Starshine | Willy Wonka

iv

Thalia stood with Charlie, who was huddled within the excess room in her coat. The front gates of the factory were crowded, as countless cameras continued to go off as they waited for ten o'clock to come. The five groups were lined up, and the siblings stood between the Salt's and the Gloops, and she was beginning to wish she wasn't. As Mr Salt was beginning to eye her in the most unflattering way, that she would have punched him in the face if it weren't for all cameras that would catch it. So she ignored it, pulling Charlie in closer as the golden ticket winners began to eye each other up. If she didn't know any better she would have believed they were all about to fight each other to the death.

"Daddy I want to go in." Veruca complained, her voice bratty with an accent that bothered Thalia.

"It's 9:59, sweetheart." Mr Salt said as he checked his watch, he looked as if he were in pain as he spoke to his daughter.

"Make time go faster!" The fancy dressed child demanded as she glared at her father, she felt bad for the man, but then again it was his fault his daughter was a little demon. Augustus Gloop stood there with a blank look on his face, chomping down on a Wonka Bar in the most unappetizing way. It made her never want to eat chocolate again, if she were being honest.

Then the gates finally opened, Charlie looked up at his sister excitedly, it seemed he was glad he didn't give the ticket away.

"Please enter!" A male voice spoke through a set of speakers, and simultaneously the group stepped into the gates. They were all the first ones to be here in fifteen years. Some of them were just a bit to eager to get inside as Thalia had to step back to keep herself from being knocked over by the fat kid.

"Come...forward." So they were all going to need instructions on how to enter the place, how lovely. They all took another step forward, and began walking towards the large front doors of the factory, "Close the gates." She didn't need to look back as she heard the loud clang of metal as the factory gates shut behind them.

"Dear visitors, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to my humble factory." The voice spoke again, and then there was the sound of an organ being played, "and who am I? Well..." he trailed off as they approached what Thalia thought were doors. Instead they moved away to reveal bright red curtains that then pulled apart to reveal a stage with a bunch of puppets. The music grew louder as the puppets began to sing. They proceeded to sing about how amazing Willy Wonka was, and Thalia found herself smiling as she watched the performance. The song came to an end, as a throne lifted out from beneath the stage. There was nobody in it, as sparks erupted from multiple places, and soon the whole stage was being lit by flames.

Thalia giggled as she clapped, only stopping when she realized she was the only one doing so, except for an extravagantly purple clad man with a top hat. He stood beside Mr Salt as everyone else took to looking at him like he was crazy.

"Wasn't that magnificent? I was worried it was getting a little dodgy in the middle part, but then that finale...wow!" He grinned, wearing large circular sunglasses which was even weirder considering the sun was still covered by the clouds. He then began ascending the steps to look at all of them.

"Who are you?" Violet sneered as she continued to chomp on her gum. Though Thalia had listened to her grandfather's stories of Willy Wonka for years, to the point she didn't need to ever see the man to know who he was, also it was obvious who he was considering no one else would have been able to get into the factory.

"He's Willy Wonka, obviously." Thalia stated, as Charlie cocked his head to the side.

"Really?" There seemed to be a moment of silent that passed, as everyone's earlier expectations seemed to lower greatly, but Thalia didn't find herself disappointed.