Title: May Sonnate

Rating: PG - PG-13ish maybe

Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie/Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, nor do I claim to own them.

I dedicate this story to "May". Although I overly exaggerated some parts, don't be angry. It makes for a good story. I do have more faith in you than that just so you know.

Please don't forget me.

Prologue

Her name was May Sonnate. She grew up in a small town and played in this small town with all her friends. She dated boys in this small town and wrote poems in this small town. She went to school in this small town until her graduation day in the spring. She moved out and ended up going to college in an even smaller town with a run-down train station near the edge. Occasionally from her dorm she could hear the whistling of the train.

Occasionally.

Usually her mind drifted so far out of its normal state of consciousness that she neglected to hear the whistle of the train or the screeching of the brakes. Instead of hearing the train she heard the voice of the prose settled upon her lap, the gently blowing wind lapping at her face from an adjacent window left carelessly opened. She was a dreamer extraordinaire in her day, her little fantasies taking the place of the harsh realities that surrounded her.

She was going to be a teacher. May Sonnate took great joy in seeing happy children learn something from her. However this was not to be for May Sonnate, who after four years of being drilled the proper way to stick something in a child's head went a completely different route and became a government worker. At first it seemed that social services would become her occupation, but years past and soon she fell into the ever-exciting field of health and safety inspections.

Her life became dull and unhappy. She stopped dreaming and settled into a world of gray.

She was my best friend. We grew up in that very same small town together but when the time came to pick colleges I decided on the city. Small towns always bothered me. Through it all, the turbulence of growing up and the resounding decisions of adulthood, we managed to keep in touch. I always said she knew me best. She always stated that we were the same person. It's hard to loose touch with someone who is the exact same person as you.

One day we were sitting in our favorite, all-encompassing book/movie/music/café giant of a store sipping some coffee-laden beverage or another when she put down her cup and looked at me with the saddest eyes I had ever seen. OK, perhaps not the saddest, but surely in the top-ten of saddest eyes. She looked absolutely down-trodden, as if she was hopelessly lost or some other awful tragedy that bothers Man on a daily basis. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, softly putting down my own drink and pushing aside the magazine I had been perusing.

"My my May, what is the matter?" I breathed, my own eyes still drifting towards the cover of the magazine.

"What happened to me?" She asked earnestly. I shrugged and reached into my coat pocket hoping to find a piece of gum or stray mint. As usual her faded blonde hair had fallen out of it's neat and prim style and was forming small little curls that poked up from behind her ears. I always noticed little details like that.

Upon finding a piece of gum I unwrapped it and popped it into my mouth, my dear friend May still sitting across from me in her dejected state. "Yes, what happened to you?" I asked, not wanting to take part in her little pity session but feeling like an absolute awful human being for not doing so.

"You know what I mean." She replied, eyes downcast and lips clamped together thoughtfully.

"I do." I said simply. She had stopped dreaming and sealed her secret self away, sometimes even from myself. This couldn't be ignored and I didn't try to deny it. The mint-flavored gum rolled around my tongue and between my teeth comfortingly and took my mind off of her melancholy mood. "But what has brought about this state of reflection May?"

May paused and her eyes left the table, venturing about the small café as if in search of something. "I get to travel." She eventually told me. "My boss told me that I was picked out to do a special job."

"And is this a bad thing?" I wondered.

"Not really. Well, no and yes. No because it is a wonderful opportunity, yes because I can't stop thinking about what my life would have been like if I had… " May said trailing off, her worn fingers gently drumming on the faux-stone table. She wore a couple of rings on her fingers, none of them expensive or given to her as gifts of admiration and love. Her nails were polished with a creamy pink, but were chipped or flaked off in certain places or even nervously bitten off. I never remembered May for being a nail-biter, that was always me, not her.

I stared at her for the longest time, wondering if she would indulge me further or if I would have to drag the news out of her. Eventually she stood up and walked towards the cashier and rows of candy bars that stood in front of her. She stooped down low and looked through the selections before grabbing one, straightening out, paying the girl, pocketing the candy, and returning to our table.

