Man Wakes Up To Ring Of Withered Trees Around Cabin, Then He Learns Why

Checking the result

Ethan waited a long time before moving again. Eventually, when he was convinced that the stranger had truly left, he crept down to the edge of the ring.

At each marked tree, he found a small, damp patch on the ground, in the same color as he had found during the day, all with that same chemical smell.