It had been years, so why was he thinking about it now? He regretted what he had done, the choices he had made so long ago. The last seed, the reason for everything he cared for, was kept practically attached to his glove. It was his only way to see her again. The bright green gloves were the only part of his empire left made of truffula trees. He needed someone he could trust with her final gift, someone who would revive the world he had so foolishly destroyed.
It was that day when the doorbell to the lonely Lurkim rang in his ears. The day he med Ted Wiggans, a boy willing to come out and impress a girl by getting his hands on a tree, a real one, not the fake ones made in Thneedville. The Once-ler flinched. The town was his creation and he regreted it almost as much as the destruction of the forest.
"You want the truth boy? I'll tell you the story so listen close…."
It was a quiet afternoon when the Once-ler left his home. He got no help, no encouragement from the people he called his family. So he left his home, happy to be gone with nothing but a wagon full of supplies and his mule Melvin. He moved far and wide to find the perfect material for his revolutionary invention, the thneed.
It just so happened that the trip wasn't as short as he had hoped. It took him what felt like years until he came upon paradise, the Truffula forest, a place where the tufts of the trees were softer than silk and smelled like a butterflies milk. Once-ler danced, sang, anything to show his joy. He had only just turned nineteen when he came upon this place. His wavy black hair blew in the fresh wind. His bright blue eyes were wide with joy, the slightly longer lashes prominent on his rounded face. His first job would be to chop down a tree and harvest the tufts.
Yet something that wasn't expected was the animals. Many little brown bar-ba-loots, orange humming fish, and bright orange birds with long tassled tails. There was one cute little fuzzy bar-ba-loot in particular that seemed to enjoy the presence of the new comer.
"Well then, time to get to work." The Once-ler picked up an axe and started chopping down one of the large turfted trees. When it fell, his world changed. Now everyone knows what happened next, the Lorax appeared and threatened him with revenge should he destroy another tree. The part of the story untold is the forces of nature that helped change his mind. The ones that the Lorax threatened him with after the first tree fell.
The sun began to set, the power gathering about the dead stump. From it had come the Lorax and then as the sun set, another magical event happened. A distinct rain began to drop upon the ground where there had been clear skies before. The Once-ler thought nothing of it, simply turning down the shades to his tent to avoid the wet night. Upon the stump the rain fell, a seed left behind from the tree was beginning to grow, to expand. Yet instead of a tree, a vapor appeared, the mist taking up the rain. It solidified into creamy golden skin. Long crimson hair lay out next, the silky waving tresses covering the more intimate parts of the slowly forming human body. Nimble, thin features solidified, the body of a beautiful woman became flesh. The ending gave birth to her face, the high cheekbones rosy with life. Her long eyelashes made her face look sexy and mature, her thick lips a beautiful red. Finally her eyes opened beneath the thin lids revealing a beautiful shade of deep violet. The shine of her eyes showed life, beauty, and bounty. When it was done she inspected herself and found the hack mark etched on her hip. There was blood running freely from the wound. Where the blood fell flowers appeared, the grass rustled and grew taller.
"My body is damaged." The bleeding stopped, but the mark remained. It would not leave until the tree was replaced. The goddess floated forth as the night crept over the land. The life of her forest was in danger. She moved with an ethereal grace to the sounds of the night. At her call a bird came to her, it nuzzled it's beak into her hair.
"What is happening my child?" She whispered. The bird whispered into her ear stories of the guardian she had appointed, the speaker of the trees and the new comer, a human who had taken the life of one of her trees. The forest hadn't been threatened in years, so long had her slumber been that she imagined the world was not as it once was. The breeze conjured her white garments. Her skirt was long with slits showing off both of her long muscular legs. The top was only to cover her breasts, the rest was exposed, the golden skin shimmering in the moonlight.
"Go my precious and show me the way." The goddess followed with close steps, her feet angled as to not blow up the slight vestments she was wearing. The largest problem with humans was their constant need for clothing. It had also been confirmed that the intruder was male, another good reason to be covered.
"Just don't cut down anymore trees!" The Lorax persisted.