"Where did I stray? Where did I go wrong?" She continued to mutter to the table. Suddenly she picked her head up and looked directly at me. "When did I loose my dream?" She asked me, her voice strained and confused. I wasn't sure if she was exactly looking for an answer, but I decided that I would try to deliver her one anyway.

"The day you grew up." I replied. This seemed to shock her, take her aback if you will. "The day you decided to compromise your dream for reality and comfort."

At first her face was hard to read but as I stated previously, May Sonnate was the exact same person as me, and soon her face broke out into a beautifully meek smile that creased the sides of her eyes. "I was thinking the exact same thing." She whispered.

I leaned forward as if she was going to tell me a secret. "And what caused you to come up with this conclusion?" I asked her.

May, always having a flair for the dramatic, held up a finger and reached into her pocket where she had placed the candy bar bought previously. She pulled out the chocolate bar, opened it up, and handed me a piece as she bit into a morsel herself. We enjoyed the chocolate bar silently, I puzzled beyond belief of course. After the bar was devoured she flattened the crumpled wrapped on the table and straightened it out with her palm, pointing to it with one of her ringed-fingers.

The wrapper, aside from being your typical every-day wrapper, was emblazoned with the trademark of Wonka Industries. I shrugged having seen one on the ground or flying through the air almost everyday in the city. She smiled and sighed and grabbed the wrapper away from my eyes reprovingly. "I have in my possession a first-class train ticket that will bring me to the heart of this." She said, flashing the wrapper in front of my eyes once again.

"I don't follow you." I said with what was probably a very confused look on my face.

May leaned forward and lowered her voice as if she was afraid someone was listening in on our conversation. "I was ordered to do a full-scale inspection of the Wonka Factory. On Monday morning I am to report to the gates of the factory and I must be let in or else Mr. William Wonka will have to deal with the FDA."

I gasped and then quickly covered it up with a cough before we started getting the strange looks. Once I overcame my initial surprise I was able to ask her more questions. "But I heard-" but May was too fast for me.

"Heard that he lets no one in. Yes, it's true. Which is why the FDA wants in on the factory."

"Do they suspect him of something?"

"No, it's all standard protocol. The FDA's just concerned that if we let Wonka get away without passing inspection then they'd have to make exceptions for everyone. But according to sources Wonka's too afraid to let anyone in because of lack of secrecy and whatnot. Of course as an inspector I don't report on any of that sort of thing, just health and safety. Wonka has no choice but to let me in."

During all of this I had been sitting across from her with my hands under my chin, utterly enthralled by her tale. Wonka had been a legend in our own time, his secrecy his ultimate legacy. "So how did you get picked for the job? I mean, people must have been vying for this chance to get into the famous Wonka Factory."

May shrugged. "Picked from a hat if you'd believe it. How professional." She smirked. "Dumb luck of course."

I grinned and sat back in my chair. "Or fate." I remarked to her. "It's like a dream. A remarkable dream."

She stared at me for quite some time before nodding slowly. "Exactly." She murmured. "But I'd rather think of it as just another ordinary job."

May asked me if I would drop her off and pick her up at the train station when the time came. I, like any good friend would, agreed and when the day arrived I made my way to her small apartment and picked her up. She greeted me in her work attire which was the type of suit that you'd expect from any business man or woman. Her hair was pulled back and fixed tightly at the nape of her neck, her pinstriped suit properly buttoned and ironed, her tie fixed squarely in the middle of her white shirt like a true professional.

I always hated to see her in those suits.

She sat beside me in the car, half relaxed, half tensed, her white fingers clutching a slick black briefcase that was placed in her lap. She had no visible jewelry on her person and had on a pair of reading glasses with silver rims that made her eyes look enormous. The poor girl had lost the ability to read without the use of spectacles in college.

As two people who grew up together there rarely was a moment when awkward silence was a problem for us, yet silence managed to creep into the car on the ride to the train station. For some reason words failed me as they had never before. I almost allowed her to step out of the car and into the train station without uttering a word before I pulled myself together.

"May, call me when you're coming home." I told her. It wasn't exactly a brilliant statement, but it would do.

