Lorax - Once-ler x Aurora - Breathless - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - I finish writing Chapter 4 this morning and realized I didn't have any art to go along with this, so the art accompanying it is just a five-minute drawing done on my tablet. Taking away from the other ones is the fact it's in black and white but I like the foreshadowing undertones and the premonition of what Once'ler's actions will ultimately lead to.

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Aurora smiled when she walked closer to her house. She smiled as she took out her keys and unlocked the front door before closing it and locking it behind her. She placed her keys back down on a small table next to the front door before announcing, “I’m home! Anyone here?”

“Oh, hey, princess! I was wondering when you were going to get home.” Aurora walked into the living room and saw her father sitting down on his favorite chair. He placed his book down at his side before he positioned his reading glasses to perch on the top of his balding head. He smiled warmly at his daughter before standing to his feet and embracing her.

“Hey daddy. The harvesting going well?” she asked.

“Wonderful. Best crop we’ve had in years.”

“That’s great news!”

“So, where have you been all day?” he asked.

“Just hanging out with a new friend.” Aurora said, hoping he’d brush it off and not ask too many more questions.

“Is this a friend of the male persuasion?” her father asked, looking at her over the top of his book.

“Yes.”

“So, when are we gonna meet him?”

“Dad!” Aurora said, blushing slightly feeling slightly embarrassed she reacted in this way when she was already twenty years old. She felt like she was in middle school all over again.

“I’m just kidding, sweetie. You’re a grown woman. You know what you’re doing. I trust you.”

“Thanks, daddy.” Aurora said, bending over and kissed her father on his forehead. Her father just smiled before going back to his book. Aurora made her way up the stairs into her bedroom. She walked near her desk before sitting down on her bed. She removed her shoes before falling back onto the cool sheets. She pondered in wonder at how quickly one’s life could change. She had no idea what the future held in this situation but no matter what transpired, she was just happy to have a new wonderful friend and was just excited to see what tomorrow held.

As the sun filled the Once’ler’s small cabin window, his eyes opened. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned loudly before rubbing any remainders of sleep in his eyes. He sat up and walked over to the small restroom and brushed his teeth before getting dressed for the day. He walked passed his small nightstand while he was reaching for his blue hat when his eyes fell upon a letter his mother had sent him. He hadn’t had the time to read it with everything going on lately but he knew in his heart that was just an excuse. Truth is, he was just procrastinating in a desperate attempt to avoid what new things his mother was going to complain to him about.

Once’ler loved his mother. He loved her so much. No matter how moody or critical she may be, she was still his mother and he loved her unconditionally. All he wanted to do was make her proud. Moving out here instead of attending college and finding a decent job. He wanted to do something revolutionary. He wanted to think outside the box and make himself a success on his own terms and with his own idea. He wanted to build up himself with this product. He wanted to build this company and make it a success. He wanted to proudly look his mother in the eyes and say “I did this.” And all he wanted to hear in return was an “I’m so proud of you, son…”

Once’ler smiled at that thought. He had been through a lot of stuff growing up. Things he still didn’t like to talk about and few knew of what he went through. He learned quickly growing up that is was usually always easier grin and bear it rather than to face it. He had mastered hiding pain behind a big smile and happy-go-lucky attitude. But he knew the remedy was his success. After all, if you had more money, didn’t everything work out the way it was supposed to? But for him, it wasn’t about the money. His mother’s approval meant everything to him. He strove for that since he was a boy and he was going to fulfill it no matter what it took.

Once’ler walked over to his kitchen chair and glanced at the thneed that was going to make it all possible. All he needed was the perfect sales pitch and an opportune time to sell it and he knew the rest would be history. As without the need to chop them down his mind wandered, he thought about what the Lorax and his smile quickly fell. At first, he’d kept his promise to not cut down any more trees. He wanted to keep that promise. He thought there had another way to access the tops of the truffula trees and he was intent on finding it.

Once’ler sighed, knowing he had a long day ahead of him and knew he couldn’t waste any more time thinking about it. So, he smiled before he rolled up his sleeves in preparation to start breakfast for the day. As he continued to cook breakfast, his thoughts strayed momentarily to the girl he met just days earlier. He didn’t want to admit it when he first met her, but he’d been pretty sheltered his whole life as well. He grew up in a small house with his mother and his aunt, uncle, and cousins were nearly over constantly growing up so it was like they were living there anyway. He felt like he was more of a servant growing up. He didn’t like the fact he had to lie to Aurora about why he could bake, knit, and the like. In all truth, those were his chores ever since he was ten.

How he grew up to have such an amazing level of was comfort talking and being with people and being so charismatic and made it his priority to get along with everyone with a social life that was pretty much non-existent was a big surprise to everyone, including himself. He laughed as that thought crossed his mind, and as he reached for the flour on the top shelf, he heard a loud bump outside his door, which made him lose his focus and before he knew it, he was drenched in a powdery white cloud.

The Lorax watched in amusement when he seen the Once’ler’s cabin door fly open. The cloud of white dust that emitted from that small door made the Lorax laugh heartily when he seen a figure drenched in white walk from the scattering dust as the small group of Barbaloot that were playing around the cabin ran screaming for their lives.

“Nice. Going for a ghost look today? Looks good on you, StringBean.” the Lorax commented in amusement as he ate a berry from a bush nearby.

“I’m going to ignore that.” Once’ler said, patting off his clothes, which didn’t do much to help matters. “Can I get a little help here?”

“Ah, calm down you big baby.” The Lorax said, standing to his feet and crawling up the Once’ler’s body before sitting on his shoulders and dusting off his shoulders and hair.

