Out in the Woods [Slowburn](Swamp Thing)

You decided to go for a walk in the woods.

There was always the woods. Ever since you had your first moment of consciousness, there was always the woods that stayed near your house. It was always a swamp, smelly, wet, no flattering, never inviting in your eyes, but something changed today. Maybe it's the loneliness speaking, as living in the middle of nowhere with a small dirt road and an isolating forest isn't exactly the best social ambiance to have, specially now that your parents moved away and gave you the house. Maybe it's the loneliness from the break up two months ago, in a relationship that was going great in your eyes, that you still cannot point out what went array even after all this time, and the longing for your ex is in your mind all the time, 24/7. Or maybe it's just the normal loneliness of your age, being in your 20s, recently graduated with no job, tough economy indeed.

Regardless of the reason, something was different today, as if the woods called you, invited you, ans felt tempted enough to go in, nearly in a dream-like state. The woods were wet, muddy, but full of live, insects everywhere and dozens of animals hidden, just beyond your line of sight, but always around you, in a way you could sense them. You ventured deeper, the thought of getting lost never crossed your mind as you did, you felt almost hypnotized by wandering this old new terrain, when you spotted it, in the middle of a small lake that formed naturally by the rain, a humanoid like figure, formed entirely of plants. Its greenish body, composed of a grassy texture, covered with weeds and thorns all around, caressed a small duck that was gently swimming in the lake. The bird seemed to enjoy the touch of this thing, leaning into its hand as it slid across the bird's feathers, and the thing seemed to be having a peaceful moment caressing this creature, a lovely sight indeed, although of a very strange, familiar nature.

You watched it for a couple of minutes, until it finally noticed your presence, and in a swift second, the creature was gone, its body seemingly melting into the ground, astounding you. You were left in shock at the sight of its disappearance, a bit disappointed too, as the creature started to entice your curiosity, but such disappointment was short lived.

As you were readying yourself to leave these woods, you felt it. Heard it. The creature was behind you. As you looked behind, the humanoid, plant-like creature was in front of you, about 10 feet tall and with an imposing body, even if it was composed of plants, it still looked rigid. The creature, with its reddish eyes seeping through its greenish nature, stared at you momentarily, with an intense curiosity, filled with cautious analysis. After this stare down, it finally spoke, with a voice that sounded akin to the likes of an sage, composed, calming, and at the same time imposing:

"What are you doing here in these woods, human?"