Once-ler turned his head towards the sound of the crash to see that it was none other than the Lorax who had caused it. The guardian of the forest had floated through Once-ler's office window, knocking down several objects off a nearby shelf in the process. Once-ler let out a groan. Every once in a while, the Lorax would show up at the factory to try and convince him to stop biggering. Once-ler gritted his teeth as the Lorax approached his desk, bracing himself for yet another lecture from the forest guardian.
"Hey Beanpole," the Lorax greeted him.
Once-ler scowled and crossed his arms in annoyance. "Get out. I'm not in the mood today," he replied
The Lorax did not leave. He glanced over at Once-ler's wastebasket full of crumpled-up papers, then back to Once-ler. "Looks like all that biggering has got you stressed out." The Lorax quipped "Normally I'd advise you to take a break to go outside to get some fresh air, but now thanks to you and your factory causing all that pollution, there isn't any!" he shouted while pointing to the window.
"Oh please, how bad can it possibly be?" Once-ler rolled his eyes and waved one of his hands dismissively.
"It's going to get a lot worse if you don't stop with this biggering nonsense. If you keep on hackin' down all the trees the barbaloots won't have enough truffula fruits to eat. And if you keep on smoggin' up all the air and gluppin' up all the water, neither the swommee swans nor the humming fish will be able to sing or hum anymore because all that nasty stuff is getting into their lungs and gills. Don't you understand what you're doing? If you keep this up none of them are going to be able to live here anymore." the Lorax explained to Once-ler with a sad look.
Once-ler cast his eyes downward in shame. The thought of all the animals having to leave the forest made him feel heartbroken.
"So what exactly are you up to now?" the Lorax asked as he jumped up on Once-ler's desk. When he saw Once-ler's blueprints, he gasped. "Beanpole you can't possibly be serious about this are you?"
Out of nowhere, a strange surge of energy suddenly welled up within Once-ler "And what if I am?" he asked smugly. Once-ler's eyes widened in surprise at his tone and he gripped the sides of his chair. That wasn't how he felt just a moment ago. Why did he just say that? For a moment, it was like somebody else took over.
"This is completely ridiculous Beanpole!" the Lorax exclaimed. "I'm telling you, if you keep this up, The entire forest is going to become a wasteland! The sky's going to be covered in smogulous smoke, the water's going to be filled with schlopity schlop, and there won't be any trees left! " the Lorax yelled. "I can't believe you would do this!" the Lorax grew even angrier "How could you do this to the forest? How could you destroy the place you once loved so much? How could you be so greedy?"
Once-ler was taken aback, the Lorax had never been this harsh to him before. "I don't mean any harm. I truly don't, but my business has to get bigger." he tried to explain "Don't worry, I'm going come up with a plan that allows me to keep running my company while preserving some of the land. I promise." Once-ler tried to convince the Lorax, and himself. The Lorax's description of the decimated forest scared him.
"Well, hearing that is not exactly reassuring. I know how you are about keeping promises." the Lorax snapped back
"Look, I'm sorry, I'm really trying I'm..." Once-ler tripped over his words as he tried to explain and justify his actions.
The Lorax interrupted him."You call this trying?" he shouted back while pointing to the blueprints.
"Don't worry. These plans aren't finalized yet. I'm still working on the layout," Once-ler replied with a sigh
YOU ARE READING
Haunted by Greed
FanfictionOnce-ler's dream of biggering his thneed business soon turns into a nightmare when he finds himself being haunted by visions of his sinister alter-ego, the Greed-ler. As Once-ler becomes further overwhelmed by stress and guilt as his business contin...
