Marshmallows
Ted couldn't help but notice as Grammy pulled the bag of marshmallows out of the grocery bag and placed them on the counter. He had been waiting impatiently as his mom was outside fiddling with their tree- or at least what passed for a tree in this town. Now that Ted knew the truth he couldn't help but frown at every one he passed on his scooter during his drive. This wasn't how things were supposed to be, and he wanted to know why. He couldn't help but feel that this was bigger than Audrey now.
So when Granny grabbed the bag, he felt an impulse move him to put his hand on it. "Wait!" Granny turned to look at him, eyes full of curiosity. "It's… these are his favorite. And he has been trapped out there a real long time. Do… can I take these to him?" His Granny merely took a moment before letting go of the bag and scurrying outside by his mom. There was an exchange and he saw his mom sigh and move towards the back-yard. Granny gave a wink as she followed.
Soon Ted was in his helmet and speeding towards the pizzeria and the back alley. His Grammy had asked if Ted knew how to get a tree yet, but that was quite frankly at the back of his mind at this point. The Once-ler had promised the Lorax he wouldn't chop down any more trees, and he seemed like the type of guy who kept his promises. Where was the Lorax now anyway? Shouldn't he be in Ted's town telling the people what was right outside their walls. And why was O'Hare so determined to keep him from finding the truth out? Had he done something to the Lorax? That had to be it.
After a longer detour to get out of the city (O'Hare was really trying to make things complicated) Ted was speeding through the familiar desolate wasteland. He tried to picture what it once was based on the Once-ler's descriptions and at some moments he swore he almost could. He zoomed down the rock quarry and up the other side. He ducked and weaved under the blades with relative ease- thinking about how those sharp points could cut down a lot of trees.
And he stopped at the billboard staring up at what once used to be the man who now hid inside his house. Ted looked at the smile and his invention and knew this man couldn't have been as bad as he thought of himself. He was guessing he blamed himself for O'Hare coming to town and ruining everything. That had to be the answer.
So Ted pulled to a stop in front of the stones, the signpost, and the house. He pulled out the bag of marshmallows, ready to offer them to his mysterious companion who kept himself locked up inside that house. He wondered if it was the same house he had lived in with all his forest friends.
He wasn't doing this as much for Audrey anymore. She was still on his mind, but most of it was right here as he took his seat and waited for the Once-ler to finish his marshmallows. He was doing this so the Once-ler could fix things and forgive himself or at least see how this wasn't all his fault.
It wasn't until he sat on his perch and the Once-ler concluded his tale that he realized how much it would take for that forgiveness to become a reality. He had sat finishing the marshmallows as the Once-ler revealed a truth Ted hadn't expected. It wasn't O'Hare's fault. It really was the Once-ler's after all.
"So this really is all your fault." And despite that, he could hear the man's remorse and shame. It made Ted even more determined than before as he looked over the UNLESS. He could fix things. There had to be a way.
Ted cared. Ted was the guy who cared. Not just about the trees… but about his friend.
I absolutely love this movie. My sister however was angry that they changed it so that the kid (Ted) sought out the Once-ler for a girl rather than his own curiosity. My argument was that was at first. Especially by the end Ted seemed to realize that it was much bigger than that. So here that thought is in semi-coherent form. Enjoy and let me know if you have any ideas for other one-shots!