Fiona & The Fae of the Fen

Amidst the trees, leering woodland eyes watched carefully as headlight beams from a catering van cut through the verdant darkness.

Why did that stupid GPS have to take us on this creepy-ass route? Fiona cringed as she stared through the windshield from the back of the van.

HONK!

Carly blared the horn as the headlights revealed a pack of deer blocking the road ahead.

"Slow down and let them cross!" Paige said, looking up from her book as she sat in the passenger seat.

"They'll move," Carly grumbled.

Fiona huffed as she paused her attempt at fixing the frosted lettering on a cake to look back up at the front of the van, hearing the two girls continue bickering further. It was supposed to be her last night working at the catering company before she started her residency next semester. As much fun as she'd had with Carly and Paige, the former's temper was always grating, and the latter was always obsessed with sharing book summaries nobody asked for.

"You can at least honk again or something!" Fiona added, trying to please them both.

Carly stopped arguing with Paige and sharply turned her head back to Fiona.

"Keep finishing up that cake! We're already running l-"

"CARLY BRAKE!" Paige shrieked.

CRASH!

SCREEEEEECH!

"Woaaaah-shit!"

The van suddenly came to a sharp halt, causing Fiona to fall backward to the floor. As she fell, she closed her eyes, hearing the sound of glass shattering while the two other girls shrieked in the front seat.

Thud!

Splat!

Fiona groaned as her trousered legs slammed onto the van floor, but winced as she realized that a row of cupcakes had cushioned the back of her head as she fell.

Though her fortune was short-lived. As she tried to sit up to check on the other girls, she was met with the troublesome sight of tall chocolate cake, the one she had been working on, sliding off the table and heading down toward her body as she lay on her back.

"Oh fuck-"

Splat!

She screamed, but the frosting swallowed her as she disappeared under the mess, the tall, frosting-heavy cake engulfing her entire upper half.

Gasping, Fiona tried to push herself up, her cake-covered palms sliding against the slick floor as she struggled. She momentarily sat up, but blindly banged her back against a shelf, which responded with a deluge of sweet and thick marshmallow topping that poured a fresh coating all over her head and chest.

"Fi!" Paige's voice sounded distant amidst the sweet shell that coated Fiona. "Are you okay?"

Just turn around, and you'll get your answer!

Fiona could only muster an audible grunt under the sweet mess as she put her elbows under her and tried to get up again. The floor and every surface around her seemed to only get stickier, and her button-up and pants seemed heavier the more she moved.

"Mm-mmfine!" Fiona groaned through the ooze that continued to pour over her face. "Mmpth-what-happen?"

She blinked repeatedly, and once she steadied herself into a seated position, she tried to wipe the layers of goo masking her eyes, hoping to figure out what happened as she continued to hear mixed sounds of commotion from the other girls.

Finally, her hand gripped a stable shelf, enough for her to slowly stand up.

The front of the van came into view as she finally cleared the worst of the goop around her eyes. Paige was desperately trying to unlatch her seatbelt and move the deflated remains of the airbags away while Carly sat frozen behind the wheel, staring straight ahead at what caused the crash.

A jagged branch, the size of a fire hydrant, had punched clean through the windshield. The glass all around the puncture was a complete, webbed mess of cracks. The sharp end of the branch had stopped less than a foot away, right in front of Carly's face.

"Carly. Deep breath, you're ok." Fiona called out as she trailed drops of chocolate and marshmallow creme while she climbed through the mess in the back of the van, towards the two.

Paige grunted as she tore off her snagged seatbelt and reached over to eject Carly's.

Slowly moving her white-knuckled fingers off the steering wheel, Carly blinked repeatedly then let out a shaky breath.

"Ho-holy-holy shit." She whispered then slowly turned to face Paige, then Fiona. "Jesus, Fi! The fuck happened to you?"

"Don't-don't mind me. Are you okay?" Fiona said, shaking her head.

"Let's get out of this van first. I think it's not safe with all this." Paige nodded toward the scattered chunks of glass across the dashboard and the messy chaos behind Fiona.

The trio agreed and slowly climbed out of their seats and into the crisp, quiet night air outside the van. The dark woods around them seemed to go on forever. The GPS claimed it was a detour to avoid a wreck on their way to Duluth along the interstate; meanwhile, they hadn't seen another car since sunset, half an hour before the branch smashed the van.

Dust swirled as Fiona landed on the gravel after she jumped from the back door of the van. She looked down at herself. Her white shirt was a total mess, and her fitted work pants were soaked and stained. She wiped off a thicker dollop of marshmallow creme that had collected under her chin and tried to squeeze out the chocolate that had soaked into her blonde, ponytailed hair.

