"Journey to Planet Earth"

My team and I descended down the ladder of our spaceship. Since I  was the captain, I stood in front, taking in the surroundings.  

Earth was breathlessly colourful.  

The sky was ablaze with a pleasant light coming from a bigger and warmer Sun. The land was dotted with so many brown and big and crinkled figures, covered with green paper that whistled and sighed as  gusts of wind blew by; they were 'trees'. Dappled sunlight emerged through the never-ending canopies. Vibrant blooms unfolded everywhere. There was a small pond near us that sparkled and gleamed. On it floated clouds of green where tiny creatures lolled lazily. Life forms ruled the terrain, enormous mammoths and tiny insects alike. Mellow music hung in  the air, warbled by the beautiful animals soaring in the sky. Some humans spotted us and exhaled a gasp of surprise. The bushy  brows above their eyes raised and their face, full of creases, broke into a curious smile, revealing a glistening set of gnashers. I exchanged glances with my friends and then waved at the humans. 

Prosperity was going to flourish in this magical planet where life forms could fly, sing and smile and where one creature lovingly looked out for the other. We, as outsiders, loved this magical planet.  

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, everything changed.  

The sky turned starless and a sombre colour. The crinkled figures and the  green paper were gone. All that was left was withered trunks and flecked leaves that crackled and creaked. And, there was waste, I realized. Mounds of never-ending waste all around, smelling fetid. The ground was bleak of blooms. The pond was clogged with soot and there was no sign of life in it. Creatures worked silently, in a restrained peace. The flying creatures no longer flew and the singing creatures no longer sang. Every once in a while, a gigantic cuboid monster bolted past us on four wheels. Its voice had a deafening howl and it smelled of smoke. No creature paid us attention except for some tiny icky creatures that  buzzed and kept following us everywhere. 

A human passed us, two did, three. None of them looked up or smiled. Their brows were knitted into  concentration in a small piece of chip that perfectly fit in their hands. Their faces looked flawless now, the lovely wrinkles hidden underneath layers and layers of beauty cream. When a human finally noticed us, he took out a small box and slowly stepped close towards us. His face was hidden behind it. He kept fidgeting, until suddenly a white electric flash erupted from the  box, blinding us all.  

We scampered away towards our spaceship, and some mean  humans chased us, calling names. Taking advantage of being the captain, I  reached the ladder first and climbed for dear life. In a couple of seconds, all of us were seated in the spaceship. I did not even hesitate in ordering  to take off. We took to the air at the speed of light and headed back to our planet.  

What had happened to Earth? 

It was clear: a magical planet had been destroyed.