Frankly he had no idea how long he stared at it, such a simple thing, a simple word, carved into that simple rock.
Unless.
He desperately wanted to know what it meant. Why the Lorax had left it for him. Was it a taunt? No no, even knew it wouldn’t mean something like that. As clueless as the Once-ler currently was he knew his former friend wouldn’t do that. Not with how he looked at him as he..floated away, as strange as that was. He knew that the Lorax was too heartbroken for any ‘I told you so’s.’ More than likely it was a clue to how he could regain his friendship if were to ever want it back, and how desperately did he want that. Yet, the answers still alluded him.
He knew he was not going to figure it out tonight, let alone in any foreseeable future. All he could do was stare, and lament.
"Do I make you uncomfortable, remind of the promises you made? The man you used to be?!”
Oh how those words tormented his mind now. It barely meant anything to him at the time, he was too absorbed in his supposed success and his ambitions which he thought would never end. He turned his gaze to where these ambitions had led him, the rows upon rows of Truffula stumps that were now his only companions.
In the waste-land that he had unapologetic-ally created.
"You're a fraud! I need you to get out now!"
He winced as his thoughts turned back to when he had first arrived with his simple ax and plans. He had it all planned out. He could make his Thneeds and still keep his promise to the animal denizens and Lorax. Yet, his family as always had to ruin that. Not that he could completely blame them no matter how much had wanted to. Even if he had reluctantly went along it at first he couldn't deny how much happier it made him when the profits rolled in more quickly. Soon he was lost in his greed not caring what promises he had made only hoping to keep biggering and biggering his business until all admired him. Everyone had his Thneed's and wanted his Thneeds. They loved and need him. He had intended to happily provide them endlessly at the time. But when that last Truffula tree hit the ground the realization had finally dawned on him. All the greed leaving his mind in an instant.
Frankly, his mother's needless chiding was nothing compared to watching his friends leave. He had felt slightly betrayed when Melvin left as well, but he would not blame him. He would've left him too if he could.
And when the Once-ler had looked at that strange little creature that he had called a friend. He who the had so callously mocked when he thought he no longer wanted his friendship. He knew the Lorax would leave as well. After all, the speaker of the Trees had no one left to speak for. Just as useless as he currently was, thanks to to him.
Now it was all he could think about. He shook his head with a grunt trying to shake off any of this negativity that he could as he made his way into his. When that didn’t work he turned to what he could do now. He’d have to tear down the factory, now that it was useless and he hardly wanted it as a constant reminder. Thneedville would survive without him, he knew that with all certainty. While the forest inhabitants would more than likely never return the human town would not be abandoned. They cared to much about their belongings and gizmos for that. No, the humans would adapt until they were comfortable again and return to their lives as if all was normal.
Who knows, maybe someone would invent something to fix the mess he created. Human’s were a lot of terrible things, but resourcefulness could lead to good things behind a gentler soul. Someone better than him. He wanted to believe that person was out there but he was skeptical.
He entered his unnecessarily large bedroom shrugging off his ridiculous suit, changing into a much too expensive pair of pajamas. He was so tired. The weight of what he had done and who he had hurt was almost too much to process. Crawling into his larger than needed bed he let his anguish leave him momentarily as he let himself succumb to sleep. Yet not before he let that horrid word enter his mind one last time.
Unless.
The happy tweeting of what he assumed to be a Swomee-Swan was what awoke the Once-ler, and when he realized what he was hearing he shot up immediately. The idea of an animal returning tore all sleep from his being the idea of his friends forgiving him filled his heart with joy, already preparing apologies of all kinds before he realized his surrounding, and that it was not his bedroom.
He was outside, in a forest that resembled nothing like the one he had come to know before. He casted his gaze around looking at the unfamiliar landscape and spotted the bird that was certainly not a Swomee-Swan. Staring at it for what seemed an eternity eventually, it noticed him. The bird looked at him and tilted its head in curiosity studying him momentarily before letting out a happy tweet in greeting and flying away. The Once-ler following its flight path with wide, disbelieving eyes.
He blinked, felling what could only be described as pure stupification. He was in the middle of a green forest breathing in clean air for the first time in he had no idea how long. Apparently filled with animals that did not resent him for what he had done, or had no knowledge of it at all. The business man felt there was only one way he could respond.
“HUH?!?!”