Paige was already on the phone, trying her best to talk to somebody through the shitty signal about the crash. Detailing that they couldn't drive the van and likely needed a tow.

Carly emerged from the driver's side. Her pale, long legs were wobbling as her equally shaky hand reached for a water bottle from the door.

"Let-let-let me h-h-hhelp you." Carly approached Fiona and offered to help wash off the ooze.

Fiona took the bottle, cracked it open, and offered it back to Carly.

"Don't worry about me, I can clean up. You... you need to take a breather right now."

Carly eagerly accepted the chocolate-stained bottle. She swiped strands from her pink-haired bob away from her face and gulped it down.

"I almost died," Carly whispered breathlessly. "Did-did you see that? Fucking thing just came out from nowhere, I couldn't-I couldn't have-"

"It's all right, Carly, deep breath!" Paige rounded the corner around the van, phone still tucked in her ear. "I can barely hear them, but the company said they're calling insurance to get us towed."

Paige motioned for the two girls to check themselves for cuts or wounds as she resumed talking on the phone. Fiona and Carly checked their limbs and found no cuts or bruises, then gave Paige a simultaneous thumbs-up.

"Nobody seems hurt, but I think Carly's still in shock," Paige said.

As Paige finished her phone call, Carly sat on the ground and reached for her phone while Fiona returned to the back of the van to find a clean towel.

Hopefully I can find a spare shirt too. Ughh

As she toweled her face and arms, Fiona heard footsteps crunching on the gravel as someone approached.

"Hey, you alright?" Paige appeared, no longer on the phone.

Fiona gestured at her messy clothing and body. "I mean, I'm sticky all over and too far from a shower... but... I'm alive."

Paige gave a pitied look before she reached into the mess in the back of the van. "Amen to that. I feel bad for-"

On cue, Carly suddenly popped up beside Fiona and Paige.

"What's up? You guys called me?" The shaky, pink-haired girl asked.

Fiona shook her head. "Nah. Paige was just checking in on me. But how are you holding-"

"One of you guys called my name." Carly insisted.

Fiona and Paige stood motionless as they simultaneously shook their head in reply. Paige flashed a concerned glance at Fiona, then approached Carly. "It's alright, girl, here, just take a seat over-"

Carly stepped back. "I'm fine. I just need- OH FUCK!" She shouted, her arms windmilling as she started to fall backward. The other two girls jumped to try and catch her.

Stumbling backward, Carly grasped and grabbed hold of Fiona's outstretched arm while her other hand grasped one of the open van doors. The trio collectively sighed with relief as Carly caught her balance and looked down, behind her at the troublesome tree root that almost made her fall.

Staring at the root for a minute, Carly huffed and spat on the root before kicking it. "These fucking trees are having it out for me today!"

Paige reached for her shoulder. "Calm down Car, don't take it out on-"

"Don't what? Fucking things almost killed me! Almost twice now!"

With her palms open, Paige replied softly. "Easy, dude, come on." She nervously looked around as she continued. "And be careful around here, you don't wanna piss off nature any further."

"Fuck this fucking place, where the hell are we even? The fucking GPS said we were only half an hour to Duluth." Carly scoffed as she kicked the tree root once more, shaving off a piece of bark with her last kick.

"Maps said we were on Highway 210 before the signal went to shit." Fiona added as Paige pulled Carly away from the tree root.

Pointing to the tree branch that smashed into the car, Paige lectured Carly. "Take a breather, Carly. The woods around here have a lot of legends around them. Best not to provoke them any more."

Carly groaned as she paced away. "Ughh, are you a kid? You're acting like any of that shit is true."

Fiona shifted her weight as she stood there and looked between the chipped tree root and the branch that fell onto the van while Carly and Paige argued further. She'd heard the same stories growing up in Northern Minnesota, closer to the border.

Skinwalkers, ghost stories, missing hikers. Dismissing them as nothing but folklore was easy in the comfort of her suburban life after she moved to Minneapolis. But now that she was deep in the woods again, feeling the weight of isolation and the deafening silence that persisted all around, her skin started to prickle as her brain reconsidered the tales.

"Plenty of folk stories like that are just campfire tales," Fiona said, hoping to reassure herself more than anything. "I do agree with Paige though, that you need to take a deep breath and ease off."

Carly opened her mouth, seemingly ready to argue, but instead she closed it. Her shoulders sagged, then the wrinkled annoyance on her face relaxed.

"Sorry guys, I think- I'm... just not... I feel really antsy right now."

