Cassie's Love •Willy Wonka•

15: "The never ending hallway."

We all then follow Mr Wonka out of the Inventing Room. We walk along a hallway. I can hear someone's heels clicking across the floor. I take lighter steps letting me know it isn't me. I look at Verucas shoes and its doesn't look like hers. I come to the conclusion its either Mr Wonkas boots or Mr Salts posh shoes.

The kids are all at Wonkas side while the 3 remaining adults are nearer the back.

"Mr Wonka?" Charlie asks.
"Yeah?"
"Why did you decide to let people in?"
"Why, to let people see my factory, of course."
"But why now? And why only 5?"

"Whats the special prize and who gets it?" I hear Mike say. But I blank out of the kids conversations with Wonka as Mr Salt speaks to me.

"What do you do?" Mr Salt asks me.
"I work at a shop thats down the road from here. I heard you work in a nut business."
"Yes, where did you hear that?"
"Your interview on the tv when Veruca won the golden ticket."
"Oh, yes that one."
"That was a nice thing, you looking through all them tickets for your daughter. I would do the same for Charlie."

"Cassie, Mr Wonka has spaced out again." Charlie says to me.
"Right." I say and walk up to Willy. "Willy, Willy Wonka." I whisper in his ear and then take his hand and kiss it. He then short of shakes and comes back to reality. "Hi." I say quietly. "You alright?"
"I'm fine, my dear." He says. I just nod.
"Sorry, I was having a flashback." Willy says to everyone.
"I see." Mr Salt says.
"These flashbacks happen often?" Mr Teavee says in a questioning tone.
"Increasingly..  today." Mr Wonka says before turning around and walking down the hallway again.

"Whats this? The never ending hallway." I joke.

We then stop infront of a room called the Nut Sorting Room.
"Ah, this is a room I know all about! You see, Mr Wonka, I, myself, am in the nut sorting business." Mr Salt says handing over a business card. I stand next to Wonka. Feeling confident, he puts his arm around my shoulder and hands me the card.
"What do you want me to do with this?" I ask him quietly.
"Dont want to litter my floors, do we?" He replies referencing to the chocolate bar i picked up earlier.
"Right. I'll keep hold of it then." I say.
I pretend to stuff it in my pocket but I just throw it on the floor over my shoulder. I'm not a fucking bin.

"Do you use the hammermax 4000 to do your sorting?" Mr Salt asks oblivious to the conversation that just took place.
"No... your really weird." Mr Wonka replies before opening the door so show us the room.

Blue and white patterns in a swirl with a hole in the centre. About 150 squirrels shelling nuts on their own stools. Probably way more than that.
"Squirrels." Veruca says holding onto the barrier.
"Yeah, squirrels. These squirrels are specially trained to get the nuts out of their shell." Wonka says.
"Why use squirrels? Why not use Oompa Loompas?" Mr Salt asks.
"Because squirrels can usually get the whole walnut out almost every single time. You see how they tap each nut with their little knuckles to make sure its not bad? Oh look! I think that ones got a bad nut!"
The squirrel chucks the nut over its shoulder and it goes rolling into the hole in the ground. Then a squirrel comes up to the railing infront of me and sits on it.
"Willy, are they alright with being pet?" I ask cautiously.
"Never tried it so if you do be careful." He answers.
I out my hand infront of the squirrels face. Far enough away that it can see it but close enough that it can get the idea of what I want to do. The squirrel strokes its head against my hand. The squirrels runs up my arm and rests on my shoulder.
"Daddy, I want a squirrel. Get me one of those squirrels, I want one." Veruca demands. This is going to go well.
"Cassie, can I pet the squirrel?" Charlie asks.
"Put your hand infront of them so they understand you won't hurt them."
Charlie does so and the squirrel allows him to pet them.
"Veruca, dear, you have many marvellous pets." Mr Salt tries to reason.
"All ive got at home is 1 pony and 2 dogs and 4 cats and 6 bunny rabbits and 2 parakeets and 2 canaries and a green parrot and a turtle and a silly old hamster. I want a squirrel!" Veruca demands once more. I feel the squirrel tuck its head into my neck.
"Alright, pet. Daddy will get you a squirrel just as soon as he possibly can." Mr Salt promises.
"But I dont want any old squirrel, I want a trained squirrel."
"Very well, Mr Wonka, how much do you want for one of those squirrels. Name your price." Mr Salt says digging into his wallet. Veruca puts a fake innocent smile on towards Mr Wonka. I slightly laugh.
I sense the squirrel on my shoulder get scared. "Dont worry, I won't let you go live with the Salts. Or any of your friends. You will stay in the factory where you want to be."
"They're not for sale. She can't have one." Mr Wonka says.
"How do you feel with Veruca petting you?" I ask the squirrel on my shoulder. They shake its head 'no'.
"Thats alright." I say back.
"Daddy!" Veruca says making an angry look at the poor man she calls her father.
"I'm sorry, darling, Mr Wonka is being unreasonable." But its not Mr Salt who said this. Its Willy Wonka who did.
"Thats definitely not an impression to use during sex." I say. Mr Teavee laughs slightly trying to catch onto the joke but still not understanding properly.