"Alright I promise not to cut down anymore trees okay?"
"It seems I was called for no reason." The Once-ler heard the voice of a woman. As far as he knew the only other creature around who could talk was the annoying little orange creature with the large yellow mustache. When he turned his jaw dropped to the ground. His bright blue eyes were wider than the moment he found the truffula forest. Pipsqueak ran over to the strange woman and she lifted him with ease. Her long crimson hair reached to her knees, wavy and thick while her bangs were swept to the side. Those rosy cheeks and full luscious lips made Once-ler drool. Her body was perfect, skinny with ample chest and waist. Her long legs were visible from the pure white fabric rubbing the skin. He found himself suddenly jealous of the fabric, touching her like that. Her thin hands reached out and stroked the young Bar-ba-loot with a smile gracing her face. Light seemed to shine from her, those deep violet eyes set perfectly on the small animal in her arms.
He stopped there and took a breath. It had been the second part of the story where his life had changed. Ted began begging to hear more of the mysterious woman, but the Once-ler had to stop. His mind was still filled with memories of her. He saw her eyes when he slept, felt her skin on the coldest of nights. She had been his shining star and he had ruined her with his greed. Bitter tears fell from his eyes, the feeling of hate for himself was becoming more than he could bear. He still wished to end it, to see her again but he had made a promise all those years ago. Once-ler stared down at the seed in his palm. He had broken every promise to her, he couldn't break this one too.
Ted left leaving the Once-ler alone in his home. It had been so long since anyone had come, so long since he had spoken of her. He found himself pulling the old cardboard box from beneath his moldy bed. The dust had accumulated on the flaps and Once-ler hoped it hadn't bothered the contents. Blowing away the disuse he opened the box carefully and pulled out the contents. Within it he had placed objects he never thought he would treasure again.
The first was a sketchbook. The pages were aged with years and the smog of the air. He peeled open the pages. The first few were failed songs, sheet music he had either not finished or had simply scratched out. Sometimes he wished he had kept his old guitar, the one he had played for her. The next few pages had sheet music on the fronts, smooth notes that seemed to sing off the page. He could hear the melody in his head. Wet drops appeared on the paper, the ability to make the ink run long gone. On the back of each page was a drawing. Each one was of her. He had drawn her so many times he was surprised he had even kept these. They were the most intimate of moments come to life. He had drawn her bathing, her slick hair draped over her ample breasts as she looked at him from the water. The next scene showed her with pipsqueak, the two smiling at each other.
Yet another showed her hair waving in the wind, her bright eyes closed and lips parted as she allowed the wind to caress her. The tear kept coming, splashing the lines of her torso as he turned the pages, singing the melody of her music in his head. The last of the sketches was of her naked, laying out on her back in the grass. It was of the night he had taken her as his own. She was beautiful still in black ink, her curves reminding him of what she felt like when he touched her. He closed his eyes and she was there, her crimson hair splayed around hair, her rosy cheeks even rosier and her thick lips red from their kissing. Her breasts heaved with her breathe as she reached out to him.
"Come my Once, show me what love feels like." His eyes shot open. That was all gone now, he had ruined any chance he had ever had with her. He closed the sketchbook and placed it aside. Next he picked up a small silver ring adorned with a bright teardrop shaped sapphire. It had never been worn. He was never able to ask her, to let her wear it and allow her to be his in name as well as deed. He placed it aside as well, not wishing to see it for too long.
The next object was insignificant to the normal eye, but to Once-ler it meant something else entirely. It was a piece of truffula tree as red as her hair. She had given it to him along with a bit of bark from the same tree which was also in the forgotten box. He placed them both in the box again and found only one object left. It was something the Lorax had given to him after she had gone. As she had wilted a small bright red flower had grown, the inner petals the color of deep violet and the stem and lush green. Even after all these years the flower had not wilted. The Lorax had said her magic would keep it alive long after he had died. The colors brought a vividness to his memories. Beneath the flower had been the seed, the final seed of the truffula trees. He couldn't help it, he broke down into tears. It had been 50 years and he still remembered her love…