"I bet who wouldn't be after all that!" Fiona said, pointing at the shattered windshield.

Paige nodded in agreement. "I think you'll feel better talking to Derek, try to text or give him a call, if you can."

Carly nodded and reached for her phone. After struggling to find signal around the van, she started wandering down the road. About 100 feet away from the van and the other girls.

Meanwhile, Fiona took off her button-up shirt, leaving her in her bra and work slacks, and tried her best to clean her upper body and head with water bottles and paper towels. Starting with a quick pour to clear the worst off her face, while a hand scrubbed at the ooze that got into the cleavage of her busty chest.

"You think we should go follow Carly? She's almost out of sight." Paige said, leaning against the side of the van.

Fiona bobbed her head. "Maybe, you know how she is if she's on the phone with Derek."

The two girls shared a collective ick. Derek was Carly's new boyfriend, and they were still in the honeymoon phase and loved over-sharing all the lewd details whether people asked or not.

In the distance, Carly called out. "Guys! I have signal down here!"

Paige eagerly replied. "Great! Just be careful! Don't go too far! Stay on the road!"

"For sure!"

Tipping her head forward as she stood, Fiona poured more water over the back of her head and scrubbed with one hand. Despite the warm summer air and the temperate water, Fiona caught herself feeling a chill run down her spine. She felt as if Paige was just staring at her. As she was cleaning up.

She looked up at Paige, who was intently reading random manuals from the glovebox.

Ughh, I hate this feeling. Hopefully it's just because I'm half naked.

Confused, Fiona resumed scrubbing her face and body. Every time she closed her eyes, she couldn't help but feel like someone, or something, was staring.

At that point, Fiona hoped the water or the air was cold. At least that might have taken her mind off the eerie feeling. Or distracted her from the ruminations about those folk tales that Paige had brought up.

Or, if it really was a good idea to let Carly wander off on her own.

***

____________________________________________________________________________

Gravel skittered ahead as Carly grumbled into her phone, kicking the rocks along the side of the road as she walked.

"Can you hear me better now?" Carly cursed at her phone. "Babe, I can't hear you right now. I'll try again."

Ick. I can't stand the fucking boonies.

She sighed as she watched the signal bar completely disappear again on her screen.

Carly looked back at the distant headlights from the van. She considered walking farther down the road, but felt wrong leaving the two girls alone. Even if they were just waiting for the tow truck.

As she looked around, she spotted a pleasant anomaly.

A dazzling show of fireflies buzzed along the size of the road. Hundreds seemed to appear out of the dark and drift in a line, pulsing with a yellowish-green glow.

Carly paused and watched them. She smiled.

"Wow! I've never seen so many in one spot." She said as she stepped toward the lights, her Converse squishing onto the wet grass and patches of bare ground underfoot.

Approaching the dazzling lights revealed an alluring trail into the woods, practically lit throughout by even more fireflies. The foliage and trees were dense all around, but the trail seemed perfectly cut, with a defined path that resembled a Christmas-light tunnel more than a random nature trail. Carly gasped at the sight.

"Holy shit! Is this real?"

Awestruck, Carly stepped farther away from the road and drifted into the magical trail. The path wound through ancient-looking, thick-trunked pines and picturesque aspen trees. Patches of mossy stones were peppered all around the sides of the trail, almost guiding any potential hikers to stay on the walking path.

This is wild! I need to get a picture- or video- of this!

Carly reached into her sweatshirt for her phone, but when she turned on the screen, she saw one signal bar instead of a no-signal icon. Yelping with excitement, she prepared to call her boyfriend again, but as she kept walking into the woods, the signal seemed to improve.

Looking ahead into the trail, she spotted hints of the dark bluish-black sky, but grinned at what looked like traces of faint burnt orange. Remnants of a sunset that she thought had set long ago.

Excited, Carly continued ahead into the trail. As the trees thinned, her smile grew wider. Her phone was almost at full bars, and the clearing ahead appeared to capture the last breath of an impossible sunset.

The clearing was a perfect ring of open grassland, dotted with wildflowers, with a pond in the middle. Fireflies formed a glowing perimeter around the picture-perfect grove, amid the fresh scent of pine and an anomalous sweetness that filled the air.

In the middle of the verdant grove stood a tree with an invitingly low horizontal branch facing the bewitching twilight sky and the cattailed and flower-dotted pond.

Carly gleefully jogged to the branch and pulled her phone out. It had full bars.

"Finally." She breathed a sigh of relief as she dialed. "Hey babe, hear me now?"

A familiar, comforting voice answered on the other end. "Much better. Anyway, what the hell happened?"