She nodded at me and got out of my car, closing my door with an accidental slam. She leaned through the open passenger-side window and said goodbye to me.

"Please." I said, catching her interest before she could walk away. I didn't know what to expect for her. I did know, with all the uncertainties thrown away behind my shoulder, that there was something about this factory that had made the friend I truly knew try to shine through the tough exterior, even if for a brief moment. "Please May," I repeated, "Promise me you'll tell me everything."

She smiled and nodded. "I promise." She assured me.

She kept that promise.

End of Prologue

Chapter One: The Rain Room

May's footsteps made echoes on the rough pavement as she approached the grand factory.

Clickida-click Clickida-click Clickida-click.

She tried not to swing her briefcase about in order to keep the appearance of professionalism. It wasn't tough, after years of intense practice she admitted to herself that she had become quite good at being boring.

The Clickida-click of her heeled shoes slowly stopped until they dissipated into the looming darkness that was the Wonka Factory. It was early morning, perhaps around six, and the sun was not yet up. The train ride had been about three or-so hours long so she was eager for the walking she would have to do inside the building. Judging from the shear size of the factory she figured that she would be doing a lot of walking, a lot of walking indeed.

She had stopped in front of the factory's main gate, noticing that there was no employee entrance, no guard at post. Already it seemed as though the rumors circulating about the factory were true. Unsure of what to do she searched the gate for some type of buzzer or bell that would allow her to gain access into the factory. She found none. She rapped unsurely at the gate itself, hoping that someone would hear her and come to her assistance.

She tapped at the bars again, this time more desperately. How humiliating it would be for her to head back to the office and tell her boss that she couldn't even find a way in! Fortunately one of the main wooden doors opened up suddenly as if a gust of wind had pushed it open. Out stepped a man that resembled a London barrister, bowler hat and all. Before stepping out from under the alcove he stuck out his arm sharply and paused a moment before heading back inside.

"Oh no." May had thought to herself. "Heaven help me if he doesn't come back. I shall have to scale the wall." But the man did reappear, only this time with a black umbrella over his head. He waltzed over towards May and tipped his hat.

"Looks like rain." He said knowingly, still positioned on the other side of the metal bars.

May looked up but didn't see a cloud in the sky. "Uh, sure." She lied as she fiddled with the ID in her coat pocket. She brought it out quickly and flashed it to the man in the bowler hat. "My name is May Sonnate, I'm from the Food and Drug Administration. I've been sent here in order to-"

"Inspect the factory, yes, I know." The man finished quietly. He snapped his fingers and the gate quickly swung open, May having to jump out of the way or be smacked with the metal bars. She caught her breath and stared at the man in the black bowler hat. He returned her gaze and when she did not move he waved her in impatiently. "Come come. Haven't got all day." He said, snapping his fingers again when May made it inside the complex.

She followed him and figured they were going to enter the building by way of the door she had seen him exit, however he passed this entrance and continued heading towards the rear of the factory. He was a lean man, very tall and very gaunt, but he moved rapidly and May found it difficult to keep up with him. He continued to hold the umbrella over his head even though the sun was peaking over the horizon.

As they walked the building began to take strange shapes and turns, only noticeable of course to those once inside the gate. She tried her best to keep up with the barrister before he twisted his way right out of her sight. She paused. Was loosing a man dressed entirely in black with an umbrella really that easy? May looked to her left and then to her right but still saw no bowler hat.

Suddenly there was a tap on her shoulder and she screamed and jumped in a responsive reflex. May looked behind her and was sure her face was white with shock: there was the man with the bowler hat.

"Keep up please." He said to her, clasping her right arm in his left at the elbow. He began to walk very fast, May practically trotting in order to avoid being dragged. "Mr. Wonka wants this whole business taken care of as quickly as possible. He doesn't allow visitors to his factory and he especially doesn't like the idea of someone from the government poking their little head in."

"I assure you," May replied in a pant, "I'm only here to do my job. The FDA frowns upon poor health and safety, that's all I'm here to inspect. Nothing more."

The tall man had brought them to an equally as tall wooden door which swung open before them as if it was trained to do so. "Mr. Wonka cannot be so trusting." Replied the man matter-of-factly.

