Once Upon A Time In CATCF

Chapter 4

Augustus did, after all, get out of the log. All they had to do with him was pushing another (smaller) log from the back, and pull the first one, like a syringe. It had actually been a pretty good plan...if he didn't end up falling into a giant puddle of mud. But he guessed being covered from head to toe in mud was better than being stuck in a log, especially with all those ants. He turned back to the other three to thank them, but realized that he didn't know their names yet. Well, he thought, no better time than now.

"I don't think I know your names yet." He said it more towards the brown haired girl, who beamed a dazzling smile. Holy bacon....she's so pretty.

"I'm Veruca Salt; it is a pleasure to meet you..."

"Augustus. Augustus Gloop."

The other girl, the blonde, took over, as if not having the spotlight was a danger to her health. "I'm Violet Beauregarde. And that's... what's your name again?" the last part was headed to a tiny boy, probably nine years old, sitting next to a tree. He actually looked like a twig compared to Augustus.

"Charlie."

Veruca kneeled down in front of him. "Charlie, do you know what this place is?"

"Timeland. The monkeys said so. I was looking for the guardian. They said he could help me go back home. And they told me to find you guys. Two princesses and a ginger-haired boy. They told me I had to help you, and go back to them when we found the guardian." The three were taken aback. Not only did this boy talk to monkeys, but said monkeys told him to find and help them? Augustus looked up. It wouldn't be long before the sunset. Violet did too, apparently.

"We should find a clearing." She looked around, and then turned to Charlie. "Where are you staying?"

"Right there. I'll show you."

They followed the scrawny boy. Augustus took the time to look his companions over. The girls were decorated in mud, weeds and other nature products, though somehow that didn't make Veruca any less pretty. If anything, she was even prettier. Violet was holding her glass shoes in her hands, and kept on muttering something along the lines of "stupid fairy godmother" and "should've just stuck around the dessert table." Augustus decided it would help pass the time if they talked. Plus, he didn't feel very comfortable going around with people he knew nothing about.

"So...Where do you guys come from?"

"Wonks" was the immediate response. Oh. Thankfully, Charlie came to his aid.

"I'm from the south, in the Nerope Jungle. You?"

"West coast. How did you live in the Jungle?"

"I've never met my blood family, but the bucket pack took me in as one of their own. Joe the bear is my best friend ever!"

"Ok, then" the four kids continued the trek to Charlie's shelter.

When they finally arrived, Veruca immediately lied down and fell asleep, followed by the Charlie and then Augustus. But Violet couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes he appeared. A tall, skinny-as-a-twig man with a top hat and a tailcoat, and he would snap his fingers- to show the figure of a giant blueberry, and only seconds later she'd see the swollen face of her mother at the top. For as long a her eyes stayed closed, the citizens' state would haunt her. pumpkins, berries, nuts, but most of all: chocolate.

Deciding it might help to go around a bit, she stood up and left the vast clearing. When she felt that it wouldn't disturb the others, Violet started whistling. It was an old tune that her father had taught her before he left, when the two made duets almost every night, him whistling, she singing. No. she told herself. No sad memories.

A shuffle from above called her attention. What if it was another Oompa Loompa? No, it would've attacked by now. She was so distracted thinking about it that she didn't notice the cliff edge. One second too late, she felt her feet slide and screamed, preparing herself for the painful drop...that didn't happen. Violet snapped her head upwards, where a metal...something was stopping her from falling. She couldn't see who it belonged to, though, and that worried her. It could be someone helping out of good will just as much as it could be a beast that would eat her alive.

A firm, yet somewhat gentle pull gave her the answer. A pair of glowing blue eyes that flickered with raw energy greeted the girl. In the dark, she couldn't see the rest of the figure, only the mini explosions of energy that came about every few seconds. Then she remembered: the others! How could she have been so stupid to scream knowing that it would wake them?

"I-I have to go." She took off, only pausing to shout over her shoulder "thanks for saving me!" that wasn't smart, since she ended up tripping on a stone and falling on her face. Way to look attractive, Violet. She stood quickly and dashed for the campsite, not even noticing the glass slipper that stood beside the stone. Or the figure that took it, glowing blue eyes never leaving the trail where she went to.

The boy analyzed the glass shoe, thinking about its owner, the beautiful blonde girl. He turned to a little person, no bigger than his palm, which hovered at eye level. "I'm going to get that girl, Mario. Or my name is not Mike Teavee." And with that statement, he rocketed up into the starry sky.

Charlie wasn't so sure he liked the others. Veruca and Augustus were OK, but Violet seemed...scary. And he still needed the guardian of Timeland, who could be nice or mean.

"The legend says he lives in the middle of the forest, and that he is the one that keeps this place existing, along with an ancient oak tree. Like a life source. I didn't think it would be too hard to find him, since we're supposed to be the only other people in here." He had just finished talking about his story, up to the point where the Monkeys told him how to find the last member of the team.

"But you haven't found him." Violet said. Charlie suddenly remembered something; something important.

"About that...they said YOU were the one that would find him." he waited for this to sink in.

"WHAT?! How in Wonks am I supposed to find an immortal guy who gives life to an island?"

"Maybe it's just that you're the one that's going to spot him." Veruca suggested.

"but why-"

Charlie felt Veruca halt, causing Augustus to bump into her, and Violet to bump into Augustus, and finally Charlie bump into Violet. He heard someone make a shhhhh sound. Veruca. "You guys have to see this." She kneeled down, and so did Augustus. That cleared enough space for the two remaining kids to stare at the sleeping boy. And what sat beside him.

Violet couldn't help but let out a gasp. Her lost glass shoe! It's the person from the cliff! Here he was, sprawled on a leaf bed right before her eyes. She examined his features for the first time; spiked up brown hair, and strange clothes: a black short-sleeved shirt and black pants. He wasn't very tall...or chubby, for that matter; he could easily have been as skinny as Charlie himself, if not more. But that wasn't all. The things that really caught her attention were the mass of blue light that he emanated. Every now and then, his form would flicker a little, as if he wasn't completely there. The other thing was his limbs. Right arm(his sleeve was pulled up a little), both feet, and up to his left knee, to be exact. These had a thin, cylindrical shape, completely out of proportion. She reached down and gave his shin a tiny touch. Cold metal. But who would have their body out of this? It was just...weird.

A scream cut her thoughts. Violet jumped back with the others, and saw he was staring at them. No- at her.