Seated on the long trunk, Carly kicked her legs back and forth as she caught up with Derek. She chatted about the magical place she found by herself, before ranting about the obnoxiously remote wedding venue they had to deliver to, the deer that kept crossing the road in front of her, and finally the tree branch that fell out of nowhere and caused them to get stuck.

"Shit, well, I'm just glad you're ok," Derek said. "Just chill out until the tow truck gets there."

Carly sighed and pouted. "I know, I know. Trust me, I've been trying! It's just hard to find a way to relax out here."

"I mean, you said you're alone, right?" Derek paused and chuckled on the other end of the line before he continued. "It's up to you..."

Biting her lip, Carly felt a warmth creep up her neck as she looked around at her isolated surroundings.

"What are you thinking about?" Carly's cheeks hurt as she smirked, knowing exactly what he had in mind.

"I know the last time we went hiking... you said you really liked how it felt... being naked out in the open."

Carly moaned into the phone. "I was just trying to be a good girl for you that time."

The two continued recounting that summer hike. Derek dared Carly to hike naked after she complained about having an uneven tan the last time they did. Not only did Carly take him up on it, but she also upped the ante and offered to blow him at one of the vistas while she stayed nude. Carly enjoyed the reward of being allowed to orgasm afterward.

"Well, I guess it worked so well last time." Carly pressed the phone to her shoulder as she started kicking her shoes and socks off while her hands moved to slide her shorts down. "One sec."

Jumping off the branch, she set the phone on the thick trunk and set it to speaker mode. Then she proceeded to narrate out loud as she kicked her shorts off and began to strip.

Sultry hands gripped the hem of her sweatshirt as she pulled it over her head, tossing it aside. Next, she grasped the clasps on her bra and unclipped it. Then, her fingers grasped the sides of her thong and pulled them down. As she stripped nude, Carly saw a few fireflies appear and hover around the tree. Entrancing as they were, she felt preoccupied.

"So, you still there?" Carly chuckled as she whispered back to the phone, wearing nothing but her navel piercing and a smirk. "What do you think I should do next?"

"I'm not sure. I think I need proof that you're naked." Derek said.

"Mmhhm, do you now?"

Carly giggled, grabbed her phone, and switched to the camera. Smiling at herself, she practiced several flirty faces on the camera screen before she started snapping selfies. This time, making sure to capture some of the fireflies that glowed behind her naked body.

With her arm extended, Carly craned her neck up as she squinted seductively, her lips gently biting her lip. Her free hand was coyly placed between her spread legs, hiding her shaved pussy, but her large, soft breasts were freely perked, and in full view.

Ohhhh, I look like a slutty lil fairy.

She snapped several pictures, each one more lewd as her face utilized more tongue-related expressions, while her free hand progressively inserted two fingers into herself between each camera shutter.

But as she reviewed the nudes before sending them, she noticed something odd.

The fireflies didn't show up in any of the photos, despite their persistent glow behind her.

She snapped a couple more and checked again. Still didn't show up.

"You having a good time over there?" Derek asked.

Carly frowned as she swiped through the photos and looked up at the fireflies.

"Yeah, sorry, I... there are some fireflies here that I was hoping to show you, but... they just won't show up in the pics for some reason."

Derek offered his speculation, but as they went back and forth for a moment, Carly got more confused and decided to dismiss the anomaly.

"I guess I'll just have to try sending you a video then." Carly smiled.

Hearing the excitement in Derek's voice on the other line wound her back up. Carly padded barefoot along the moist grass, made her way back to the horizontal trunk, and found a way to lay her back against it as she held the camera up above her.

She gently rubbed on her clitoris as she panned the camera down, revealing the extent of her nudity as she teased herself and continued narrating to Derek on the phone.

"Ohhhhh." Carly moaned as her fingers circled faster.

The obscene, slick sounds of her masturbation echoed, and Carly felt herself getting wetter as she heard Derek start jerking off on his end.

"Fuck I wish you were here, hearing you grunt and use me like a little fuck doll just out in nature," She groaned.

Carly's hips bucked as she began fingering herself, pumping two fingers in swift strokes, in and out of herself, causing her to shiver and moan as she stared into the camera. She felt the warmth of her impending climax begin to erupt from her body.

"Yessss, I'm about to ooohh-" she moaned as her eyes fluttered.

Then, she felt something cold close around her ankle.

"Uhm-fuck, what the?"

She broke mid-gasp, and with her fingers still buried inside of herself, she looked down the span of her naked body and saw it.

A thick, wet green vine was coiled around her left ankle, while another slithered towards her right ankle.