"If you wont get me a squirrel, I will get one myself." Veruca says as she climbs over the fence.
"Veruca." Mr Salt warns.
"Little girl." Mr Wonka calls.
"Veruca, come back here at once." Mr Salt demands.
Veruca walks towards the squirrels.
"Welp, we all know where this is going." I mutter to myself.
"Little girl, dont touch that squirrels nuts. It'll make him crazy."
Veruca then reaches for a squirrel, looking the animal dead in the eye.
"I'll have you." She reaches out for the creature.

All the squirrels then gang up on Veruca. They pin her down to the floor.
"Veruca." Mr Salt calls.
I see Willy grab a set of keys and slowly checking them to see which one fits in the key hole.
"Daddy!" Veruca screams.
"There it is." Wonka says then dropping the keys on the floor. "There it isn't."
"Daddy, I want them to stop." Veruca says. Leader squirrel which was the one on my shoulder climbs on top of the girl. They tap her head.
"What are they doing?" Charlie asks.
"They are testing to see if she's a bad nut."
Shake their own heads at each other.
"Oh my goodness, she is a bad nut after all."
They start dragging Veruca to the garbage chute.
"Daddy!" Veruca screams again.
"Where are they taking her?" Mr Salt asks Willy.
"Where all the other bad nuts go- to the garbage chute." Mr Wonka replies.
"Where does the chute go?" Mr Salt asks obviously wanting to find his daughter.
"To the incinerator. But don't worry, we only light it on Tuesdays." Wonka says trying to brush off Mr Salts worry.
"Today is Tuesday." Mike states the obvious.
"Well, there's always the chance they decided not to light it today." Willy says running out of good possibilities.
We then hear Veruca scream as she falls down the chute. The squirrels all run back to their respective stools.

"She may be stuck in the chute somewhere near the top. If that's the case, all you need to do is just reach in and pull her out." Wonka says to Mr Salt.
Willy then opens the gate for Mr Salt and steps aside for him. Mr Salt walks down the stairs.
"I know that smirk, whats the plan?" I ask Wonka.
"If we are getting rid of the child might as well get rid of the parent too. Teach him a lesson as well as his daughter." Wonka says smirking at me.
"Great plan."

The Oompa Loompas once again start singing and dancing just like they did for Augustus and Violet.

Veruca Salt
The little brute
Has just gone down the garbage chute.
And she will meet as she descends
A rather different set of friends

A rather different set of friends
A rather different set of friends

A fish head for example cut
This morning from a halibut.
An oyster from an oyster stew
A steak that no one else would chew.
And lots of other things as well each
With its rather horrid smell (horrid smell)

These are Veruca's new found friends
That she will meet as she descends
These are Veruca's new found friends

Who went and spoiled her, who indeed?
Who pandered to her every need?
Who turned her into such a brat?
Who are the culprits?
Who did that?

The guilty ones
Now this is sad
Are dear old mum, and loving dad.

As Mr Salt leaned over looking into the garbage chute a squirrel came behind him and jumped onto his ass, pushing him into the garbage chute.

An Oompa Loompa appeared beside Willy. He pulled on Wonkas coat and whispered something into his ear.

"Really, oh good! I've just been informed that the incinerator is broken and there should be about 3 weeks of rotten garbage to break their fall." Mr Wonka says in a happy tone.
"Well, that's good news." Mr Teavee says sarcastically.
"Yeah... let's keep truckin'"