After much ghosting about this fandom, I have finally come out with a piece of my own, albeit a very short one.
Disclaimer: The ideas and basic character of the Once-ler belong to Dr. Seuss, and the setting and character design belong to Illumination Entertainment.
It all stretches out forever, dirty and dark, covered with a raggedy, smogedy blanket. Someone has skinned the earth, stripping back the softness and revealing the blood and flesh sulking beneath. Can you hear the now dulled pain? Can you imagine the throbbing? But that was a while ago, now the wound is scabbing over. Stumps dot the waste-scape like pimples rising from the scarred and abused skin of the land.
Out of the ruins, there is a…castle? No, it's distinctly industrial. A factory.
Look, see how it sags in places? See the early signs of rot and decay? See how it will be in ruins, like the place it sits, before too long at all?
And wait, look up, is that a man standing up on the highest pinnacle? Yes, I do believe it is! What's that he's wearing? A green suit and top hat, it looks like. How odd. Should we get closer? I want to see what he's doing.
No, come on. There's no town around here. Just look around, who would live here? No one in their right mind, that's who. Let's get out of here; this place gives me the creeps.
He looked over the yawning edge of his self-made tower and consuming nightmare. Down below, so far down it was, was the gray ground. Dead and ugly stumps protruded from the hardened earth as far as he could see, even from his perch. Even up here, the dead air got caught in his throat and made him cough. And cough harder. Doubling over. Hacking desperately. And when he drew away his hand, think black bile coated his fingers. His damn poison became a part of him as well, killing him as well, killing him from the inside just as it killed everything else.
So he looked up again, maybe looking for the sun or maybe trying to see the edge of his destruction. His eyes were pleading to nothing. Please let there be an end.
…
There were no more tears. No more feeling, just empty grief and hate. For no one but himself.
So the Once-ler flew away.
There was no one to mourn him as he lay broken on the ground, with dead stumps protruding from the ground as far as one could see.
So the world continued on.
I realize this is really short. And it follows a pretty conventional theme. You know why? I wrote this in about ten minutes for a summer writing workshop. I think it might be half poetry...eh.
Reviews and feedback are much appreciated; I would like a bit of critique and suggestions. Thanks!