"EW WHAT THE FUCK!"

Kicking, Carly shrieked, but the vine tugged in response, causing her to get dragged off the trunk towards the ground. Her fingers flew out of her vagina as her other hand dropped her phone. She heard Derek shout her name as the phone landed in the grass away from her.

"DEREK HELP!"

The vine wrenched as Carly felt the air get knocked out of her as she landed on the ground, on her back. Before she could catch her breath, a second vine wrapped around her other ankle and began dragging her across the moist grass toward the quiet, black pond.

"HELP! DEREK, HELP SOMETHING IS PULLING ME!"

She screamed, her hands desperately grabbed at the muddy grass as the slithering vegetation continued to drag her across the ground. Her fingers tore grass and mud packed into her fingernails, but the vines persisted. She cursed and shrieked as she felt her ankles get soaked with mud, then become submerged under the pond.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Carly sobbed as her knees and thighs got dragged through the mud. Out of desperation, she reached down towards her legs and tried to snag and tear the vines. Her fingers barely grasped them, but the bits that did just felt how sticky and fibrous they were.

The vines heaved harder in response, submerging her legs and waist into the black water.

As the thick, cold water swallowed half her body, Carly shrieked louder. She threw her head back and watched as the phone left her sight, and her eyes caught one last glimpse of the twilight facade in the sky. Soon the pond consumed her hips, closed in around her chest, and with one swift yank, dragged her head under the surface.

The water devoured her scream, bubbled momentarily, then went still.

Deep under the surface, Carly could barely see through the freezing, murky water as it consumed her on all sides. She could make out the hint of her pale limbs thrashing as her pink hair fanned and tangled all over her face.

She bent her knee and grasped the vine around her ankle. Digging her nails into the fibrous vine, she yanked as hard as she could.

*SNAP!*

As the serpentous vegetation broke loose, Carly heard a faint cry. Swiftly, she reached for the other and tore off the other vine that had grasped her other ankle.

Her lungs burned for air as she desperately kicked hard towards the top of the pond. As her hands broke through the surface, she gave one last kick, and emerged back into the night air with a heaving gasp.

"HOLY SHIT!"

Hauling her winded, naked body across the sticky, mud-coated shallows, Carly coughed out water.

She looked down at her body as she caught her breath and shivered, seeing herself mostly covered head to toe with strands of vegetation and a paint-like coating of dark green mud. She started wiping the ooze off her body but realized she'd just smeared black mud from the banks, accidentally painting thick black lines across her face and stomach.

She staggered back up on shaky legs towards the grass. Even though she felt mud oozing all over her, she reached for her phone. It was alive, but it had no signal again.

"Of course!"

Despite the screen, she tried to redial Derek as she ran toward the trail. Turning back to look at the sinister pond one more time, Carly felt a rush of adrenaline as she tried to make her escape.

"Fuck, fuck fuck!" Carly's heart hammered as her phone refused to connect.

Panting, Carly made it back to the firefly-lit trail and desperately sprinted.

"HEEEEELP!"

The words tore through her raspy throat as she ran, mud dripping all over her naked body as her breasts bounced at every step. Fireflies pulsed all around the trail as it stretched ahead. She ran hard, still dialing her phone and screaming.

"FIONA! PAIGE! ANYBODY! HEEEELP!"

Tears painted clean lines across her face as she started to sob, her feet pounding hard against the ground as her chest pressed tighter from her run. Branches whipped her shoulders, but she didn't care. She saw a clearing ahead and assumed it led back out onto the road.

Instead, the clearing led right back to the same grove, with the grasses and wildflowers. The black pond stared back at her in the middle as it reflected that same, godforsaken sunset.

"Wha-what the fuck?"

Turning back around, Carly dashed back into the trail. How could she have gone in a circle? The trail was a straight line. No turns, no branching paths, only scores of fireflies lighting the way.

Her feet ached as they slapped against the bare footpath. But that pain didn't compare to the crushing feeling on her chest as she made it to the end and found herself back at the cursed grove once more.

"NO! No!" She screamed toward the clearing. "You-whatever this freak shit is, fuck you!"

With legs shaking, Carly felt a spell of imbalance hit her. The ground felt wobbly as she tried to run back into the trail. She staggered and found herself in the middle of the firefly trail. Catching her breath and hoping to regain her full balance, she leaned her back against a big pine.

As she rested, she looked down at her phone and tried to dial again.

*SPLAT!*

Thick, golden, opaque but honey-like ooze suddenly dropped from above and engulfed her phone. The ooze ran down, dripped off the sides, and seeped toward the fingers holding it.

