Lorax story

Chapter 9- SURPRISE!

Onclers pov

Pip and the Oncler ran fast, past trees and mud. They didn't look back and maintained the pace for a good while. Eventually they reached the edge of the Truffula paradise and the border that left it behind. Past this was a clear, vast wasteland that seemed to go on forever. The Oncler put Pip down and tapped a finger on his chin.

"Alright Pip. We have two options. I'm thinking there is no way they could know what I look like so maybe we should try and find some people to blend in with. In that case we should continue this way until we reach the city where I think Ted lives."

Pip nodded his head vigorously in encouragement.

"Then there is option two, where we head back to the forest to see if the men have left. But honestly speaking I don't think that's such a good idea. They could have followed us." Pip gave a frightened expression in response. It was settled then.

"Option one it is. Lets go!" And with a big smile on their faces they headed across the wasteland in the hope that they would reach civilisation soon. Preferably some friendly faces, not like the ones that tore down his house.

Ted and Lorax's pov

The expression on Ted's face was too similar to the Oncler's. He remembered this expression when the Oncler watched the animals leave before, years ago. The look of absolute pain and despair. Hopelessness. The Lorax jumped to his feet instead of sitting on the mountain of rubble and shouted at Ted.

"Kid! Ted! You need to stop that right now! We will find out who is responsible for this and we will get some answers! Don't worry and for heavens sake, stop looking up at me like that!"

Ted sniffed and looked up at the orange figure. He was right. He couldn't sit here and wallow. What would the Oncler think! Rubbing his face and tears away, he stood up and walked to the Lorax with a new rejuvenated look on his face.

"You're right Lorax! We shouldn't give up." He gave a small smile and looked down at the rubble beneath his feet. Surely a person about to tear down a house would check the insides first to see if there was anyone inside. That would be the logical thing to do. He looked up at the Lorax.

"I'm going for a walk. I'm going to see if anyone is around who can explain all this" and with that, he turned and walked in the direction behind the crumbled house.

After a while Ted looked up into the sky. The sun was beginning to set and the sky looked like a canvas of red and blue colours. It was fitting for his emotions since he felt angry and sad at the same time. He had been for a walk all around the area and hasn't found anything or anyone. He then he stopped and leaned against a tree. What were they going to do now? Did no one have answers to this? His thoughts were disturbed by a faint mumbling coming from behind him. He hid himself from the direction of the voices and listened intently. These men could know!

"...and he wasn't there. I checked the whole area and got nothing. What about you?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The boss did say that Oncler was a slippery one and you can never be too careful around the likes of them"

Ted jumped slightly. What did they mean by that? Had they tried to look for the Oncler too? The two black men, he could now see had stepped into the clearing. They seemed really suspicious but Ted didn't reveal himself yet.

"So you're saying that we knocked down that shack of a house for nothing?! What will the boss say?"

"The boss already knows. He'll send more men to survey the area in about ten minutes. Then we'll take in anything and anyone we can find in the area"

Ted gasped but covered his mouth. These men were responsible! And they were dangerous. Ted waited for them to turn and walk in the other direction before running back to his family and friends. They turned to look at his haggard appearance and threw questions at him. His mother went first.

"Ted, just where have you been? You have been gone nearly two hours and I demand an explanation!"

"Mom I was sorta caught up on the moment. But that doesn't matter. We need to go back home now."

"What? But why Ted? What happened?" Audrey looked concerned. Ted sighed and then proceeded to tell them about the two strange men and what they had said. By the end of it everyone looked concerned.

"Well we had better get home right away then. Perhaps we can come again tomorrow or some other time"

Ted groaned. "That's what I've been trying to say mom. Lorax you better come too. They said they'd take anything. And also...I kinda want you to stay with me" Ted whispered the last bit and looked at his shoes. The Lorax felt touched and his moustache quivered with the emotion.

"Definitely Ted. I'll come with you." And they headed back home.

Once they had reached, Ted dropped Audrey back to her house on his scooter. She stopped outside her house and turned to him.

"Thanks Ted."

"No sweat Audrey. I don't mind, you know that"

She then whispered softly as emotion filled in her eyes. "I'm going to miss him Ted"

He nodded sadly. "I will too"

"Goodbye Ted. I'll see you maybe tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Il see you then"

Ted lay in bed surrounded by complete darkness. He really couldn't believe what had happened. He couldn't believe that people would try, after all these years to destroy the Oncler. That was what they had intended right? To find the Oncler? Well they were by no means friendly if they had planned to ruin his home. And what else had they said?

"he wasn't there. I checked the whole area and got nothing"

Ted sat up. How could they not find the body? The Lorax had said that the body hadn't been touched and was in the room on the bed. The Lorax would know right? Then how could they have missed it? Shaking his head, Ted got out of bed and turned on the light. He then walked over to the sleeping orange thing on his desk and was about to shake it awake when he stopped. No, the Lorax has had a tiring day. I can ask him in the morning.

But that still left the question of why they hadn't found him. It was very peculiar.

Ted was drawn out of his thoughts however, when he heard the back door downstairs creak and bang. What was that? It's 3:30. Who would try and get in? He suddenly felt a gnawing sense of fear enter his stomach as he prepared himself to find out if someone had broken into their house. Grabbing the well placed baseball bat next to him, he left his bedroom and crept down the stairs.

Once he was at the bottom of the stairs, he gripped the bat even tighter and walked towards the kitchen. The lights were out but he suddenly heard a clatter of pots and pans. He saw a couple of pans sprawled over the floor. His heart hammered against his rib cage hard as he neared the pile. He had never dealt with a burglar before so he had no idea how to react. Would he try to attack him? Or maybe his Grammy and Mom? Maybe he should call out or attempt to draw him out or-

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" A shadowy figure screamed in front of him.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" He screamed back. Then he swung his bat in the shadow's general direction. The shadow swerved and ducked, then grabbed Ted's bat and dropped it behind him. He then snatched one of Ted's wrists.

"LET GO OF ME!" Ted screamed. Then the shadow put the hand on Ted's mouth with surprising gentleness as if to hush him and then took the other hand to bring a finger to his own lips. Ted stopped struggling and looked at him intently. What kind of a burglar was this?

"Ted!" The stranger whispered in a friendly yet unfamiliar voice "It's me! It's the Oncler!"

Whooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh I can't believe I left this for so long! It's been what? Around seven months? Maybe eight or nine? I don't know, but I cannot BELIEVE MYSELF! Did life hinder me so much? UNFORGIVABLE!

I am so sorry I haven't updated in ages and honestly speaking I wouldn't be surprised if you all have moved on with your very important lives and forgotten all about me. That's cool...I mean I should have updated...regularly...*Sniffle*

ANYWAY, ENOUGH WALLOWING IN SELF PITY AND DISBELIEF! I will make a pledge to update more often, once again and you all will stick with me until the end(hopefully;)

So I ask the questions of this chapter, and oh what a chapter IT WAS! I personally loved writing this chapter, obviously because of the end, but also because we can now move on to the really interesting stuff:D

Did you like it? Hate it? Want to burn me for not having updated in so long? Well then please feel free to do so in a review! I am curious to see if some of you are actually still with me.

AND...with that said, onwards...TO THE NEXT CHAPTER;)