It was a pleasant dream he was having. Gone were the long green gloves and pinstripe suit. Instead, he wore his old gray vest and fedora, the old clothes fitting comfortably as he stood overlooking the valley. The Once-ler smiled broadly. Swommee Swans flying overhead, Barb-a-loots playing in the grass… this was the paradise he remembered. And the Truffula trees! His legs carried him towards the nearest one, a fine tree with brilliant pink tufts. The man reached out to place his hand on the striped trunk.
As his fingers met the bark, the tree became warped, twisting and dissolving until only a stump remained. Stepping back in horror, the man could only watch as the destruction spread outward, rapidly consuming all life and leaving only withered remains. The sky darkened, the river became clogged, and he was wearing his business suit now, staring down from the balcony of his factory upon the spreading wasteland. No longer a dream, it had become a nightmare.
The Once-ler opened his eyes. He didn’t remember falling asleep, or even getting into bed. Just as well; whenever he actually tried getting to sleep it never seemed to work. Rest was necessary, though he could do without the nightmares.
Sighing, the man rolled over. The bed was surprisingly comfortable, which was a bit odd; maybe he had finally gotten used to it. And the blanket was doing a wonderful job of keeping him warm, as his t-shirt was only so warm….
Suddenly wide-awake, the Once-ler shot up. He didn’t have any t-shirts, this was not his bed, this was all wrong. Wide-eyed, he stared around the unfamiliar room. None of this made any sense. Was someone playing a joke on him? He frowned.
“This isn’t very funny,” he said to the empty room, then berated himself. Of course it wasn’t a joke, no one ever came out to the Lurkim in the wasteland. So how did he wind up here? Wherever ‘here’ was.
Rolling out of the bed, the Once-ler stood up and stretched. There was another bed on the other side of the room, but no one in it. The whole room seemed very uninhabited, actually. A quick search through the drawers and closet on his side brought up nothing of interest, and made it all the more evident that he would learn nothing from the room.
“Not going to get any answers just standing around,” the Once-ler muttered, and walked to the door.
M??
As his fingers met the bark, the tree became warped, twisting and dissolving until only a stump remained. Stepping back in horror, the man could only watch as the destruction spread outward, rapidly consuming all life and leaving only withered remains. The sky darkened, the river became clogged, and he was wearing his business suit now, staring down from the balcony of his factory upon the spreading wasteland. No longer a dream, it had become a nightmare.
The Once-ler opened his eyes. He didn’t remember falling asleep, or even getting into bed. Just as well; whenever he actually tried getting to sleep it never seemed to work. Rest was necessary, though he could do without the nightmares.
Sighing, the man rolled over. The bed was surprisingly comfortable, which was a bit odd; maybe he had finally gotten used to it. And the blanket was doing a wonderful job of keeping him warm, as his t-shirt was only so warm….
Suddenly wide-awake, the Once-ler shot up. He didn’t have any t-shirts, this was not his bed, this was all wrong. Wide-eyed, he stared around the unfamiliar room. None of this made any sense. Was someone playing a joke on him? He frowned.
“This isn’t very funny,” he said to the empty room, then berated himself. Of course it wasn’t a joke, no one ever came out to the Lurkim in the wasteland. So how did he wind up here? Wherever ‘here’ was.
Rolling out of the bed, the Once-ler stood up and stretched. There was another bed on the other side of the room, but no one in it. The whole room seemed very uninhabited, actually. A quick search through the drawers and closet on his side brought up nothing of interest, and made it all the more evident that he would learn nothing from the room.
“Not going to get any answers just standing around,” the Once-ler muttered, and walked to the door.