Notes: I hope you all like this chapter! It includes a scene that pays homage to a lot nightmare/hallucination elements that were used in past chapters of this story, set to the song Dark Things by Starset. Also, Once-ler's Traveling Madness is included in a flashback!
Thank you as always for reading and for your patience. While I will not be setting an upload schedule for this fic right now, my goal is to finish it by the end of the calendar year, with the story being approximately 32-35 chapters in total. Thanks again and as always, enjoy!
Recommended Songs: Slade Taunts Robin/Great Robin Caper- Kristofer Carter, Dark Things-Starset, They Only Come Out At Night- Dance With The Dead, Offer To Slade- Micheal McCuistion, Break- Two Door Cinema Club, The Once-ler's Traveling Madness- Ed Helms, Mixed Emotions (I Didn't Know How To Tell You What I Was Going Through- You Me At Six
Almost a week later, it was the end of yet another workday at Thneed Inc. Despite this, Once-ler was still working away in his office. For tomorrow, Once-ler would fly out to the big city for his TV appearance where he would give a thneed product demonstration and perform his song. However, before he left, Once-ler wanted to complete the sketch for the future Thneed billboard because he would be meeting with the advertising agency shortly after coming back. So, with his brow furrowed in concentration, Once-ler sat at his desk, with a pencil gripped in his green-gloved hand as he tried to finish the details on his drawing, his concentration only wavering when he heard the office door open.
Once-ler looked up, and just as expected, his brothers came in the office to check up on him as usual.
"Hey, Once." Brett greeted him.
"Hey, guys." Once-ler greeted back.
"How are things going? Are you about ready to quit for the day?" Chet asked.
"Almost...I just need to finish up this sketch first." Once-ler told his brothers. "I want to make sure it's done before we leave for the trip tomorrow."
"Oh? Well, how long do you think it's gonna take?" Brett inquired. "You see there's a game coming on in a few minutes and Chet and I wanna go home and watch it," he explained.
"I see...well, if that's the case, then you had better just head on home now." Once-ler told the twins. "I might still be here for a little while yet."
"Are you sure you'll be alright if we leave? You seem kind of tired." Chet remarked in concern as he remembered Once-ler's recent incidents, including the one that happened last week when Once-ler got drunk and kept falling.
"Yes, I'll be fine." Once-ler reassured them as he tried to stifle a yawn. Chet was right, Once-ler was tired. Although he had tried to avoid staying in his office late at night per his mother's orders. Once-ler had been working harder that usual during the day as he tried to get all his projects done before the trip. Yet despite this, Once-lerstill wanted to reassure his brothers that he was fine. Once-ler did not want to worry them, and he also remembered the incident lat week and and felt quite embarrassed about it. So, now that he was sober, Once-ler wanted to prove to his brothers that he did not need constant supervision.
The twins looked at each other, silently considering what to do next. Before they ultimately decided to leave. Despite Once-ler's tiredness, he seemed to be in a relatively good mood, he wasn't drunk, he showed no sign of illness, and the Lorax hadn't come to bother him in quite some time. So, they assumed that Once-ler would be fine. Plus, the twins also really wanted to watch that football game.
"Alright then, Once, we'll see you tomorrow." Brett told him as he and his twin turned to leave.
"See you tomorrow!" Once-ler called back out to them as they left.
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Visions of 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, a dark manifestation of his own ambitions. As Once-ler's business continues to gro...
