So the gang continued happily forward to rescue the people of SWC, but they didn't get far when they ran into an obstacle on the way! It turns out that they were simply unable to continue on because they ran into a muddy ditch. Quicksand-like and slick, it was very difficult for the gang to make it out of there.
“I think it's a tar pit, actually,” Churchill corrected the narration.
“You know what else is like a tar pit? The stifling stench of capitalism!!” Marx insisted to the group as he fell more and more deeply into the tar pit, much to everyone's concern.
“I think we're gonna be stuck here,” Sandy said worriedly, surveying the group around her. Smarlls, Marc Mangosen, and Monty gazed at her worriedly as well. “Smarlls, can you go on ahead?” Smarlls was the only one who was basically free of the tar pit.
“But you guys need to come out???”
“We'll be fine,” Monty pointed out. “If we like stay still and hold onto a tree branch or something… I'm not sure, but the main cabin is more important! We're not gonna die here if you leave us alone, I promise.”
Sandy, Churchill, Marx, and Marc Mangosen all gave the ibex similar reassurances, and so Smarlls turned around and headed in the direction of the main cabin, throwing one regretful look back at the people in the tar pit before setting off at a full trot.
“Well, I guess Smarlls is gonna save everyone without us, then,” Monty grumbled. “In the meantime, how exactly do I stop sinking?”
“Pull really hard on that branch over there, maybe,” Churchill pointed to the tree branch in the distance. It was a tree root, as a matter of fact, but the gang minus Smarlls didn't particularly want to waste time with technicalities.
“You do it, Prime Minister,” Marx told Churchill. The Marxist was sliding deeper and deeper in, with his chin almost touching the surface of the pit.
“Alright,” Churchill agreed, and grabbed for the roots. He managed to pull himself out of the deep pit, although not without leaving behind his top hat, and then reached out a hand to help Marx as well. Sandy and Marc didn't particularly take the prime minster for the athletic type, but he did manage to pull out Marx with surprisingly little difficulty. Then the two of them helped out Sandy and Marc as well, and so they ended up chilling next to the tar pit and doing their best to brush off the tar.
“I'm going to take a nice long bath when this is over,” Marc said stiffly.
“Hey, at least we don't have to fight now,” Sandy said. There was basically no point fighting with tar-stained clothes and a ridiculously long journey back to the cabin, given their… tar-ness. The SWCers would've probably defeated the Balrog-Gurtle or whatever it was attacking the cabin. They were in good hands.
“Well, I guess I'll just eat this then,” Marx said as he gobbled up a mango.

508 words!!