Do you hear that too?

As we tried to compose ourselves in the new clearing, a strange and haunting song emerged from the depths of the forest. The melody, soft and sensual, seemed to float in the air, penetrating our minds and plunging us into a sort of trance. The singing was hypnotic, irresistible, like an ancient and powerful lullaby.

I shook myself, trying to resist his call. Around me, some of my companions also seemed disturbed by the singing, but not everyone perceived it in the same way. Those who heard the melody began to get up, their eyes vacant and their movements mechanical.

"Stop! Don't move!" I shouted, but my voice seemed muffled, as if the song was absorbing my words.

I watched, horrified, as my companions moved inexorably towards a huge tree at the edge of the clearing. Its roots were massive, its branches extended like arms, and at its base, a gaping opening resembling a gigantic mouth waited, ready to swallow them.

"No! Don't do that!" I screamed, trying to hold them back. I ran towards them, but my efforts were in vain. It was as if an invisible force was pushing them toward the tree, and my attempts to pull them back were failing miserably.

The guide, also struggling against the attraction of the song, approached me. "We have to find a way to stop them!" he shouted, but his words were barely audible over the haunting cacophony.

I tried to push past Marc, who was walking towards the tree with a blank expression. "Mark! Wake up!" But he didn't react. In desperation, I picked up a stone and threw it near his feet, hoping to trip him. The stone bounced without effect, and Marc continued his inexorable march.

One after the other, my companions disappeared into the mouth of the tree. The guide and I, desperate, looked for a solution. "Maybe the singing is coming from somewhere," he suggested, his eyes wild with fear and determination.

Quickly looking around, we discovered a strange plant, its flowers open and vibrant to the rhythm of the song. "It's that plant!" shouted the guide. "She creates the song!"

Without hesitation, he pulled the plant from the earth, its roots emerging with a wet, sinister sound. As soon as the plant was dug up, the singing stopped abruptly, leaving a deafening silence. Those who had headed towards the tree collapsed to the ground, like puppets whose strings had been cut.

I ran to Marc and the others, shaking them awake. Little by little, they regained consciousness, their eyes regaining their shine. They looked around, confused and afraid.

"What happened ?" Marc asked, his voice trembling.

"The singing…it controlled you," I replied. "That tree...it was going to eat you."

The guide, out of breath, still held the uprooted plant. "We must stay away from these plants. They manipulate our minds, luring us into deadly dangers."

We gathered together, shocked but grateful to have escaped this threat. The tree, now silent, seemed less threatening without the song. But we knew that other dangers probably awaited us in this forest.

"We have to stay together, look out for each other," the guide said, his eyes determined. "This world is full of traps, and we cannot afford to separate or let our guard down."

The moonlight persisted, strange and mysterious.