A/N This is my entry for this week's Tardigrade challenge. The prompt is to write a 300-word microfiction about Frederick, who just moved to a new house and could swear that every morning the tree in his backyard is in a different place. Let's find out how this happens, shall we?

A wolf howled in the distance. Frederick's heart pounded against the ground as he lay flat beneath the azalea shrubs. The hairs on his back stood on end.

The tree shuddered and bent back. Its bark melted away like liquid glass, branches retracting until there were only two left, twigs like claws on its arms. A head full of wild, leaf-like hair leaned back in a yawn.

I knew it, Frederick thought. I knew that tree was moving. It's a monster!

Frederick yowled as claws suddenly dug into his back, pulling him out from under the shrubs. His nails scraped the ground as he yelped for help.

He barely had time to register the giant bounding towards him on its trunk-like legs before it lashed out its arm. A crash and a roar echoed through the night, but the claws let go and Frederick managed to scramble to his paws and leap behind the azaleas once more.

His whole body trembled as he watched his tree slam the attacker to the ground, where it whined in pain. Frederick could make out nothing but a shadow, struggling to pick itself up and edging backwards.

The tree-monster let out one more furious roar, making the attacker turn and flee on all fours.

Underneath the shrubs, Frederick pushed himself against the ground, doing his best to disappear from sight. The monster turned and came straight for him, its green-skinned face pulled into a grin.

"You alright, kitty-cat?" it said with a voice like bark scraping against bark.

Frederick flinched, his tail in between his legs. I'll tell them! he warned the tree-monster with a shrill meow. I'll tell my Owners!

"Don't worry," said the tree-monster, oblivious to Frederick's warnings. "I'll keep you and your family safe. That's what I'm here for."