Disclaimer - I don't own The Lorax. Copyright to Dr Seuss and Illuminations Entertainment
The Seed
"Unless."
What was that supposed to mean?
Unless.
How was that supposed to help me?
Unless.
...Was he messing with me? Damn furry little peanut…
Unless.
No matter how much thought I put into it, the word just sat there in my mind, as still and as useless as the rock it was etched into. Unless what, exactly? I sighed, shaking my head, and rolled my eyes. The Lorax was no help at all now. He was gone, and he wasn't gonna be coming back anytime soon. Like he was any help to begin with anyway. And if he thought a pile of old rocks and some random word could ever save the Truffula trees, he was sadly mistaken. The ax-hacker was gradually rolling away from where the very last Truffula tree had fallen. I looked across the empty former-forest and as I did, something lying on the ground caught my eye. Something small and round. Something just barely noticeable. I squinted, trying to make out what it was and my eyes slowly widened in hopeful shock.
A seed…!
I gasped softly and a smile began to spread across my face but it soon dropped when I saw the ax-hacker edging closer to the precious seed. Hardly even thinking about my actions, I was running in an instant, sprinting forward, panting heavily and throwing panicked looks at the ax-hacker. I held no concern for my own safety against the rotating blades of the machine; I just needed to keep that last speck of hope from being crushed under its wheels. That was all I could think of. That was the only chance I had. Probably the only chance I would ever have again. Still running, I reached out one gloved arm and dived for the seed, rolling as I hit the ground and stirring up a thick cloud of dust. I coughed and waved an arm in front of my face as it cleared, blinked it out of my eyes, and looked up from where I half-sat, half-lay on the ground to see the ax-hacker crawling steadily on. My breath was short and sharp and I scrunched my eyes shut for a second, trying to calm myself. Then my eyes went to my clenched fist and I cautiously opened it to reveal the seed, small and round with a single swirl circling out from its center.
I stood, brushing dirt from my green suit with my other hand, and lifted it up between my thumb and forefinger to get a better look before quickly placing it in my pocket and patting it gently with one hand. I smiled to myself. My suit was dirty and disheveled, there was dust in my hair, I was still trying to catch my breath and my hat lay abandoned on the ground by the tracks of the RV. But I had saved the last Truffula seed. I had done something good. Better than Mustache's old rocks. I turned around again and watched the ax-hacker, which was far in the distance now. But my heart sank as I looked out; I could see the slumped silhouettes of bar-ba-loots, swomee swans and humming fish trudging gloomily away on the horizon. My small smile faded and the cold feeling of dread, regret and guilt returned.
Someday… Someday they can come back.
I could only hope that would be true.
* UNLESS *
I sat at my desk, looking at the lone seed in front of me. I'd picked up my hat on the way back inside and dropped it somewhere on the floor, not really bothering to see where. I had pulled off my long, green gloves as I entered the room and draped them on the edge of the desk, where they still lay now. "No-one cares anymore…" I muttered out loud, "And if no-one cares, then how are things ever supposed to get any better… What's the point?" I asked myself. I propped my elbow on the desk and rested my head in my now gloveless hand, absent-mindedly rolling the seed back and forth on the surface with one finger. "What can one little seed do now?" I scoffed, staring down at it, confused. I flicked it and it skidded across the surface until it hit a small stack of papers.
Planting it was out of the question. The people of Thneedville were more concerned about the thneeds, and if they knew a tree still existed, they would just expect more to be made. I'd be pressured into chopping it down, just like the rest of them. And even if I didn't, even if I kept refusing to do it over and over again, I was only one man. I wouldn't be able to stop them from doing it themselves, and that could be so much worse. I had already destroyed the valley, any more damage and pollution would no doubt be dangerous to the lives of the townspeople, especially now that the trees were gone. And if anything else happened to that tree in conditions like this, in the state my actions had left the place in, they'd be gone forever. But what else could there possibly be to do with a seed but plant it?
The model of Thneedville still lay on the desk, but thinking of how it came to be that way made me feel sick; completely disgusted at myself. I frowned, staring at it for a few seconds, then suddenly swept an arm across the desk, knocking the model onto the floor in a short burst of anger, not caring when the buildings splintered and shattered over the carpet. I leaned back in the chair, (I must have had a temporary lapse in judgment when I ordered this thing. Seriously, who needs a chair this big? It's just stupid. I mean, c'mon. "Biggering"? Was that even a word?) and positioned my elbow on the arm and my hand on my chin, lost in thought.
The town was thriving now and, of course, the thneeds were everywhere. I thought about what it must be like walking through the streets and seeing everyone wearing, carrying, using the thneeds, and sighed. I never expected any of that. I still had one lying on my armrest and I picked it up and flung it across the room in frustration. It landed in a heap on the floor halfway between the desk and the door, and I ignored it. I swung my seat around and stood, pacing around the room. I trampled over the thneed. I kicked the model buildings around and they skidded across the floor, though I hardly took any notice of them. I pinched the bridge of my nose, rubbed a hand down my face and even started pounding my head against the wall. "I was right…" I moaned, my voice muffled due to the fact that my face was pressed against the wall. I winced and turned away, rubbing my forehead in pain, "This whole thing was a DISASTER!" I cried out and dropped to the floor pathetically. I sat there for a few seconds before I let out an exasperated sigh and stood up again. I returned to my desk, pushing the chair back and stepping in front of it but not bothering to sit down. I paused, looking at the seed, and picked it up, stroking it thoughtfully with my thumb. Curling my fingers around the seed protectively, I slowly walked back around the desk and allowed my eyes to scan the fragmented model that was strewn across the carpet. The sign's letters T-H-N-E-E-D-V-I-L-L-E were scattered around among the broken buildings. The wall around the town lay in pieces at the foot of the desk. I walked in a full circle around it, my gaze drifting over the chaos. And then, I opened the top drawer and dropped the seed inside it.
Only one thing left to do.
I took a deep breath and walked out of the office.
