literature

Meeting Face-to-Face

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The road to the Once-ler's home was easier to travel now.  A bridge had been built across the gaping hole; flimsy but still safe for small modes of transportation to travel across, even those carrying more than one person.  The Super-Axe-Hacking Machine had been removed, the parts taken to the scrap yard, the axes to those who wanted them for some unknown reason.  There was no more danger of one being hacked to pieces by accident anymore.  The sky had cleared up a little; smog and other chemicals still filled the air, but it was better because of the factories that had been closed. The sun was even trying to get through, making the dark and grey valley a tad bit more inviting.

Soon Ted and Audrey found themselves at the Once-ler's Lurkum.  It hadn't changed since Ted had been there last, except for one thing.  The window that was always boarded up was now free, and revealed an old man in a top hat sitting beside the window, reading a book.  He had heard them come up, but didn't turn away from the book he was reading.  Instead of yelling up to the Once-ler, Ted led Audrey to the door, thinking that the trap had been disabled.  He was wrong.  As soon as he rang it, the door started to spin, revealing the hammer and scissors.  

"Look out!"  Ted shouted to her as he pushed her out of the way, both of them landing in a pile in the yard.  Ted got off of her, with a blush, and helped her up.

"Thanks Ted, but what was that?" she said as dirt was brushed off her yellow shirt.

"That would be my security system."  An old voice said from a pipe that had been dropped from the window.  

"Once-ler!  Why haven't you disabled that! Haven't you been outside?  It's better now, well a little bit at least."  Ted said into the pipe, waiting for a response.

"I haven't been outside yet.  It's… safer inside here.  Now what did you come here for?"

"We came to visit you and tell you what's been going on.  Can we please come inside, you know, without a trap attacking us?"

"We?  You brought someone?"  the old man turned away from his book to get a clear look at the people there.  One was Ted, the boy who he gave the seed to, but the other was a girl, older that Ted, with bright orange hair.  "Is this the girl you wanted the tree for?"

"If you let us in I'll tell you."  Ted said, waiting for the Once-ler to let them in, another blush rising to his face at the comment.

"Ok, just give me a little time.  I'm old and I'm clear at the top and you're at the bottom."  The Once-ler retracted the pipe and the visitors could hear him coming down the stairs, faster than they expected him to.

"So, what does the Once-ler look like?"  Audrey asked Ted as they waited for him to appear.

"No clue.  He never talked to me face-to-face when I came before, I only know that he wears green gloves and has blue-gray eyes.  And he's old."  As Ted said this the door flipped back around and was opened.  "Just come on in, first doorway on the right."  was yelled to the teenagers.

Slowly the youths approached the door, as if waiting for another trap to be sprung and get them.  When seeing that nothing would happen, Ted gestured with one arm, standing off to the side of the door.  "Ladies first."

"Thanks Ted."  With Audrey in the lead, they entered the Lurkum.  There was a small entry way before the doorway to the right, and they were doing everything they could to absorb in the place where the Once-ler lives.  The entry was dusty, as if he never cared enough to clean it; with dark wooden floors and dark green walls, it gave off a feeling of the power and wealth the Once-ler once had.  A small table was beside the door, with parts of the trap lying on top of it.  Other than that the area was bear, no pictures or anything others normally have in this space.

"Did you suddenly become as old as I am?  Hurry up and come in.  I'm making tea."  The old man shouted from the room the two had yet to enter.  Slowly the two entered the doorway into the kitchen.  It was homier than the entry way, probably done in a beige color, but so faded it looked a pale light brown.  Bowls where kept up high on some shelves, and mugs were placed around the counters, water waiting for something to enter it.  Other than that the kitchen was kept clean, with everything else in its place.  

Soon their gaze fell onto the back of the person making tea.  He was taller than either of them had expected, even with the slight hunch in his shoulders, like he was carrying a heavy burden that would never leave.  He then turned around and all Ted and Audrey could do was stare.  Thinking he was tall before was an understatement.  They thought the ceiling had to be taller in the Lurkum because he appeared to be taller than any person they had ever seen.  And he wasn't even at his full height; if he had been they thought the green top hat on his head probably would have been knocked off.  He wore a long green coat, faded with age, and black pants that looked just as old.  Scuffed up dress shoes were on his feet, at one time being worth a lot, but looking old because of time and neglect.  Long green gloves, a shade lighter that the jacket were on his hands and arms, once being impressive as the rest of the suit, but now just as faded with time.  A pink… thing was around his neck, being worn as a scarf, but yet was not.  He had a huge mustache that was grey, covering his face, but his blue-grey eyes were still able to be seen.

"Are you going to stand around and stare at an old man or are you going to sit down and tell me who the girl is?"  The Once-ler said as he walked over to the small table and filled three clean cups with tea.  He sat down and was followed silently by Ted and Audrey.

