Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Beyond the Looking Glass

Chapter 2: The Meadow on the Rooftop

Charlie woke up the next day with a smile on his face. He checks to see if the bottle that he had tucked under his pillow was still there. When Charlie took it out, it was surprisingly intact, and strangely, unopened. Charlie noted the strings in the cap of the bottle and noticed that they're tied tightly together with the bottle. He quickly leapt from his bed and went on with his routine.

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Charlie soon joined the table with Mr. Wonka, Dr. Wonka, Augustus, Violet, Veruca, Mike and his whole family. Charlie sat himself and they talked until they were almost finished with their food. Charlie couldn't help but look at the bottle in his hands as he reads the note again for about the 5th time since he first read it. Mike seems to notice this.

"What's that in your hand?" Mike asks.

Charlie flinches in shock, but he calms down once he realized that it was Mike. Charlie trusts them with this secret, so he pulls the bottle out from under the table, shocking them and the others, who haven't met little Maria yet.

"Where did you get that?" Grandpa Joe asks.

"This is given to me secretly by our little friend. We've met her last night while I was out." Charlie stated.

Charlie then looks at his friends and his parents. The others look at them dumbfounded.

"I mean, while we were out..." Charlie corrected with a smile ever so present on his face.

Even the other six were smiling in delight at the thought and mention of the sweet little girl last night.

"You could have seen her! She's one of the most sweetest little girls we've ever met!" Violet exclaimed in happiness.

"And she's not like the others too!" Mike chimed in with a smile on his face.

"Ja! She and her eldest sister own a floral and herbal tea shop just across the street! It tastes and works like magic! It's really good and healthy!" Augustus exclaims in his own accent, but with a smile of his own.

"She gave us a tea that her staff brewed for us. The one she used is called Carnation. It is said that it relieves the stress, anxiety and all. And this has some healing effects and reduces swelling. She said that she had another reason to put the tea in special cups. All of them had different quotes that fits our description. But our favorite is now the Carnation Tea from her shop." Veruca told them excitedly.

Mr. and Mrs. Bucket held each other by the shoulders.

"She gave us a different kind of tea." The couple informed.

Now it was their turn to look at them curiously.

"She gave us a brew she calls Liliac. She told us that it reduces fever and gets rid of internal parasites. This flower, when made into a gel or paste, can be used to treat skin burns and wounds and they soothe them. In fact, she gave us her newly made gel as a gift for the visit. She said that this is a present for first timers." Mr. Bucket admitted.

Mrs. Bucket pulled out a medium-sized tube of the Liliac Gel little Maria gave them. The others smiled at her generousness, it wasn't until they looked at the bottle once more did they get curious at its contents.

"Maria wanted to give this to me personally, but this is one of the first ones she recently made into powder. She told me to never breath a word about this to anyone else but who I trust. She has many enemies coming after her for these. This one is called Anise. It is said to give a strong licorice taste and it is also said that this is consumed to improve digestion, prevent flatulence, reduce bad breath and to treat coughs... Or so she had wrote here in this note she left with me." Charlie informed, showing the note that is stuck to the bottle by the rubber string.