Grow

by Owl

 

Premise Tags: Ritualism/Cult,

Spirits, Trees, Devotion, Doting,

Reunited Lovers.

Content Warnings: gore,

cannibalism, identity erasure.

 

 

 

Yuan Hun shivered and pressed himself deeper into the grove. The wind was cold, especially since his clothes were torn. As beautiful as the forest was at this time of the year - full of white and pink petals - it also got incredibly chilly at night.

 

It was the season of new beginnings, which was very nice and all, but the temperatures had yet to leave winter behind and move towards summer.

 

The youth curled up tighter. If only he hadn’t played around and followed his family’s orders… Then he wouldn’t have gotten lost…

 

It was common for families to enter the forest during spring, when you could finally begin gathering edible plants again. They did that every year and Yuan Hun should have known how to behave.

 

The place where he had fallen asleep was a nice little clearing with bright sunshine. He had only taken a nap and the next time he had woken up, his family had left him behind. No surprise - this was punishment. His father had said that if he didn’t watch out, he’d have to stay the night out in the forest and they’d get him tomorrow.

 

In the chilly nights, a normal healthy youth  would probably catch a cold and be down for a day or two afterwards.

 

Chilly didn’t mean cold enough to freeze.

 

Especially not if you still had your coat. And hadn’t lost it.

 

Or if you hadn’t fallen into the river.

 

Yuan Hun rubbed over his face. He was an idiot.

 

Besides, the forest at night was scary. He never knew when wild animals might appear, and there were a lot of noises, like that approaching rustling-

 

Yuan Hun froze. An even stronger cold settled inside his body as he clamped his hands over his mouth and tried to slow his breathing. Maybe the animal wouldn’t notice him.

 

The steps came, closer and closer, approaching dreadfully…

 

Someone stepped into the moonlit area in front of Yuan Hun. The man must have been older than him by some years, and he was tall and lean. He was handsome, with suntanned skin and brown hair that he had tied up. His clothes were simple and a bit dirty from the forest, but they were neat. 

 

The stranger didn’t look too surprised at seeing Yuan Hun. Instead, he slowly smiled and Yuan Hun felt his heart quicken at the sight.

 

He immediately knew that this was a nice person. He couldn’t possibly be anything else.

 

The man squat down in front of him and stretched out a hand to brush Yuan Hun’s fringe away, earning a bright blush on the blank face. The man smelled like spring flowers, sweet and gentle.

 

“My. Did you get lost? What are you doing here, mmmh?” The indulgent tone of the hum tugged at Yuan Hun’s heartstrings. “You shouldn’t be in this kind of desolate corner where no one can find you.”

 

The young man quickly lowered his head to hide his blush and stammered an answer. “Y-Yes… I got lost and fell into the river… U-Uhm, do you live nearby? Could you help me?”

 

“Of course. I don’t live far from here. Come with me, you can change your clothes and stay the night.” The stranger didn’t hesitate to offer his help. Then again, if he didn’t, Yuan Hun might be a corpse by morning. “You can call me Qiao Mu. What about you?”

 

“I’m Yuan Hun.” Yuan Hun jumped to reply but suddenly froze. His face became blank for a second before he smiled again. “Thank you for helping me.”

 

“Not at all. We should all help each other out”, Qiao Mu said kindly. He reached out to touch Yuan Hun’s hand and intertwined their fingers. Stunned, the younger man stumbled forward but caught himself. Qiao Mu was walking as if there was nothing strange going on at all, so Yuan Hun couldn’t help but wonder if he maybe only did this to steady him during their walk in the dark.

 

Qiao Mu’s house was a little hut. There were a couple of others nearby, although Yuan Hun didn’t see any light. He didn’t even know that there was a clearing here with a settlement. This was further inside the forest than he had ever gone.

 

“Are you hungry?”, Qiao Mu asked, gingerly looking at Yuan Hun like at a beloved person. He was patient despite the twitching of his fingers revealing he was waiting for something.

 

Yuan Hun nodded several times. He was starving. His legs were weak and he was cold. The water on his clothes was gone.

 

“That’s great. I’ve prepared a meal already”, Qiao Mu said and laughed sweetly. It certainly was the most beautiful laughter Yuan Hun had ever heard. “You’ll feel better after eating, I’m sure.”

 

Yuan Hun felt a giddy warmth inside his heart. How nice. This person was so kind.

 

The moment they stepped inside the hut, Yuan Hun saw the feast on the table, illuminated by little lamps at the side. Fireflies buzzed inside, lighting up the room, not candles.

 

The meal that was prepared was sumptuous. Yuan Hun made a happy sound and almost threw himself into the chair. He began to eat, feeling much better now that he was dry and out of the wind.

 

Qiao Mu sat down opposite of him and smiled lovingly. He pushed over a cup with water.

 

“Thank you. Can I have some more?”, Yuan Hun asked, gulping it down.

 

Eyes turning into smiling moons, the man carefully probed with his words. “Of course. You need to drink a lot, Ah-Yu. You’ll feel better soon.”