"Ew, what the-" Carly dropped the phone and looked up at the tree.

In that instant, four vines came out from behind the tree. Carly shrieked as two clasped her wrists first. This time, the vines were coated with the same golden ooze. They slapped her arms against the bark, while another two slithered around both ankles and similarly pinned her back against the tree.

"Fuck you! What is this shit! HEEEELP!"

Carly wiggled and shouted as the vines pinned her naked, mud-coated body, with her legs spread and her cinched arms above her head, against the rough bark.

"FIONAAAAAA! PAIIIIIGE! FUCKING-HELP ME!"

Her voice echoed around her as she tried to wiggle out of the vines that held her.

As she kept shouting and writhing, Carly felt warm ooze drip all over her above her head. She looked up and watched as the branches above her head began drizzling thick, slow golden ropes.

"WHAT IS THIS SHIT?" She shouted as the ooze slapped and covered her hair.

She spat and cursed as the mysterious liquid poured over her entire face and continued running down her body. Coating her neck, down to her busty chest and shoulders, oozing all across her stomach, then all down her legs until her entire body was coated head to toe with thick, golden sludge.

"EWWWWWWWW, STOP! PLEASE!"

Carly thrashed, blinded by the opaque ooze that coated her pinned form. She spat and blinked repeatedly, hoping to regain her vision. Her efforts yielded only a sliver of vision through one eye. There, she scanned her wooded surroundings, her body encased in golden ooze, and noticed the fireflies seemed to converge in front of her as she was pinned against the tree.

"Fuck you! Fuck all of you!" Her voice cracked as she shouted at the growing crowd of fireflies.

What the fuck is happening to me?

She collected a large mouthful of spit and traces of the sweet ooze that coated her lips, and spat towards the fireflies.

The glowing spectacle didn't scatter. Instead, they seemed to gather closer and begin pulsing in unison.

Then, Carly froze as she heard voices. Quiet, genderless whispers. Seemingly coming from every direction. It didn't sound like Fiona or Paige. It didn't even sound human.

No words were recognizable, and yet they seemed sinister. It was a soft yet jumbled cacophony. Confused, she looked around and tried to spot a source of the whispers.

As she looked down, she spotted another vine, slithering slowly up toward her from behind the tree. It looked like the rest: thin, dark green, and coated in the same golden ooze that engulfed her.

"NO! No no! Fuck you!" Carly uselessly tried to kick.

The vine continued until it pressed a thick, firm tip against her ooze-coated clit between her legs. Then, before Carly could react to the absurd sight, it began to rub. Swift, fast strokes.

"Ohgguuugg, wha-the fuck?"

Carly bucked and moaned as her own body betrayed her. Her wrists desperately wrenched in resistance as a response to the vine that rubbed her clit furiously, but her legs seemed to spread wider and welcomed the feeling.

"Stop! Get off-get away! You fucking-ughhhhh."

Her protest morphed into a hesitant groan as heat flooded her face.

Two more vines slithered out from behind the pine she was pinned to, curling around her stomach. Slick with ooze, each one wrapped around her breasts. Between cursing and moaning, Carly looked down and shuddered as the vines began to squeeze and apply pressure around her nipples.

"Nnno! Oh God, what is this?"

The sensations were torturous as the two vines rolled and teased her nipples and seemed to match a rhythm with the vine that rubbed between her legs. The trio combined and were rushing her towards a hesitant and confusing climax.

She sobbed as she moaned in horror, "Don't-make me do this, this is so fucking-ughhhhfuck!."

Carly's thighs clenched as she choked on a shuddering scream as her orgasm hit. Her ooze-coated body seized and arched against the tree she was pinned against as the pulse of her orgasm resonated all over her. The ooze seemed to amplify the sensation as she felt herself shaking uncontrollably, her teeth clenched both in aggravation at her body's surrender and to try to hide the pleasurable effect on her.

Much to her dismay, the vines only continued their torment, maintaining a persistent rhythm of rubbing as her body barely recovered from the first orgasm. "Stop! Please, I can't, ohhhh!"

Choking on another shuddering moan, Carly looked down and watched as a second vine began to snake up toward her, between her legs. This one had a thicker, phallic head on its tip.

"Ughhh! What the fuck is that? No!"

The vine continued and prodded her slick, ooze-slathered pussy lips. She cursed and groaned, but the vine didn't care and easily slipped right into her vagina.

"NNNNOOOOO!"

Carly's mouth dropped as it pushed up into her, filling her as it slowly began to pump, in and out as it rubbed at her G-spot. The vine pumped at the same rhythm as the one that rubbed her clitoris and nipples, causing her to tremble and groan.

