had managed to pull her foot off; and still might die regardless.

Her breathing was shallow and she began to shiver even though the morning air was already warm. After rubbing dry hands over her face, she thought it felt like she had a fever, but it could have just been in her head. Everything, besides the searing pain, felt surreal.

She peered through the branches to see a gray sky. The impending downpour sparked a new feeling of dread. Her mind jumped to the thought that it wouldn't take long to drown being stuck in that position, in that small space. Her only hope would be that the ground would soak up the rain, but she didn't have much faith that anything would go her way. All rationality was lost as being trapped took its toll on her mind.

It was getting close to impossible to keep her eyes open. With heavy limbs and her head lolling to the side, she tried to shake herself awake, but it only caused more pain.

The next time she woke, her leg was higher than it had been before. Glancing around, moving as little as possible, she saw that the rain had come; enough to soften the ground to mush. The softer ground had given under her weight and she had sunk some while her foot remained in place.

The new position renewed the burning pain and fresh tears sprang to her eyes. Shuddering breaths, trying to keep from crying, didn't help to subside the discomfort. She braced herself, hands sinking in the sludge around her, eyes screwed shut causing strange lights to dance in her vision. When the pain dulled some, she swiped a hand across her forehead, finding a strange delight in the coolness from the mud.

It must have only been a few minutes, maybe even seconds, but it felt like an eternity before Sloane used what little strength she had to call for help. "Somebody!" The sounds of chirping birds and buzzing insects were the only answer. Under normal circumstances, the sound would have been peaceful and cheery. "Help! Please!"

Her breath caught at a new sound; twigs snapped as the fallen damp leaves muted the footfalls. As the noise came closer, her desire to be free of that prison overruled any fears. She began yelling again.

After several seconds, a face appeared above, peering down into the hole. She couldn't make out any details as tears clouded her vision and grogginess flooded over her. Her next plea for help came out a whimper.

"It's okay. It's okay. Just stay calm." The voice was gentle with a Southern twang. He moved around the hole, looking for a way to help, she assumed.

Even as he lowered himself into the hole, Sloane continued to plead. The way he moved was that of a predator approaching its prey. While she should have been scared, all she could think about was how close her freedom was.

He knelt down and touched her injured foot with care. She felt herself starting to slip again, until he took a firm hold on her heel and yanked up in one swift motion.

A wave of nausea overwhelmed her as she took in a sharp breath. Several guttural sounds came out of her throat, her body shaking from the slight shock.

He moved with speed and agility, taking the boot off before she could even comprehend what had just happened. His fingers were gentle and swift as he bundled some kind of cloth around her foot. He had it wrapped so tight, only pressure could be felt rather than pain. He pulled her into his arms and hefted her higher than anyone would think possible.

"Ya gotta climb." His hands were positioned on her butt, but before she could respond, he said "I'll push." His voice was strained as he began to push on her backside.

Her movements were automatic and later she'd wonder how she managed to do her part in getting out of that hole, but in that next second, she laid on her back, staring into the branches to see a baby blue sky beyond. A few more seconds passed before his face wavered in and out.

"You're gonna to be just fine." If the thick fog of dreariness hadn't enveloped her, she'd have registered the malice in his voice and noticed the weird smirk on his face. His arms slid under her body as he cradled her against his own, just before darkness took over once more.

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Banner photo found at https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2017.22001