 

Yuan Hun paused his chewing. He tilted his head, looking blankly at… who? Then he laughed in embarrassment and continued to eat. He really did feel better.

 

“I’m so happy you’re back, Qiao Mu”, someone said.

 

“I’m Qiao Mu?”, Yuan Hun asked, his eyes wandering over to the other man. The familiar face. The one he knew. The one who he loved with all his heart.

 

“Yes. You’re Qiao Mu. I am Qiao Mu. But you can also be whatever you like.” Someone raised his hand to rub it over the younger one’s head in a familiar gesture. “How about being Yu Shu? Would you like that?”

 

“I like that”, Yu Shu said. Like his old name. His head slowly cleared of the mud that made his thoughts sluggish. “Li-Ge, are you Li Shu?”

 

“Yes”, Li Shu said happily, his face suddenly beaming with joy at being recognized.

 

How great, Yu Shu thought as he finally remembered things. Who would have thought he’d find his Li-Ge again! Li-Ge had left exactly three years ago. He had to leave, because people hadn’t liked that Li-Ge and he were… well.

 

Right. His parents had always disdained Yu Shu for it. That was how things had come to this point. That Li-Ge had… been made to leave.

 

Sadly now wasn’t the time yet for a happy welcome. He still had to eat.

 

Yu Shu picked up the eyeball with his chopsticks and placed it on his tongue. It was soft, a bit like jelly, as he bit down on it. Not that good, but there were only two. He wasn’t going to leave any food behind.

 

The head on the plate before him had been conveniently opened up to allow for better access to the brain. Li-Ge had taken the scalp away, since it was inconvenient to eat with all that hair. Yu Shu looked at the face that was his own without any feelings.

 

His body.

 

Or what it had been once.

 

Yu Shu wiped a drop from his lower lip before it could drop and sucked on his finger.

 

Blood dyed his lips a beautiful red, tempting Li Shu to lean in and lick it away, although he couldn’t. This meal was for Yu Shu and Yu Shu alone.

 

Yu Shu obediently continued to eat, satiating his hunger. He broke open the ribcage like the shell of a crab and carefully picked out the heart first. He cut it into its parts and enjoyed the taste. 

 

He couldn’t eat the outside. Still dirty from being buried, it wouldn’t taste good at all. But with the way Li-Ge had prepared the meal, it was still appetizing. The body lay on the long table, opened up like a buffet.

 

Only the head had been placed separately. Yu Shu stared back at the eye-less, terrified expression half stuck in a scream, skin tinted a bit blue from suffocation. 

 

“I’m sorry, Ah-Yu”, Li Shu apologized uncomfortably. “I was a bit slow in digging you up, so your face couldn’t be formed into a nicer expression again. I had searched in the wrong place. I was in a panic because I couldn’t find you immediately too, since you wandered off.”

 

“That’s fine. I’m thankful for everything you’ve done for me, Li-Ge”, Yu Shu honestly replied as he chewed on a fingerbone for its marrow. “I’m sorry for running around.”

 

“The others will love to meet you tomorrow. I told them a lot about you. I’m happy you are finally here with me.” Li Shu grabbed Yu Shu’s hand again and pressed it tightly. The pain on his face was obvious. “I was worried… Worried that you wouldn’t come.”

 

“Of course I’d come”, Yu Shu said blankly. The more he ate, the more he remembered. He felt like he should be mad or scared, but… He wasn’t capable of that anymore. “There’s no way they wouldn’t use me as a sacrifice for the ceremony, since I’m useless anyway.”

 

The forest was a hungry thing. You had to feed it with people by burying them in the soil, or it would come take its prey itself. The forest would take the body. The forest’s inhabitants its soul.

 

Every spring it would wake up, and every spring the villagers had to make a decision. Who did they not mind losing?

 

However, they did not know - it was a season of beginnings, not endings.

 

Yu Shu finally finished devouring himself. Now that he was done, he was part of the forest, but wasn’t gone. He was still… himself. He’d grow to increase the size of the forest and snatch up every Yuan Hun… Snatch up every soul that died unjustly, as his food.

 

Now was a good time of the year for him to place his roots. He could grow next to Li-Ge, sharing a space, forever together and never to be parted again.

 

The thought was sweet. Yu Shu looked up at the person he had once lost and held back a relieved sob.

 

Li Shu moved his chair closer and finally kissed his beloved. He had waited so long for Yu Shu to come back to his side, where he belonged. It didn’t matter that the humans did not like this kind of relationship.

 

This forest had no humans. It only had Qiao Mu.

 

Because a forest…

 

...is a place for trees.

 

 

✿

 

 

 

Footnotes:

Yuān Hún - A spirit that has grievances

Qiáo Mù - Tree (A tree with a trunk, not shrub etc)

Yú Shù - Elm (tree)

Lí Shù - Pear (tree)

 

✿

 

 

Author's Account:

Owl (SH).