How Bad Could You Really Be?

Onceler's lament (biding time)

There were no trees left. The factory shut down soon after that day. The workers hung their heads on the day they left. A few even offered me their condolences. Word about Skye had to of made it through the factory. Maybe it was the lorax's doing; maybe people didn't really know she had passed. Maybe it was because my empire crumbled in an instant. But I didn't deserve to have the money and wealth I got by feeding a demon. Even though he helped me achieve greatness it cost a great price. Within the next few days they started demolishing the factory. All that was left was the home that stood with it. I walked inside the door and shut it behind me. This place was so lonely and empty, but I decided it was a fitting enough place for a selfish, heartless man like myself. In the basement were parts to machines I had meant to finish ages ago. I took some of the boards and boarded up the windows. I even built a contraption that connected to the doorbell. Not like anyone would want to come out here. Most of the people had moved into thneedville.

When I finished I closed off the door. I honestly didn't deserve to live with any one else. I picked up Skye's book and opened it. There were no pictures of her anywhere, this was all I had to remember her by. God, she really tried, didn't she? Even the lorax tried to warn me. I just didn't listen. So I started the book. Of course it was about us. She didn't write it out of anger or in a biased manner. It felt like ages since we were so happy together. It was so hard to remember those times. After reading a good bit of the book I set it down. I walked over to the bed and flopped on it. My eyes closed for a moment, but every time they closed I just saw her cold, lifeless face. That kept me from sleeping for the first few months I was here. Eventually her face was hard to remember. But I spent a lot of months crying until I was left only with a whimper because I had no more tears. Each morning I would pull a chair to the window. I stared out at the destroyed valley. Every day was going to be a reminder to my mistakes.

For years I lived alone. My name probably forgotten along with the thneed. No one wanted to come see me. And no one did. Not until many, many years later. My body aged; it felt faster than it actually happened. One day, I was sitting at the window looking out. I thought I saw something in the distance. After a few minutes I was sure it was a person. It looked like a kid. Much younger than when I first came here. What did he want? He jumped off his scooter and looked around. He pulled some thing out of his pocket and looked at it. He walked to the door and rang the bell. The door swung around as a giant hammer swung down on the board he was standing on. He went flying in the air. A claw rushed from the crack in the boarded window and grabbed the kid before he fell back to the ground.

"What are you doing here?" I snarled.

"Are you the Onceler?" he asked.

"Did you miss all the signs saying to stay out?"

"I was told if I brought you these things you'd tell me where to get a tree."

"I didn't think anyone still cared about trees."

"I do, that's me! I'm the guy who cares about the trees."

I sent the crane gently towards the ground and let the kid down. He looked back up at the window. I was lost in thought. Maybe this kid could change the valley, no that's ridiculous. If I couldn't how could he?

"Well, if you want to hear the story it start's a long time ago," I started.

"Maybe we don't have to go that far back?"

"You want a tree, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well then it started a long, long time ago."

The kid sighed and sat on a rock outside. He listened and, annoyingly, interrupted me a few times. But I got most of the way through my story. I never mentioned Skye though. Someone his age shouldn't hear just how monstrous I used to be. I told the kid to come back tomorrow. I shut off the lights in my room. He yelled at me that he would be back. I didn't believe him. But sure enough the next afternoon, he appeared.