shark didn't believe any of the rumors or ghost stories about the forest nearby. sure, the trees were shaped weirdly, and some of them did look kind of human-like, but it was also natural for people to see human shapes and faces in everything. whatever the reason was for the trees looking like that, to shark, they were just something cool to look at while they went on their walk.

they didn't run into a lot of people there, either. sometimes people would come in to take photos, or to scare themselves or their friends, but once halloween was over, there was a lot less of that. it was nice how quiet it was.

that's why they were surprised to hear voices nearby, ones that didn't sound like the laughter and teasing and playful yelling of a couple of friends out on a dare. the sounds were quiet, hard to make out.

their first thought was that they might be here to have sex. in that case, they really didn't want to disturb them, or anything, but they were curious enough and already seemed close enough that they thought they might as well listen in for just a second.

they tried to be quiet as they approached the sounds. they still mostly just heard talking. no rhythmic rustling, or wet slapping sounds, or anything. there was something else, though, something they couldn't place. a weird, low, rumbling kind of sound. stretching, cracking. maybe they were peeling bark off the tree, or something? but it was quiet, and slow. either way, it didn't sound like something someone would normally do during sex, so they finally decided to try peeking out from the tree they were standing behind, to figure out it they could see anything.

they saw someone kneeling on the ground, next to a different tree, and a man standing in front of them, looming over them, talking. at first, they thought the person on the ground was wearing a pattern similar to the tree bark, but as they kept looking, they saw it moving. it was the tree. the tree was growing over them, more quickly than they'd ever actually seen a tree grow, but still slowly, gradually. like the tree was swallowing them up, absorbing them. it'd already covered most of their body.

the person looked completely calm, though. maybe kind of dazed. they seemed to still be alive. the man was still talking to them as if they were, at least.

shark had to strain to hear his voice, since it was so quiet, but they listened in the best they could, looking at his face to see if that would make it any easier, if they could read his lips at all.

"that's it..." he murmured. "it feels nice, being enveloped like that, doesn't it? feeling it grow along your body..."

they could hardly even process what they were watching. it didn't even match up with any of the rumors or stories - those were always about ghosts, or hauntings, or serial killers disposing of bodies, and stuff like that. they'd never heard anything about a guy... hypnotizing someone? to get them to sit and stay there while the tree grew around them, at a pace that trees weren't supposed to grow at.

the bark was traveling up their neck now. everything below that was already covered. the person's face twitched for a moment, in a way that showed that they were clearly alive, and conscious, and aware of what was going on, on some level.

"it's alright," the man cooed, crouching down to get closer to them. "i know, it feels strange... i know your neck is sensitive... and it may be uncomfortable for a moment... but you'll be alright. you're merging with the tree... you don't need to worry about your airways being blocked... the choking feeling will pass... and you'll be just fine... that's it... just relax, and allow it to keep growing..."

they did seem to relax again, that glassy look in their eyes coming back, their face going blank. it really seemed like the growing stopped when they tensed up, and continued when they relaxed.

shark couldn't stop watching. they knew they should probably just get out of there, and pretend they never saw anything, but it was just too weird and creepy to take their eyes off of. there was something mesmerizing about the tree slowly growing over that person, about the way more and more of their body was disappearing under it.

it finally reached their face. they winced again, when it started crawling up the front of their chin.

"i know... it feels strange on your face at first, doesn't it? i know it can be a little uncomfortable to have your face covered... but you're almost there... it's too late now... too late to be separated from the tree... and you'll feel so much better... after you're completely absorbed... so just relax... just relax... just sink into the tree..."

they relaxed again, but it took a little longer, this time. like they really had doubts, but they were pushed down again, maybe forced down.

but since they were relaxed, the tree continued growing around them, slowly going up their mouth, until it was completely covered, prompting another brief moment of discomfort that was dissipated by the man's voice. and then it kept going, up the nose. even when the nose and mouth were both fully blocked, there was no struggle, no choking, no signs of a loss of consciousness, or death. if anything, they looked relieved.

