Welcome to Gaia! ::

All Bark and Some Bite ( 8 ) : Though still early in the season, some trees have already begun to shed their leaves. Maybe it’s climate change, maybe it’s a parasite. The bark of the trees seem oddly dark, almost black, but on their own they don’t look so unnatural. Maybe it’s just a pesticide or something? There’s no reason to be nervous around trees, anyway. By day, they seem perfectly normal. By night, they’re oddly loud and creaky, but even that’s normal too, right? And it’s just the wind that makes it seem like they’re moving behind you as you walk. It doesn’t explain the low gurling you sometimes hear from the darkness, like a monstrous, grumbling stomach, and it definitely doesn’t explain how the trees seem to lean in close to you. Or how they grab at you. When you least expect it, the trees seem like they’re trying to take a swipe at you. It’s strong enough to knock you off your feet or scratch you. If you get close enough, you’ll see that it’s not any ordinary tree hollow you’re staring into–it's a mouth. Leaking sappy drool, with a mouth full of sharp, barky teeth. The trees are smart, they never move when you’re looking at them, but as soon as your back is to them, you’re free game. The only thing you can do is try to get out of there before you become plant food.