Chocolate Heart (Wonka And Noodle) #1

Chapter 18

"Okay, here's your ticket to the North Pole!" Mr. Slugworth exclaimed with a smile

The young chocolatier had never been to that place, although he had never heard of it before either, but maybe it could be a good place to start his life again, where to have a house and some job that helps him alive. Wonka took the ticket, head down looking straight at the frozen ground

Mr. Fickelgruber said something, but to young Willy it was nothing more than a distant murmur, overcome with the guilt of having to leave his friends and his daughter behind

Who would take care of Noodle now? She could be hating him right now even though she had forgiven him, because he had filled her with hopes that should be slowly crumbling

Wonka tilted his head slightly to see the ship, whose wood was already frozen, with some snow. He let out a sigh and Mr. Slugworth gave him an aggressive handshake as a goodbye

The chocolatier did not say goodbye, perhaps out of resentment or because he was more focused on his thoughts

After the young man got on the ship, he walked towards the bow, where there was a worn seat

He understood that the Chocolate Cartel was looking to do something more than just send him out of the city, because with the cold he would not be able to stay overnight and, even knowing that, Wonka took the seat, leaving his few belongings next to him

The ship finally sailed, moving slowly through the sea, being the only sound Wonka could hear while he was lost in his thoughts

His adventure in the city had been unique, nothing had been as he expected, and in a certain part, that could be good, because he had met good people

Wonka couldn't help but chuckle as he thought about the fact that thanks to not having read the small print, he had met someone special enough to call her 'daughter', but his smile faded as he returned to cruel reality, feeling a lump in his throat as tears began to fall from his eyes

He could have continued lost in thought all night, but Willy was interrupted by the sound of a flute, he narrowed his eyes with a snort, Wonka knew who it was, seeing the Oompa Loompa drag a suitcase until he was in front of the chocolatier

"...I'm so glad you're here" he didn't even believe his words

"I can't lose sight of you, Willy Wonka, we have a deal" Lofty exclaimed "And about that, I have good news for you"

"What?" Wonka murmured

"You only need one more jar to pay off your debt" the Oompa Loompa explained while making a cocktail

"...Don't waste your time, I won't make chocolate again" Wonka looked disheartened at the little orange man

"Don't tell me you're going to fulfill that absurd deal" Lofty questioned him

"...I have to, for my daughter... I promised her a better life"

"Huh, you should rethink things, they will not give your child a better life, Willy Wonka" he take a sip of his drink, arranging his chair "I'm surprised you lack the instinct to realize that, well, I won't join your self-decimation party. Goodnight, Willy Wonka" he slowly declined his chair

Wonka looked down at his hand, noticing something strange "Huh"

"What it is?" Lofty asked

"Nothing" Willy murmured

"You said 'Huh', that's not nothing"

"...Forget it"

"Very well" the Oompa Loompa put his slep mask back on

The chocolatier looked at his hand again, Mr. Slugworth's handshake had left a mark that he remembered having seen elsewhere "Huh"

Lofty was up, throwing his mask off "That's it, you said it again"

"Slugworth shook my hand, look at the mark he left on my hand! It looks like the one on Noodle's necklace!" Wonka said enthusiastically

"Why would the girl have a Slugworth ring?" Lofty questioned

"I have to help her" Willy exclaimed, ignoring Lofty's question "Captain!" he got up from his seat, finding no one but a pile of dynamite, enough to completely destroy the ship

"Good day, sir" said the Oompa Loompa, holding a life jacket. He jumped out of the ship

Wonka turned pale, backing away as he saw the dynamite about to explode and, without thinking about it, he also jumped towards the sea

Although he had spent his childhood on a boat, his mother had always told him that he should not jump into the water in winter because he could drown from the cold

But now his life depended on it

He gasped in surprise at the sudden cold that invaded him to the bones, making him barely feel his limbs, Wonka moved his arms desperately, trying to get away from the ship

It was strange, that comforting memory came back, from when Noodle came to his room because she wanted to sleep with him, could that count as a life passing before his eyes? That terrified him, even more when he heard the thunderous explosion behind him

That couldn't just end like that, the Chocolate Cartel had to pay for that

Wonka swam and swam, seeing the pier in the distance, it was going to be difficult, but he knew that if he managed to get out of this alive, he was going to fight back, for his mother, for his friends, for his dreams and, of course, for his daughter

"Hold on, Noodle, soon we will see each other again... I promise"