Shallow Fate

Meeting the Lorax

Once-ler's POV:

     We'd been on the road a few days now, Meg and I getting to know each other better and better. I didn't know someone as beautiful and sweet as her would deserve such a dark history. I guess that's what gives her that slight edge that she has. I feel so sorry for her. She's sleeping beside me now, resting her head on my shoulder. She's flawless in every physical feature. Like an angel. Yet she seems so fragile like she's scared to truly love anyone. It's understandable though. As I daydream about Meg I slowly drift off into my own sleep.

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     "Oncie, wake up, wake up!" I hear Meg yelling at me. "What? I was sleeping. What's more important?" ""Open your eyes and look around at the trees especially! These Truffula trees could be what you need for your thneed!" As I get out of the wagon I walk over to a tree. The tufts are softer than silk and the smell, butterfly milk for sure! "Meg these are perfect!" I run over and give her a huge embrace! She hugs back seeming very happy for me. I fly over to my wagon and grab an ax and chop the tree down and step back to look at my accomplishment. "Once-ler! Why did you do that? Birds lived there!" I hear Meg snap at me from behind. "I- I just needed it for my th- thneed." I manage to stutter out, completely shocked by Meg's tone. I'll admit, her being mad at me was crushing. " Just please don't do it again. Promise me Oncie that you won't do it again." Meg says obviously straining to keep her voice under control. She couldn't be too upset, she called me by my nickname thankfully. " Meg, I promise I won't do it again." "Thanks Oncie, it means a lot. Now that thneed isn't going to make itself now is it?" "Then let's go set up camp!" I say in an ecstatic tone. My thneed.. I'm making one! Finally! I was in such a happy mood I linked my arm in hers and ran off to find a clear area for my little tent home.

Meg's POV:

     I can't believe him! He cut down that tree! No I'm not a tree hugger or some 80's hippie but I'd really appreciate it if he wouldn't do that! I faked being happy so I could get away from him and finally think to myself for a moment. Oncie goes inside his (or like he likes to call our) tent house and starts working on his thneed in an instant. I decide to roam outdoors for a while to get my head straight. So I'm bunking with a tree murderer. Nice. But he promises never to do it again and my heart says I should believe him. But it wouldn't be the first time my heart deceived me. I walk back over to the stump that Oncie had recently left there. All the animals were putting stones around it in I'm guessing admiration and memorization. I feel the need to pick up a stone and do the same. I bend over to place one there and raise up, startled by this short, orange, stalky animal (I think) with a yellow mustache. "Where you the one that cut down this tree?" he asks. "No sir... My friend that I'm staying with did. And trust me, I lashed out at him for it." The orange little fellow responds. "Well let my introduce myself. I am The Lorax, I speak for the trees. And you are?" "I'm Meg, homeless girl that found a friend unconscious in the road and saved him. The same guy I'm with now." I say. "If I may ask, what's the relationship between the two of you?"I can feel myself blushing at how he worded it. "Just friends." I say. "And I'm really sorry about what The Once-ler did to your poor tree." I say as I look at it with sorrow. I run my hand over the trunk. Looking back at the animals I see the smallest of the barbaloots slowly walk over to me. "Well aren't you the most adorable thing in the world!" I exclaim. He was so cute! I pick him up and embrace him carefully. I look back at The Lorax and find that he just walked around the back of Oncie's little tent. I'm sure he was outside picking up the tufts off of his dead tree. I take the barbaloot which I call Pipsqueak and walk to the tent too.

Once-ler's POV:

     Picking these tufts is a lot of work.  I think to myself. I'm sitting in my new backyard picking them off when I tug on one and jump back startled. "Wh- what are you?" I loudly exclaim. "I am The Lorax I speak for the trees. Now, did you cut down this tree?" "No!" I say. I yell what's that and then drop my ax on the nearest barbaloot.  Of course he doesn't buy it. I get lectured by the little orange fellow and then look up and see Meg standing there with a barbaloot in her arms. "Uh Meg, why do you have that?" I say. "Isn't he the cutest thing! I'm calling him Pipsqueak!" "Yeah, we are not keeping that thing in the house." She carefully sets him down and walks over to pull me into an embrace. "Please Oncie, please! He's so cute! Let him in! Not all the time but say I can take him in when I want to!" Meg says all this while still hugging me. Not wanting the hug to end I purposely take a while to respond. "Okay. I finally say. But if it makes a mess you are going to be the one to clean it up." I say with such a big stupid smile on my face. "Oh thank you so much Oncie!" She screams excitedly and kisses me on the cheek. Shortly after she runs around with the barbaloot. Seeing her happy is the best thing in the world. "You like her don't ya?" The Lorax says. Why did he watch that? "What would make you think that?" I say. "You make it pretty obvious. Your face is redder than a tomato and your eyes really show your emotions." "So? What if I did like her? Who cares?" "Just be careful with her. she already seems like she's hard her heart broken before, it'll take her a while to love again." I honestly consider what he says and think that he's right. But I'll never tell him that. I walk back to the front and walk inside to get away from all these nature crazy freaks out there. No offense to Meg though. I look out the window and notice she's still playing with the little barbaloot. Feeding him my marshmallows. I decide to hide them before she comes back inside and quickly return to making my thneed. Still thinking about what The Lorax said.