A/N: So this a simple little one-shot I made. I'm planning on posting this Lorax fanfic and another, but I finished this one first. So I uploaded it, because I was sooooo excited. Basically you can expect more little Lorax fanfics from me, until I come up with one that will be full length instead of a mini-series or one-shots. Please note that all quotes in bold our from the movie. I do not own The Lorax, Dr. Seuss and Universal Studios do. So anyway enjoy...

Unless

Time had seemed to run into itself. He simply lost track. Since the Lorax was lifted, the Once-ler didn't seem to care what happened. He never left his house since his family left. Since the barbaloots, humming-fish, and swomee-swans left. Melvin left. He never did. He just watched the world from his boarded up window. The thneed factory was torn down leaving an empty wasteland. For awhile nothing else happened. Maybe just maybe someone will come. Then the wall was built, separating Thneedville from its founder, and the Once-ler knew all hope was lost.

Every night he sat in his home staring at that word: Unless. Unless what? All these long lonely years he wondered what that word meant. He just sat alone in his house wondering as he gently rubbed the last seed between his fingers. Exhaustion finally took over and he decided it was time to turn in for the night when he heard it.

The small hum of a motorized vehicle echoed through the treeless valley. "Have I finally last my mind?" he asked wearily. But, the noise continued and then it stopped. "What's going on here?" he asked to himself. Peering out from behind the boards on his window he saw the small form of a boy wandering the grounds. Am I really seeing this? he thought. The boy headed up the porch stairs cutting off his view, but the Once-ler could hear the kid knock down the railing which startled the both of them. Darn kid he thought. He probably just came here because some of his goof-ball friends dared him to. By the time the kid had rung the door bell and set off one of the booby traps, the Once-ler was ready for him.

"Who are you and what do you want?" the Once-ler growled. "My name's Ted," the kid cried as the hook carried him up to the window. "Why are you here?" the Once-ler demanded as he reached for the kid through the boarded window. "Are you the Once-ler?" Ted asked terrified. "Get out!" he answered back as the hook set the kid down, "And don't let the boot hit you on the way out." What boot….Whoa Hellllooo!" the kid yelped as the boot kicked him away. But, that didn't stop him. "Hey!" the kid yelled as he stormed back to the house, "They say if someone brings you this stuff you'll tell them about trees!" Trees. They have been gone away for so long now. "Trees?" the Once-ler asked. He had the hook fetch the kid again in which the kid greatly protested. "I didn't think anyone still cared," he said bewildered as the kid was pulled up back to the window. "Well that's me. The guy, who still cares," Ted responded. The Once-ler set Ted back down again. "You want to know about trees? Why they're all gone? It's because of me," he said mournfully, "It all started a long time ago!" "Can we start not so long ago?" Ted asked anxiously. "Do you want a tree?" asked the Once-ler coldly. "Yes!" Ted called exasperated. "Then it all started a long time ago when I was a young man," the Once-ler began once more and he finally understood. Unless. Unless someone like him cared.