“Thanks.” Once’ler said with a smile, knowing they weren’t going to get it all off, but it wasn’t his priority at this moment. Aurora would be coming any minute.

“So, what’s on the menu today?” the Lorax asked as they walked back into the cabin. The Lorax was sweeping as much of the dust outside as Once’ler continued to cook.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty gosh-darn sick of pancakes, so I think I’m gonna try my hand at cinnamon rolls. Haven’t made them in years.”

“Hmm. I don’t think I ever had one of those before.”

“You’ll love them… Well, if I remember how to make them right.” Once’ler replied with a chuckle. “Hey, pal, thanks for doing that for me.”

“No problem. I know you want to impress this girl and I like having her around too. She helps me keep an eye on you anyhow. Judging by how I see her looking at you, I doubt you’ll have much time to be cutting down any trees anytime soon.”

“Wait. What do you mean by that?” Once’ler asked, looking at his shoulder at the orange creature.

“No. Just commenting on what I see. I mean, it’s pretty obvious how she feels about you. I don’t know what she sees in you, but whatever it is, she sees something… Listen, don’t hurt the girl, okay?”

“Hurt her? Why would I do that?”

“Look, you may have the best intentions now but as you say, it’s only a matter of time before you’re a huge success, and let me tell you, I’ve seen it forever… money does something to people. They change… and hardly ever in a good way.”
“Well, first off, that’s not going to happen to me. Money isn’t going to change me. I’m gonna be the same guy I’ve always been.”

“Whatever you say…” the Lorax said in a barely audible whisper before he crawled on the Once’ler’s bed and watched the tall man continue to bake.

A few minutes passed quietly. The rolls were in the oven as the Once’ler washed the dishes. His mind soon wandered to what the Lorax just said. ‘money changes people…’ Once’ler just shook his head. He was determined not to change, just get ultimately get approval from his mother. As he mixed the bowl of icing, he thought to something more positive the Lorax said. His thoughts wandered to the young women he just met a few days ago but with the nearly unnatural amount of time they already spent together, he already considered her a good friend.

Growing up, he went to school, he didn’t have a lot of friends, but he had a few, as far as having a girlfriend – it really never crossed his mind considering how busy he was working on creating his thneed. He just pushed most of that to the side while his business ventures came first. He lost himself in his work during the last years of high school. Once a design was complete, the one crucial thing he was missing was material. For the first few years after he graduated from high school, he spent a few years on the road trying to find the perfect material. He had gone everywhere. So many forests, mountain ranges, canyons, you name it. Even after multiple dozens of materials he tried, nothing sufficed. After his latest failure, he stopped by at home once more to visit his family before taking off on the road again.

The look his mother had plastered on her face seeing her 22 year old son’s life passing by was nothing short of complete disappointment. Already 4 years into making the thneed a successful product, he still had not even found the right material. While he hadn’t been living under her roof in years, she still felt as if his life was amounting to nothing. He spent so many years of his life on something she always thought was a stupid idea. And as he came to visit, she wanted to let him know that. As Once’ler walked over to her to hug his mother, she just sighed and half-heartily embraced her only child. “Well, I’m off again mother, to make my fortune!” he said in his usual animated tone.

“That’s what you said last time…”

“Well, this time I mean it! I promise mom, I’ll make this work…”

“Ignorance is bliss, I guess.” His mother replied snidely before Once’ler bent down to kiss her warmly on her forehead.
“I love you mom. I made a promise and I intend to keep it.”

“Whatever.” She replied coldly as Once’ler just smiled back at her before getting on his wagon and heading off. He turned to give her a warm wave but noticed she had already gone back inside the house. After traveling for days, he arrived at the Truffula Forest, and the perfect material to make his thneeds. As the memory went through his mind, he fought the sadness that accompanied the hurt he felt so deeply by the lack of his mother’s acceptance of him. He just told himself that his mother only wanted the best for him so it was no wonder she was a bit miffed he hadn’t made his fortune yet.

A soft knocking at the door gladly took him away from his thoughts before he walked over to the door and saw Aurora, who smiled softly and waved a greeting. Aurora hand fell slightly before she smiled curiously at the tall man that was dusted with a fine coat of flour. Instead of inquiring how he made such a mess of himself, but decided it against it when he greeted her with his usual smile and charm.

“Can’t start the best day of your life without a healthy breakfast! Well, I will once they’re ready…” Once’ler proclaimed before stepped to the side to allow her access to this cabin. When she walked past the doorframe, she was a lit taken aback by the presence of the Lorax on Once’ler’s bed.

“And here I was thinking you two don’t get along.” Aurora said warmly, gently patting the Lorax on top of his head.
“As I told you before… I’m just keeping my eye on him. You know what they say, keep your friends close, and you’re enemies closer…” the Lorax said, giving him a stern gaze underneath those big bushy brows.

“Ain’t he just the cutest thing?” Once’ler asked with a smile, his back leaning against the counter as he watched Aurora sit next to the Lorax.

The Lorax wasn’t all too pleased with the comment but ignored it after he smelt the sweet smell of cinnamon drifting from the vents on the oven.

“Ooh, here we go.” Once’ler said, opening the oven and taking out the piping hot cinnamon rolls. Aurora smiled, watching Once’ler handing the Lorax the bowl of frosting and a spoon. He picked up the rolls and holding the pan steady in front of the Lorax as the orange creature spooned the frosting over each roll.

Aurora smiled warmly at the scene in front of her knowing that Lorax and Once’ler got along pretty well, considering how the Lorax denied it. She hoped one day, their differences could settle down and the potential for friendship would grow.

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