"This isn't funny..." Eric paused and looked backwards. The tunnel behind was as dark and empty as ahead. Eric fumbled through his pockets, grabbing his iPhone. Flicking it on, it's screen blinded Eric in the darkness. Turning on the flashlight mode and swinging it around Eric saw that rather than brick walls and steam pipes that he expected, the walls were rough rock, looking more like a mineshaft than the campus tunnel.

""Whaa...?" Eric touched the wall to assure himself it was real. The wall was rough to the touch, with a heavy coating of dirt. Eric was confused, did he get turned around and walked into a unfinished excavation? But why was he alone? Eric turned around and walked back, losing a bit of his mind with each step as the tunnel continued, getting damper and colder with each step. At some point in his zombie-like trance, Eric was brought up short by rocks covering the path. Looking forward he saw that the tunnel was collapsed and he could no longer progress.

Looking down, Eric noticed that the battery was blinking red on his Iphone. He turned and started running the other way, fearful that he would be trapped underground with no light. Running and puffing up the tunnel, his Iphone went dark. Now trapped in the darkness, Eric started to cry... "why... why...". As his eye adjusted to the darkness, he saw a dim light from ahead, which beckoned him forward.

Approaching the light, Eric saw the exit to the mineshaft. The exit was camouflaged with branches and leaves. Eric gingerly started to pick apart the camouflage, wishing for some gloves to protect his hands from brambles. Once cleared, Eric stepped out of the mineshaft and into a hilly valley. There was no way that this was anywhere near the campus. While Wash U was know for it's trees, these looked nothing like the common species on campus.

Eric checked his messenger bag, filled with notebooks, a few mechanical pencils, a pocket knife, and a bottle of water. "Damn it, if I knew I was going to be out in the woods, I would have packed some gear." At least it didn't feel too cold, just a slight chill to the morning air. Fire, Water, Food, and Shelter. Eric repeated the mantra to himself to help focus on survival and keep the weirdness away. The mineshaft could work for shelter. He could survive on minimal food for a while. the critical needs were water and fire.

Eric checked the sun to get his bearings. "I need to stay calm. I can freak out later..damn it..." Eric set out down the valley and started looking for traces of a pond or stream. As Eric walked he marked his progress, tying branches and making other marks to ensure that he wouldn't get lost. The fact that someone had camouflaged the mine indicated that there were other humans around, though perhaps not friendly ones. He noted dead trees that he could use for firewood on the way back, as he kept his eyes out for snakes and other wildlife.

About an hour later, Eric found himself a pond with the clearest water he ever saw. It looked like something from a Bear Grylls survival show, in the pristine wilderness. As he approached the pond, he noticed that there were no animal tracks nearby. That was odd. Suspiciously, he wondered if it was safe to drink. He decided to turn away and keep heading down to find another potential source.

(Slurp) the pond started to slide up onto his side of the bank like something out of a horror movie. It started to roll into a ball as it defied gravity to get closer to him. Eric knew when to get the hell away. He turned and fled with all his might, running deep into the forest. He soon left whatever it was in the dust, but found himself lost as well.