"just close your eyes now... and let everything go dark..."

they did, and the tree continued growing, covering their eyes, their ears, their entire head, until they were completely surrounded by the tree.

the man was still talking to them, even then, running his hand along the human-shaped bulge in the tree. "it feels so nice, doesn't it? it feels so good... so natural... you look so nice like that... and your sap... will be so sweet..."

shark's heart pounded. they thought they'd at least leave when this was done, when the person was fully absorbed, but they couldn't stop staring, staring at the tree, at the place where there was something recognizable as a person just a few minutes ago, and at the man affectionally caressing it and murmuring to it.

the baffling thing was, they were kind of... turned on? they were horrified, and really, it wasn't even the kind of thing they'd normally go for, even in fiction, but the man was kind of hot.

but they'd stared for a little too long. by the time he glanced over to them, it was too late for them to hide. they just stayed frozen, staring at him, their heart pounding out of their chest as he approached them.

"i, uh... i won't tell anyone," they said quickly. "i'm sorry for, like, watching... watching in on that... that seemed like... like kind of a private thing, but i just..."

"it's alright," he said, in that slow, dreamy tone. now that he was closer, and they could really hear his voice, it sent chills down their spine.

"you're not, uh... you're not gonna... do that to me, right?"

he kept walking closer, a little too close. they stepped back, but he put a hand on their shoulder, and for some reason, they just stopped backing off.

"you were completely fascinated, weren't you?" he said softly.

"i, like... that doesn't mean i wanna... you know, i like... i've got my life, and i... like i work out, and stretch and stuff, cuz i wanna take care of myself and live a long time..."

"trees live for a very long time," he said. "it's even better if you're healthy. your body would be very useful to this forest..."

he looked them up and down as he said that, which added to the kind of bizarre sexual tension they were feeling.

"it feels good," he continued. "you saw their face, as it absorbed them, didn't you?"

"yeah, i did, but..."

"and you would look so nice like that... don't you love the look of the trees in this forest? the unique shapes..."

they did have to admit that they liked the look of them, at least before they knew there were actual people in there.

"you'll still be aware..." he said gently. "you'll still be alive... you'll still be conscious... and i'll look after you..."

he put another hand on them, gently directing them, pushing them, toward a nearby tree.

they couldn't stop themself from going with it, letting him push them against it.

they could already hear the growth.

they trembled, leaning away from the tree as much as they could. "hold on, hold on, i haven't agreed to this, i don't actually..."

"shh..." he pushed them back so gently, so slowly, so carefully. it wasn't forceful at all, and for some reason, that just made it harder to fight against. "it's natural to be a little nervous at first..."

his hands rested on their shoulders, pressing them into the tree, holding them in place.

the bark was already starting to grow around their legs, creeping along the sides.

"i really don't..." it was getting hard to even keep complaining. their mind was in a frenzy, their heartbeat was loud, but his touches and his words felt nice.

and they were still kind of turned on.

"it's alright... just relax for me... just relax..."

they felt themself let go, just like the person they'd watched earlier.

"that's it... just like that... very good..."

the tree was wrapping around more of their legs, but all they could think about was how nice his praise felt.

it was really happening. they really weren't escaping. it was getting harder to even think of the consequences, to focus on anything except the moment.

"i, uh..." they could tell that their voice was more relaxed now, that they were talking more slowly. "i'm kind of, uh... turned on...? and..."

"that's alright," he said. "you can just feel that..."

"i... i wanna, like... before the... before the tree..."

"just hold still," he murmured. "you don't need to do anything about that... you're just going to relax... and accept it... alright? it will feel so much better that way..."

he wasn't even going to let them jack off, or touch them.

but they didn't argue. they felt themself just submit, just accept it, as their legs got more and more stuck, as the tree creeped up their thighs.

it didn't even matter. this really did feel good. they wanted to feel him caress them through the tree after they were absorbed. they wanted him to take their sap, to taste it, to tell them how good it was. it was crazy, it was stupid, but they couldn't help it.

"good... you're doing so well... it isn't so bad, after all, is it? aren't you glad i'm helping you?"

they really were. they were completely relaxed and open, as he lifted his hands off of them, and the tree absorbed more and more of their body, outlining every curve, keeping them in that position, the position he put them in when he pinned them against the tree. they were going to be pinned there forever, for him to caress and admire whenever and however he wanted.

"you might just end up being one of my favorites..." he murmured, and all at once, any tension they might have had melted away, their whole body tingling as it was swallowed up, tightly encased in the tree.

they could still hear him, they could still feel his presence, his affection, his touch. they could feel his gaze on them.

it felt good. nothing else mattered. even as they felt their energy being sapped away, used by the tree, even as they felt themself becoming a part of it, that impression their body had left was still there, that bit of their awareness was still there, and even the excitement and arousal was still there. it was like being in a dream.