The man continued to walk May through the door and down a white corridor, putting away his umbrella as he led her to another door painted with the words, "DO NOT ENTER (except for those who belong which in that case you certainly are welcomed)". He took the handle of his umbrella and placed it into the keyhole, turned it twice, and then pushed open the door with the flick of his wrist. To May's astonishment inside the room water poured from the ceiling like rain. The man continued to pull at May's elbow, disregarding her cry of protest.

He finally let go of her arm and went to a table. He took off his hat and hung it up on the wall as if he didn't even feel the rain on his head, his soaked clothing making a squishing sound as he went about his business. He walked about the small room and gathered numerous papers from various draws and cabinets, all the while acting as though puddles weren't forming on the titled floor.

May watched him from underneath her briefcase, attempting vainly to try and keep herself dry. "What was going on here?" She thought as she tried her best not to splash her sensible shoes. Instead of voicing this question she asked something different out loud. "I introduced myself, who might you be if its not too rude to ask?" She cried out; the rain was really making it difficult for her to hear anything.

The man suddenly looked up at her; first queerly, then with understanding. "Oh, do forgive me. I'm afraid I was so caught up with trying to get you all settled that I forgot my manners. I'm Mr. Wilth, an assistant to Mr. Wonka. I deal with public relations, of a sort." He explained with a chuckle to himself. He held out his hand and May shook it as politely as one could soaking wet and confused, keeping the other hand on the briefcase still above her head.

"A pleasure to meet you Mr. Wilth." She replied with a forced smile. She gave him her credentials and showed him her ID once more, which he read through extensively until deemed satisfied that they were genuine. He handed her some soggy paperwork and a dripping pen in return and pointed to his desk. "What are these?" She wondered with a blonde eyebrow raised.

"Precautions." He explained. "A legal binding contract to make sure you don't repeat anything you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch here to anyone else."

"But I must tell my superiors." May interjected. "It's my job."

"Within certain limits of course Ms. Sonnate. Mr. Wonka is trying to protect his individual rights and inventions." Mr. Wilth replied.

May looked at the sopping documents in her hand. "The FDA does all that. We don't give away secret ingredients or special brewing methods so long as they follow protocol."

Mr. Wilth gave her a funny look. "You'll find that this factory doesn't fall under that category." He stated bluntly. "And besides, we've had trouble before with government workers. You must understand, Mr. Wonka is willing to take his chances with the FDA if you refuse to sign the documents and we turn you away."

She stared at the documents once more. "And how do I know if I've stepped over Mr. Wonka's boundaries? You can't lead me around the entire time and expect me to look at only what you're showing me. It's against the law. This factory can't have anything to hide from me." She told him.

"You'll know if you've overstepped your boundaries." He reassured her. She paused, as if thinking this decision over in her mind.

Finally May shrugged and signed the documents on the desk as indicated, as best she could anyway, and handed them back to Mr. Wilth in a soaking ball of ink and paper. He nodded to her gratefully and filed them away in a black cabinet and pointed her to another door that was opposite the one she came through. "Straight ahead down the corridor. Since I can't show you about most of our doors are unlocked, however there will be guards posted about the factory in case you should get lost or whatnot." He stressed the word 'whatnot'.

May headed for the door and pulled it open gently, but before she could leave Mr. Wilth's voice stopped her. "A word to the wise Ms. Sonnate, this factory is like no other place on earth. It's easy to get lost or befuddled. Keep a sharp eye and mind open and if you should need anything simply call out my name."

"Uh, thank you." She replied slowly, unsure of whether to be scared, feel threatened, or be comforted by his words.

"You'll find that things in this factory can indeed hide from you on their own." He added at the last moment before the door shut by itself behind her back once again. She took two shaky steps forward and was blasted by an intense gust of warm air which to her surprise had dried her clothes, shoes, and hair almost immediately.

May stopped, unsure of whether to go on or to run back through the pouring rain and out the door. But something inside told her to press on, so she did. Whether it was sheer intrigue or a moment of bravery she couldn't tell.

End of Chapter One