INT. THNEEDS, INC. - PAST - DAY
The busy Once-ler and Maddie, completely transformed into a big businessman and woman, walk down the halls of Thneeds, Inc. past a large ticker showing the amount of Thneeds sold, "5,268,902." Underneath it is a large poster of the Once-ler and Maddie with the words, "Too big too fail" written on it. Brett and Chet hold the doors open as they hang up and enters their office. The doors close behind them.
INT. ONCE-LER'S AND MADDIE'S OFFICE - PAST - CONTINUOUS
The Once-ler and Maddie sit down at their desks. Looks over plans for Thneedville. Behind them, we can see the Lorax sitting on their balcony.
Lorax: So how are things?
The Once-ler and Maddie turn to see the Lorax.
Once-ler: What are you doing here?!
Lorax: Happy yet? You two fill that hole deep down inside you two? Or do you two still need more? Do you need to continue to make your daughter sick?
Maddie: Look, if you've got a problem with what I'm doing, why haven't you used your quote, unquote "powers" to stop me and make our daughter better?
Lorax: I told you two. That's not how it works. And I'm trying to get you two to see what you're doing to the kid.
Once-ler: Right, I forgot, you're a fraud. I need you to get out. Now.
Lorax: Why? Do I make you two uncomfortable? Remind you two of the promises you two made? The people you two used to be?
The Once-ler and Maddie confront the Lorax angrily, backing him down their balcony steps that lead back down to the ground.
Maddie: You know what? You can just shut your mustache! My conscience is clear. I have done nothing illegal. I have my rights, and I intend to keep on biggering and biggering and turning more Truffula trees into Thneeds.
The Lorax falls backwards and hits the ground.
Once-ler: And nothing is going to stop me!
Just then, in the distance, we hear a THWACK! The Once-ler, Maddie, and Lorax both look and see the VERY LAST TRUFFULA TREE chopped down by a Super Axe-Hacker.
Lorax: Well, that's it. The very last one. (grimly) That may stop you two.
The Once-ler and Maddie stare out into the valley. All that can be seen for miles and miles is stumps. The Truffula trees are all gone.
EXT. TOWN SQUARE - PAST - DAY
TWO WORKERS remove the Thneed ad from a billboard. One of the workers looks up at the image of the Thneed.
TALL WORKER: (shaking his head) Somebody sure made a bundle on that thing. Wonder what the next million-dollar invention's gonna be?
The Tall Worker fans the smoggy air away from his face, coughing. Then the Short Worker turns around and we see that it is-- A YOUNG ALOYSIUS O'HARE. He watches his partner fanning the smog away from his face, still coughing. Looks up at the billboard, wheels turning.
Young O'Hare: Yeah. I wonder.
EXT. THNEEDS, INC. - PAST - DAY
The Once-ler and Maddie stand in front of his family and her in-laws' RV. His mother and her mother-in-law shakes her head disapprovingly.
Isabella: Son and Daughter, you two have let me down. Brett, you are now my favorite child.
VROOM! The RV speeds away. The Once-ler and Maddie watch it go, their completely deserted factory behind them. They stand there all alone. And then they see something approaching in the distance. It's the Lorax, leading a massive crowd of animals with Pippa standing with the Lorax, coughing violently. The Once-ler and Maddie hold up their hands as they approach.
Maddie: Hey, look, I don't want any trouble.
Lorax: And you two won't get any. Not from them. Thanks to you two and both of your hacking and smogging and glupping, they can't live here anymore. So I'm sending them off. Hopefully, they'll be able to find a better place out there somewhere. As for your daughter, I'm letting her go with Melvin to find a town for her to live in and get better. She'll have breathing problems the rest of her life but at least she'll be healthy again
He gives the Once-ler and Maddie a pointed look. The animals continue their march, heading for the horizon. The Once-ler and Maddie then see Melvin leaving with Pippa on his back and all of the animals. Their faces fall.
Once-ler: Melvin? Melvin!
The mule looks back, shaking his head in disappointment. Pippa looks at her parents sadly, waving goodbye.
Maddie: Hey, Pipsqueak.
Pipsqueak turns back to the Once-ler and Maddie who offer him a marshmallow.
Once-ler: Hey.
He shakes his head in disappointment and walks off with the rest of the animals. Once the animals are gone, it's just the Lorax, Maddie, and the Once-ler. The Lorax stands on a pile of rocks. The Once-ler and Maddie take off his biggered hat and her biggered crown in shame. Then pulls himself up by the seat of his pants and magically floats up through the air. The Once-ler and Maddie watch, amazed. The Lorax then disappears through a hole in the smog. The Once-ler and Maddie are stunned. Who was this guy? What have we done? They look down at the pile of rocks. We now see that the pile of rocks has the word "UNLESS" carved into one.
EXT. LERKIM - PRESENT - DAY
Ted and Pippa stare down at the word "UNLESS" in the rocks. Ted and Pippa look up at the window, shaking their heads.
Ted: So this is really both of your faults. You two destroyed everything.
Once-ler (O.S.): Yes. And each day since the Lorax left we've sat here regretting everything we've done. Staring at that word--"unless"--and wondering what it meant. And wondering if our daughter really survived her illness. But now we're thinking... well, maybe you two are the reason the Lorax left that word there.
Ted and Pippa look up, stunned.
Pippa: Us? Why would he leave that for us?
Maddie (O.S.): Because unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.
The Once-ler and Maddie disappear from view and we hear them furiously rummaging around the Lerkim. Finally, their arms reappear in the window. They toss something down to Ted and Pippa. Ted and Pippa catch it. It's a SEED. Ted and Pippa stare at it.
Once-ler (O.S.): The last Truffula Seed. You two need to plant it, Ted and Pippa.
Ted: Yeah, but nobody cares about trees anymore.
Maddie: Then make them care. Plant the seed in the middle of town, where everyone can see. Change the way things are. I know it may seem small and insignificant, but it's not about what it is -- it's about what it can become. That's not just a seed. Any more than you two are just a boy and girl.
Ted and Pippa look up at the Once-ler and Maddie, deep in thought. Gets a determined look. Their fists close around the seed. Ted and Pippa nod. Then walks over to their scooters and starts it up.
Pippa: (calls out) I won't let you two down.
Ted and Pippa drive off toward Thneedville. The Once-ler's and Maddie's eyes watch them go. For the first time shining with the hope they had when they were young, seeing that they may have found their daughter again after so long.
Once-ler (O.S.): I know, darling.
YOU ARE READING
The Lorax
FanfictionTwelve-year-old Ted and his older adopted sister, Pippa, live in a place virtually devoid of nature; no flowers or trees grow in the town of Thneedville. Ted would very much like to win the heart of Audrey, the girl of his dreams, and Pippa wants to...
