While wandering the mountain for a scouting trip, you notice a damp, shaded area. There is a cave there, and a cool breeze wafts from within.

You decide to step inside for just a moment, unable to resist your curiosity. Just in case there's a bear or something, you grip a nearby wooden stick—hardly reassuring, but better than nothing—and move forward relying on your smartphone's light.

The rocks are covered in moss and are very slippery. If you were to run, you'd surely slip, crack your head open, and that would be the end of you. You step carefully, one foot at a time, with extreme caution.

The humidity is getting stronger. The scent of earth, moss, and fungal mold mixes with the moisture, creating a unique odor. Perhaps it's geosmin. It's not exactly a nauseating smell, but it's far from what people would call a 'good' scent like fabric softener or flowers.

Slip! You thought you were being careful, but apparently, it wasn't enough. Your body loses balance and tilts backward. Thinking only of your head, you reflexively throw away your phone and the stick to cradle the back of your skull. Thud. The impact hits your buttocks and back. It seems there was a steep drop ahead. Using the wet moss as a lubricant, you begin to slide down faster and faster on your rear and back.

At this rate, you'll slam into a rock wall at high speed and be smashed to pieces. Just as you prepare for death, you hit something squishy—a soft yet elastic cushion that saves you from a fatal collision with the wall. ...Wait, there shouldn't be a cushion in a place like this. This is the deepest part of a damp cave filled with the smell of wet earth, moss, and mold.

Feeling it with your hands, the cushion feels slimy and gooey. Looking around, you see several holes in the ceiling where light leaks through. Following that light, you see a body reflecting a wet sheen. It moves slowly and heavily, passing through the patches of light. The last thing illuminated is the head of a slug.

You quickly pull yourself away. Your clothes have been shredded during the long slide, leaving you nearly naked, draped in mere rags. With almost nothing separating your skin from the slug, thick, slimy mucus is smeared all over you. It won't come off even if you try to rub it against the rock walls.

Thinking you need to get out of here, you look back at the way you fell. It's a very steep incline. Between the moss and your body being covered in slime, even if you tried to grab the rocks, you'd likely just slip and fall on your tailbone within seconds. You can't call for help because you dropped your phone when you slipped, leaving it behind with the wooden stick. As for escaping through the holes in the ceiling, it's impossible; they are far out of reach.

While you are weighing your options, you feel that slimy sensation on your back again. Turning around fearfully, you find the slug's head looming at close range.