How Bad Could You Really Be?

Tomatoes dinner and fairy tales.

When we got back to the tent I flopped onto the bed. Onceler disappeared for a moment, but returned with a pink scarf around his neck. He took it off and tossed it to me.

"This is the thneed?" I asked.

"Yup!"

"What is it?"

My hands tried to make sense of the thneed. Onceler showed me some of the things it could become. It really was quite an amazing thing. He took it and wrapped it around his neck. With his guitar in hand he was ready to go into town. I jumped up as we left for town. During the walk Onceler had strummed on his guitar. He hummed along with the music. It was a quick walk from where Onceler had set up his house tent. We walked to a gazebo area in the middle of town. It was close to my house.

"Good luck!" I said.

"You're leaving?" he asked.

"Yeah just for a bit. There is something I need to buy. Do you need anything?"

"Just to make a sale or two."

"You'll be great! Don't worry I will be back in a bit."

I waved and headed off in another direction. In the meantime I wanted to buy him something. In return for making that promise I wanted to find something nice. It would be a nice thing especially if he made a sale. I went to a nearby store where I found just the thing I was looking for. As I paid for the items there was a roar of laughter from outside.

"That kid with the rag must be back," the shopkeeper said.

"Huh?" I asked.

"The grocer is going to do well today."

"What are you talking about?"

"This kid came into town trying to sell some rag or somethin'. He started sellin' things to throw at him. That music gets really obnoxious."

"You've gotta be kidding me!"

I snatched the bag from him. The money scattered across the counter as I ran outside. Hopefully this was just a joke.


Onceler watched as Skye ran off into the town. Even though the last time didn't go well, he hoped today would be different. He pulled the thneed from his neck. Although he explained it could be so many things. The people seemed uninterested in the product. He thought his song was clever. Surely Skye would have said something, wouldn't she? But Onceler didn't mind the people. No one was going to love his thneed right away. These things take time to catch on sometimes. But today they started throwing tomatoes and other things at him. They mocked him and his thneed mercilessly. At least Melvin seemed to enjoy eating the vegetable scraps from the ground. He pulled the thneed from his neck and threw it into the trash.

"You are horrible people! I'm done with this stupid idea!" he yelled.

Another tomato hit him square in the face. He wiped the mess from his face. When he looked up he saw Skye standing there. How could she do such a thing? He scowled at her with a flicker of anger in his eyes. She shook her head to the side, but he had stormed off.

"Even she was just toying with me. I'm done with all of this!" he said to himself.

I was running to the gazebo where I had left him. Sure enough the grocer was selling the vegetables. I grabbed one from him.

"What is wrong with you guys? Throwing this at him?!" I said.

I started knocking some of the things from the people's hands. I was still a way back from Onceler. Someone stuck their foot out. My body lurched forward as I tried to regain my balance the tomato flew out of my hand as I looked up. Onceler looked over to see me standing there. My head shook to the side. I hadn't meant to throw this at him. The look on his face was unpleasant. Everyone laughed as he stormed out of town. My heart dropped. There was no way he could think I intentionally did that. I chased after him once I grabbed his thneed from the trash can. Quickly wrapping it around myself I fashioned it into a bag. And I took off after him. When I got to the edge of the city he was already gone. I sighed as I started towards the tent. Clouds were forming in the sky, so I picked up my pace. The flaps over the windows were pulled down. I knocked on the door there was no answer.