"Once-ler, this is Audrey.  Audrey, this is the Once-ler.  And yes, she is the woman I got the seed for."  Ted said this with an emphasis on the woman line, as if to get the Once-ler to remember what he had said three months earlier.  This caused Audrey to blush slightly, not realizing that he had said that to the Once-ler before.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Audrey, and to see you up close Ted, you know, without boards in the way.  So what's the news that you came to share with me?"

"There're a few things really.  The tree in the center of town is growing quickly; it's almost to my knees.  The town has also started to remove the concrete grass and other fake things blocking the Earth, although mom wanted to keep the disco tree.  Me and Grammy talked her out of it though.  O'Hare Air has also been closed down as well, so there isn't new smog being put into the air from the factories."  

"That's great news Ted.  I think once the tree reaches about the height of your waist it should start releasing seeds.  But that won't be until next year at the earliest.  With the factories closed down then the air will become cleaner faster."  A wishful look then filled the Once-ler's eyes, and both Ted and Audrey saw it.

"Once-ler, why don't you let Ted take you into Thneedville sometime?  To see the tree?"  Audrey said to the man, not expecting him to look at her with both anger and longing in his eyes.

"I refuse to go into Thneedville.  That town, this whole valley was destroyed because of me.  I'll go outside when saplings spring up around here, but not any sooner."  The Once-ler spoke harshly, but the longing in his eyes followed into his voice.

"Once-ler, we know that you want to see the tree.  Why don't you let me take you in to see it?"  Ted asked the man, tea long forgotten by all of them.

"Other than the way I've seen you drive?  The bridge is out and I know that there is a Super-Axe-Hacking machine in the road to keep people from coming, well, at least not you."

"That's the other thing we came to tell you about.  That ax-thing has been removed and a temporary bridge has been made, although I think Ted is mainly going to be the only one traveling on it.  Please Once-ler, come in and see the tree, or at least go outside here."  Audrey said, trying to talk sense into the man.

"No, I refuse.   Is there anything else you want to tell me, or may I go back to reading my book?"  Audrey looked disappointed, but then Ted had an idea.

"Audrey, can you leave us alone for a few minutes?  I have something I want to say to him."  Ted asked Audrey as he turned to face her.  Confusion filled her face, but then she understood.

"Sure, I'll just wait by the bike.  Thanks for the tea Mr. Once-ler, and it was nice to meet you."  With this, Audrey rose from the table and headed outside.  Ted leaned across the table and looked straight and the Once-ler and said "First, I just want to say thank you for giving me the seed.  It's given the whole town a reason to live a real life again. Second, you need to forgive yourself.  Yes, this was all your fault, but it's been how many years now?  And the seed has been planted; within a few years maybe the birds, the bar-ba-loots, the fish and even the Lorax will return.  Until then you need to come out of this place.  I don't know how the town will accept you, but let's try with baby steps first and get you to at least get outside this place first.  Will you try that?  Please?"  Ted finished his speech and leaned back into the chair, waiting for the Once-ler's response.

"You may be right kid, but… this place has been my self-made prison for so long I don't think I can just walk straight out the door.  And I will not go into town; there are some that may remember that this was all my fault.  I … well, I just can't.  Not yet anyway."

"Auggg, well how about this, you come outside to tell Audrey and I goodbye, and then come back in.  That way you are outside for maybe three minutes tops.  Sound good?" Ted asked with a hopeful look in his eye.  It reminder the Once-ler of the friends he once had in the valley, and how maybe, just maybe, he could make friends again.  

"All right.  I'll go outside and say good bye to the two of you.  And then I'm going right back inside."  Once-ler rose from the table, with Ted rising as well, and headed toward the door.

"You know that we're going to be coming back within a week right?  Or at least I am.  Someone has to culture you."  Ted joked in a serious tone he made his way to his bike, with Audrey waiting beside it.

Now the Once-ler was waiting on his porch, not moving any closer. "What do you mean by cultured?  I am cultured."

Ted hopped onto his bike, Audrey following in suit and replied "You thought that we still wore bellbottoms and played Donkey-Kong.  That hasn't been popular since my mom was a kid.  See ya next week."

"Bye Once-ler, it was nice meeting you!"  Audrey shouted over the roar of the bike as they started to head out.  Soon all that was left was the Once-ler standing on the porch, looking over the still-dead valley.

"It was nice to meet you as well.  Maybe someday I'll go into town with you, but not for a long time."  With this he returned to the Lurkum, and decided to clean because there would be visitors from now on.
My first Once-ler story with Ted and Audrey in it. If someone seems a little OCC, let me know. I only saw the movie once, and there just aren't that many stories with Ted and Audrey in them.

I feel at this time Once-ler is still sarcastic with Ted at this time, but warms up to him later.

Well, I don't own anything in the movie world of the Lorax. Somebody else does.
© 2012 - 2024 Ambygs123
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Undreamtstories's avatar
This is a very good first story with Ted and Audrey. You really portrayed all the characters well, especially Once-ler.
This is a very good continuation of the film.