The forest was cool, with an late afternoon breeze rusting through the remote valley. Summer was quickly changing to autumn, ripe wild blueberries lined the undergrowth, and some leaves were ever so slightly beginning to change color.

Like many other wolves, thistle was known to wander into the wilderness on hikes and other adventures for long periods of time, and this trip was no exception. Already two days into his backpacking trip, he let out a deep sigh as he discovered a series of signs marking a line across the forest floor every 50 meters. "Experimental forest - logging re-plantation survey, no access."

The lake was just beyond, and there was no way he was about to turn around when he was already a day and a half into his trek. What harm could one wolf do, if he treaded softly?

Continuing beyond the signs, he began to feel a strange tingle in his hind paws. Reaching down to them, he gasps in surprise as his hiking boots rip apart and thick roots extend downwards into the ground. It was too late to turn and run back the way he came, his paws had already sunk into the ground and rooted ten meters outwards and downwards in every given direction.

Bark began to extend upwards, fusing his legs together and holding him perfectly rigid. Within moments the chemical treatment applied to the area had completely fused genetically modified fast growing tree DNA to his system, and the remainder of his body was overcome.

Afternoon changed to evening, and Cayoosh was left staring forward with a look of fright frozen on his face. The cold wind blew blew through the thicket of new leaves atop his head, and he could feel himself drifting off into an unnatural sleep as the daylight waned.

How long would he be stuck like this until someone found him, if they ever did?