"You, whatever this shit is-ugghhhh-so fucking weird!" Carly babbled, watching with horrific awe at the spectacle that her body had become. The vines that were literally fucking her repeatedly, the golden ooze that continued to drizzle all over her entire body, and the fact that she was starting to feel another orgasm build within her.

Her mouth continued to protest and curse, but her body seemed to give up, pushing her hips toward the thrusting sensation.

"No... no, I'm not, I can't do it again!" She begged to herself.

But as she protested, the rhythm increased for all the vines. The two between her legs thrust and rubbed faster while the two around her nipples pressed sharply against her stiffened and sensitive nipples.

Carly felt a knot tighten in her core as her next orgasm neared. "Fuck... fuck.... Noo-ooohhhh!"

She wailed as the second crested harder than her first, causing her wrists to wrench as her toes curled. Her thighs shook while her torso completely tightened as she felt her pussy tighten around the phallus that mercilessly continued to thrust against her hypersensitive walls.

Ooze-stained saliva dripped from her mouth as she hung against the restraints. Carly felt exhausted and sore, but her body trembled as the thrusting and rubbing torment continued.

This has to be some kind of fucking nightmare. What the fuck is all this?

Feeling delirious, Carly looked around for any signs of reality or anything that could maybe wake her up.

The fireflies, the ooze, the slithering vines. All of it was so surreal. She hoped that if she passed out, she could wake up and find out she was just having a wild dream.

"Please, no more," Carly whispered.

Then, to her horror, something called back out to her.

"Thisss isss your punissshment, lecherousss harlot. The foressst doesss not forgive, nor will it forget!"

Carly shrieked in horror, both at the sinister echo and in response as the thrusting and rubbing suddenly hastened its pace.

"Noooo! Fucking stop! Whatever it was, whatever I did, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" Carly whimpered as fresh, fearful tears continued down her ooze-covered cheeks.

Much to her dismay, the torment was her new reality. The vines continued their lewd punishment, dragging her toward another shuddering orgasm that made it clear to Carly that she was awake through a living nightmare as she remained a nude figure, unrecognizable under the ooze, pinned against a tree, sobbing and shrieking as she was repeatedly forced to orgasm.

____________________________________________________________________________

***

A blood-curdling shriek echoed in the distance, high and raw. Paige froze and almost dropped the book she was reading as she snapped a glance toward Fiona, who just finished cleaning all the mess from her upper body.

"Did you hear that?" Paige said, wide-eyed as she sat on the side of the road.

Fiona heard it too and reflexively assumed it was a skinwalker, but needed to reassure herself. "Yeah, pretty sure it's a fox or something."

While dusting grass and gravel off her work slacks, Paige stood up and shook her head. "Mmm, I don't think so. It's been twenty minutes since we saw Carly. Something's off."

It has been a while. Though I know Carly likes her alone time, especially when she's with Derek.

Dabbing the last dry paper towel across her freshly bottle-washed blonde ponytail, Fiona shrugged in response as she finished drying her face then proceeded to dry her torso.

"I'll walk down the road a bit to see if I can find her." Paige walked ahead into the road before Fiona could argue.

"Wait! Let me-"

Paige held up a hand and called back to Fiona. "Stay put! I'll be back in a couple of minutes!"

A chill ran down Fiona's back as she stood alone towards the back of the van and watched Paige's diminutive form disappear amongst the long shadows cast around the van's headlights. Sure, she was still skimpily dressed, wearing just her bra and trousers, but she certainly wasn't cold.

Asshole! Literally, just give me a couple of minutes so my shirt gets dry!

Fiona climbed back into the van, amid the sticky clutter, and grabbed her stained shirt hanging on a makeshift hanger above an exhaust for one of the fridges. She hated being back in the mess, but she hated being alone in the dark outside even more.

The sleeves and collar were mostly dry, but the middle and bottom hem were still soaked.

"Shit!" She cursed as she shook her head while staring at the shirt. Annoyed at the circumstance and at what she was about to do next.

Opening the shirt with shaky hands, she put her arms through the sleeves and buttoned the shirt all the way from her neck to the bottom of her breasts. With a humiliated sigh, she knotted the rest of the wet shirt into a knot right under her breasts, turning the shirt into a knotted crop top, exposing her midriff.

God, I look like a fucking bimbo. Beats walking around just in my bra, though.

As Fiona climbed out of the truck in her unintentionally sluttty outfit, she tried to search for a proper flashlight in the storage compartment in the door. Instead, she found a first aid hip pouch with several unused glow sticks attached.

