Michelle's Nightmare

I have a story to tell you, it happen back in 2007 when i used work for Hanna-Barbera. I wish that i haven't hear about it, I wish I didn't seem it and I wish that it was never made. Y'all heard of the 1993 film "Once Upon A Forest" a underrated movie that didn't do well in the theaters. Hanna-barbera wanted to created a sequel since direct video movie was very popular, but they decide it into a series on Cartoon Network. When the first short was complete, it was time to view it, The Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network crew, along with the animators enter the room to view the animated pilot episode .

The short starting playing the original Once Upon A Forest theme showing the title Michelle 's NIghtmare. The first scene shows the furlings at Cornelius's house keeping Michelle some company.Abigal, wearing what appear to be a blue nightgown with a button on the top, is telling Michelle about their adventures searching for the herbs to save her, Edgar read a book,is wearing pajamas that was the same colors of his scarf and Russel snacking on nuts is wearing green pajamas. Cornelius isn't home which could explains why the furlings are with Michelle. Edgar tells everyone that they should go to bed, Abigal and Russel agree with him, but Michelle didn't want to go to bed pouting, she wore a pink gown. Abigal knew the Michelle could only sleeps when Cornelius is there to give her comfort, so she try to convince to sleep without needing her uncle to show that she grown up. Michelle decided to try since she wanted to be like the furlings, she let Abigal tucks her in bed.She then give Michelle a bedtime kiss before going to bed. The small badger yawn and fell asleep.

The dream scene begin showing the furling playing outside; Abigal and Russel are chasing the mini Flapper-Wing-a-Ma-Thing while Edgar looking butterflies. Michelle watch the other plays, she thought about her mother and father remembering that the time they have together, she pick some flowers and decided to visit her old home, it was only going to be a short visited. Michelle walk into the forest that is now like a wasteland; trees look like they were burned to the crisp ready to crumble into dust, plants are wilted as if they hasen't been water for days, flies was swarming around corpses of dead animal that has been poison from the gas. There was even skeletal remain of birds that didn't made it out of the forest. Michelle is scared of what she seeing as she walking to her house; she could had ask her friends to go with her, but she wanted to be brave like Abigal and show the furling that she had grown. She continue to to walk to house trying to be brave being a bit shaken as she took a steps.

Michelle finally made it to her old house, she took a deep breath and walk slowly to the house, the was still open , she remember what has happen, she rush home to parents only to be poison by the gas. When she enter the house she grip the flower tightly and walks slowly again. The tears begin to run down Michelle cheeks when she saw what use to be her parents, they were now lifeless corpses, they weren't decaying like the animals outside, but they were still dead. Michelle walk slowly to them; she were going to place the flowers next to them and leave. Suddenly Michelle's mother paws started to move,she slowly gotten up opening her eye; the pupils are glowing green. She stare at Michelle smiling, she kneels and holding her arms out expecting a hug.

"Come to Mommy Michelle." she said.

It was a normal motherly voice, a green vapor came out of her mouth. Michelle shook her head and slowly back away looking as if she about to wet herself.
"Come to Mommy Michelle." she said again

Michelle then ran out of the house dropping the flowers, her mother follow picking up the flower and walk. She continue to run until her dress was caught on the thorn bush showing a upskirt, Michele pull her dress to get it loss from bush still showing a pink underpants The mother badger is walking closer to Michelle. The small badger begin to panic and pull faster just as her mother have gotten close ready to grab her. At last moment Michelle quickly yank her dress free from the bush and ran as fast as she her little legs could take her, she didn't even look back to see of her mother was still on her tail. She stop running when she come across a hollow log, she got in through a hole showing a upskirt from behind. Michelle sat down to catch her breath her dress was rip, but is glad to get away from her mother, she then started to cry saying that she should have never went home.

"I want Uncle Cornelius." Michelle weep,

A arm appear from the hole on the log. It was Michelle's mother her heard her daughter crying.

"Come to Mommy Michelle." she said trying to grab her.

Michelle avoid the paw and ran out of the log still not looking back. She made it out of the forest and hope that her mother isn't following her. She hurry back to her friend to tells them what happen when she get to them they were acting strange, Abigal is just sitting on a tree branch with green tears dropping down ignoring Michelle, Edgar is just craving words on a tree while Russel is just curls up in a ball. Michelle try to talk to them, but they act as if she wasn't there, so she go to one person who might listen her Uncle Cornelius. She run to his home only to see the unbelieveable, a white barn owl is eating Cornelius lifeless body, the scene only shows Cornelius arm on a puddle what appear to be blood. The owl them glare at Michelle with glowing green eyes. Fearing that the owl will eat her next, she ran away her tears falling from her eyes after seeing what had happen to her uncle, blinded by her tears Michelle get caught in a spider web . She struggle to get loose showing one last upskirt, it only made it worse. Michelle notice the green vapor; it came from her mother who walk to her. Michelle snuggle even more crying for help. There was no one to help, her friends ignore her and her uncle Cornelius is dead. Her Mother put Michelle off the web and wrap it on her body like a cocoon, the small badger begin to squirms and as she was pick up and held like a baby.

"Don't be scared Michelle" She said as more green vapor came out her mouth. "Mommy here."
The mother badger was going giver her daughter a kiss, Michelle shut her eyes, she began to struggle wildly and give out a scream loud enough to be heard from a distance of 200 feets. She continue to struggle wildly until she heard a familiar voice.

"Wake Up Michelle, you're having a nightmare." it said.

Michelle open her eyes and saw Abigal, Edgar, and Russel at her bed, she stare at them and started to cry; the furlings all hugs to comfort her. When she was calm down, the furlings,Russel and Edgar went back to sleeps, Abigal is in bed with Michelle who is holding on to her like stuff animals. She rubs the small badger back and went to sleeps. Outside we see Cornelius who resemble his original Rae Lambert's design, is at what appear to graves for his sister and brother-in-law.

"I can't not replace you two, but I promise to take good care of Michelle." He said placing the flower on their graves.

The episode end, Cartoon Network's staff find the episode to be disturbing, they wanted the series to be aim at children and the pilot episode isn't going to be a good choice since it shows a character being eaten by a owl,but they did liked the animation. Hanna-Barbera scrapped that idea for the series after the backlash, so the Once Upon a Forest pilot episode was never aired on the television, there were rumors that adult swim had aired it, the storyboard was shown on a special limited edition DVD of Once Upon a Forest. One thing still haunt me to this very day, the scene when Michelle mother smile with those glowing eyes, there something about it that creeps me out since it appear as if she is staring right at you. I know it just a cartoon, but I just find it to be creepy. Whenever I think about it, I hear her saying

"Come to Mommy Michelle."