Once-ler lay restless in bed, tossing and turning and kicking at his sheets as the night wore on. Ten, eleven, twelve o'clock ticked by. "Maybe if I keep myself busy for a little while I'll tire myself out…" He mumbled to himself in exasperation and defeat. As he slid his legs over the side of the bed and slumped off the mattress, the moonlight coming in from his open window lit his way, brightening the majority of his quaint little cottage. Dragging his feet as he went, Once-ler made his way to the kitchen, taking a glass that had been sitting on the countertop and filling it with water from his tap. He stared down into the dirty sink, gazing at a dented fork, a crooked spoon and a chipped ceramic mug. He frowned.
'I need some new kitchen ware…' He thought absently, forgetting for a moment that the tap was on and before long water rushed over the brim of the cup and ran over his fingers, the cool liquid surprising him and making him start with a soft gasp. The quiet mumbles tumbling from his lips came to a sudden stop, a gasp cutting them off as he looked up from his twisted utensils to his hand.
Immediately, he dropped the glass, stumbling back as it clattered in the sink, its contents spilling out. "That's not water…" He whispered to himself, watching as the sink seemed to clog itself with the black sludge and quickly begin to fill. "Ohhh no, no, no, no, no." He rushed over to the sink, trying to twist and turn the taps in an attempt to shut them off but they just wouldn't budge.
"Oh goodness, oh no…" Panic made his heart thump fast and hard, hands trembling as they fluttered uselessly in the air.
"Oh, stop! Please stop! Oh!" The sink quickly filled with the black sludge and over flowed, dripping thickly from the counter and beginning to cover his floor, making it glisten and look as if it were moving with the shifty liquid. "Why are you moving so fast?!" He shouted at the inanimate goop…hopefully inanimate goop. He received no response. Whimpering to himself he stepped back, keeping a distance between himself and the goo, or trying to - but it just kept advancing. He was running out of space to back into and the goo was running out of surface to cover, soon he would have to get up on the counter or flee the cottage all together.
"No, no, no, no, no, no!" To the counter it was then, at least…it's what he would have had to do if the goo hadn't mysteriously stopped itself and began retreating into the center of the room. Once-ler watched with wide, fearful eyes as the blackness seemed to begin taking form before him, gathering and growing into a long, thin form - a masculine form. He gulped and cowered against the counter behind him; all he had wanted was a glass of water. What was happening? This couldn't actually be happening, could it?
Distinct features began taking form on the black figure, lanky, sinewy limbs, tall frame - a bit taller than himself, and skinny but sturdy…long nose, wide set eyes, closed to conceal their colour…pale skin, thin lips, jet black hair. Oh no. No it can't be.
The man adorned a green, pinstriped suit with oversized lapels and, long, showy tail flaps. A tall, curvy top hat sat atop his head, sparkly blue sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose. The not-so-mysterious-man's lips parted to reveal two rows of pointed razor teeth resembling those of a grinning shark. The eyes behind the shades opened, half lidded and mischievous, it was easy to see they held no good intention. Once-ler didn't realize how terribly he trembled until he caught a glimpse of his own hand, shaking like a leaf against the cool surface of the counter.
Things seemed to move in slow motion as the remaining goo disappeared and left behind this dreaded man. Once-ler regretted getting out of bed, he regret going to bed. He regret being alive. "Didjya miss me, Oncie?" 'No, no, no.' What was going on? This was too much. Where had Greed come from? Where had that sludge come from? How did it get there and- how did Greed come of it? He squeezed his eyes shut and screamed. When he opened his baby blues he was curled up in his bed, breathing laboured and shaky.
"A nightmare…" His lips formed the words but he was too scared to speak. His wide eyes stung with unexplained and unshed tears as he clutched his comforter close to his chest and tried to calm down. "Just a dream…"