"Well, wouldn't hurt to bring," Fiona uttered as she clipped the bag around her hips and pulled her phone flashlight out.

Looking ahead in the dark road, Fiona dreaded not knowing how far Paige had gone, but the inky darkness all around wasn't helping either. Everyone told her she'd grow out of it, and yet here she was: close to her mid-twenties, but still terrified of the dark.

It'll be fine. They're just dumb stories. Foxes, coyotes, hell-bobcats all sound like people.

Fiona slowly started walking down the gravel road, waving her weak phone light ahead.

"Paige, wait!" She called out as she hurried.

Relief washed over Fiona as she heard Paige's familiar voice. She couldn't see her yet, but she saw a light waving back at her ahead.

She hurried toward the light, but as she jogged along the gravel path, Fiona could swear something was keeping pace with her in the dark at her sides. An indistinguishable form swirled at the edges of her peripheral vision as she moved.

It's just your shadow, calm down. Eyes play tricks when you can't see.

Fiona chanted to herself, but her jog gradually became a run as she moved towards the floating orb of light that replied to her and refrained from looking at her peripherals.

Then, her pace slowed as Paige's form became more recognizable and started waving at her as she neared.

"Changed your mind?" Paige asked with a calm smirk.

Fiona caught her breath, then patted the first aid kit cinched around her hips. "Just in case Carly did get hurt or something."

Paige eyed Fiona's knotted shirt. "Good idea, but did ya work a quick gig at Hooters on your way here?"

Feeling her cheeks burn, Fiona's hands immediately flew to cover her tight, exposed stomach. "My shirt was still wet!"

Laughing, Paige turned back towards the woods and beckoned Fiona to follow her. "Well, let's see where Carly went then. She'll get a kick out of your new style."

The two walked side by side, wanding pale circles of light around the woods and the road as they searched for signs of where Carly had gone. They called her name and even tried to call her phone, but neither got a response.

Until Paige found something.

"Fi, over here! Shoe prints!"

Paige immediately closed in on the prints while Fiona stood above her with a light. A clear print showed in the sandier parts of the gravel right between the road and the grass. It seemed to match Carly's usual Converse and followed other steps they found that led towards a gap in the woods.

Calling out for her name, the duo approached the gap and found a trail that led deeper into the woods. It was practically pitch black, their phone lights barely reaching 10 feet ahead.

Fiona hesitated. She didn't even want to get anywhere near the trail. She hoped that Carly would just pop out of a bush or something. Better yet, if she could somehow call one of their phones and tell them she was okay.

Meanwhile, Paige was already tucking her pants into her long socks as she stood in front of the trail. "I bet she's down here somewhere. God forbid she got lost or something."

"Maybe, what if she's just further down the road?" Fiona cringed.

"Girl, you saw those prints, she's down here. You can wait here if you want, I'm going in!" Paige proceeded to enter the trail and continued calling out Carly's name.

"Wait! Let me just-" Fiona cursed as she threw her hands at her sides.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck, holy shit. Alright, we can do this, it's gonna be ok.

She paced, trying to psych herself up to follow Paige. Shaking her head nervously, Fiona looked back down at the prints that Paige had looked at and shone her light closer to them.

Sure enough, they had the diamond print that matched Carly's Converse etched into the bare patch of ground beside the wet grass.

Ok, Carly's probably down here. If she's hurt, we gotta help her. Ok, we can do this.

But as Fiona looked at the prints again, she noticed a different pair of prints behind Carly's.

Not sneakers. Instead, they were hoof prints.

Fiona crouched closer. The hoof marks were small, barely the size of her palm. Deer prints?

Carefully, she tracked the prints along the patches of bare earth. They were consistently a couple of feet behind Carly's steps. Fresh imprints just like the shoes.

What the fuck? Did a deer follow her in?

Scratching her head, Fiona walked back toward the trail's entrance; it had larger swaths of bare soil with cleaner prints.

Carly's steps went into the trail, too. But so did the hooves. The strange thing, however, was that only one pair of hooves was ever moving.

Left and right, as if it just walked on two legs.

Something had followed Carly into the woods.

Something that walked upright, on hooves.

***

Hope you enjoyed this short little spooky story! I had planned this concept earlier this year, but I wanted to start it after I got ahead on my other projects. Unfortunately, life delayed those slightly. That said, this one was smaller in scope than the others, so I was able to crush it over the last couple of weeks and aim to release it right around Halloween!

Stay tuned to find out if Fiona and Paige can find Carly, or if they'll wind up in a similar fate.

Happy Halloween!