The flight seemed short, Violet didn't know how long it took because she was asleep for most of it, but her mother woke her up when they were about to land. It seemed that the town had not changed a bit, even the bicycles were still leaning on the same walls, the cars, it seemed were in the same place. The city spread out huge underneath the plane, and in the distance, Violet could see the factory. The huge chimneys and buildings seemed to rise up higher than the plane, and before long they were on the ground, in the airport, in the arrivals wing.
It seemed that they were the last to arrive, because when they walked through the gate, Augustus, Verruca, Mike and surprisingly Charlie, his crotchety old grandfather and the rest of the parents, were waiting there.
Charlie was the first to greet them, he held out his hand, which Violet took in her purple one, and shook it gently. "Hi Violet" he said cordially. Violet didn't respond right away, she was busy looking at the others.
Augustus had lost so much weight he was almost unrecognisable. His chins had receded to one, and he looked almost athletic. Mrs. Gloop, who noticed Violet looking at her son, said. "My Augustus has gotten into the jogging and the running"
Violet nodded, and turned to Verruca, who looked unchanged, she was wearing a fluffy mink coat and a bow in her flowing curly hair, but by the scowl she gave her father, she had not gotten what she wanted in long time. Her father stood behind her in a business suit, and his wife, who Violet had never seen before, stood behind him, her weight all on one foot, strands of pearls at her throat.
Mike Teavee had shrunk somewhat, and he was not so thin anymore, but he still stood a good few inches over the tallest of the group. Violet smiled up at him.
"Violet?" Charlie said, bringing her attention back to him. "Yes?" She asked perhaps a bit too forcefully.
Charlie was taken aback, but recovered himself and said. "I only wanted to say hello"
Violet felt a little bad, and said no more until Charlie led them through the terminal and into a purple limousine that was parked where the shuttles usually parked.
"Please get in, I'll get your bags" Charlie said, but most of the parents wouldn't have it. Whether they were too proud or too angry with Charlie, the children did not know, but they put their own bags into the back of the limo.
After they had all gotten into the vehicle, and Charlie pressed a button on the inside of the door that made mugs of hot chocolate appear out of the arm-rests, they drove off.
The Oompa-Loompa driving the limo seemed to know what he was doing, and in several minutes the children and parents could see the factory looming over the limo.
"I forgot how big that place is" Scarlett said, looking out of the window. Verruca and her father were sitting at opposite ends of the vehicle, not looking at each other.
They sat in silence for most of the ride, until Charlie's grandfather, Violet thought his name was Joe, spoke up.
"We're going to be taking a different way into the factory this time" He said in a wheezy voice. "So we're going around to the back of the factory"
"And first we'll show you to your rooms in the factory, and then we'll begin the tour at 11"
Charlie said, looking happily around at the rest of them, unaware of the mixed feelings the group had towards him.
They finally pulled up to a large, bronze door in the back wall of the factory, and got out.
Standing next to the door in his magnificent top hat and purple tail-coat, was Mr. Wonka himself.
He grinned at them when they stepped out of the limo. "Welcome again to the factory!" He said cheerfully. Violet tried not to remember the coldness of the letter as she looked up at the enigmatic figure standing at the door.
"Come in, come in!" He said, and pushed the door open with his purple-gloved hands. Everyone bustled in, and emerged into a very cramped corridor.
"Usually this entrance is only used by Oompa Loompas" Wonka said as he bent down low so as to avoid hitting his head on the low ceiling. Poor Mike Teavee had to go on all fours in order to get through the passage.
Finally after much pushing and shoving, they came out to a large loading dock. Conveyor belts hung from glossy purple poles, and the floor was polished to a shine. Everything was clean, from the shiny dark metal walls to the candy that was spilling out in great bunches to be packed in boxes. On one of the walls there was an enormous trapdoor, and it opened occasionally to let in cool winter air and huge red trucks.
"Follow me" Wonka smiled. Charlie smiled eagerly at the others, and they continued on.
After a while they emerged into the huge pink corridor that wound its way all around the factory and deep underground. Violet was grateful that Wonka had organized for small, white almost golf-buggy looking carts to carry them down the corridor. The flight had been long, and she wanted badly to lay down and rest.
But Wonka, as usual, was almost jumping up and down in his seat when they approached doors.
"STRAWBERRY TAPWATER"
"DESSERT ISLE."
"ICE CREAM SPIDERS"
It was at the last door that they stopped. Charlie signaled to the Oompa Loompa who was driving him to park right next to the door, and gestured the others to do the same.
The little man hopped out of the cart and pulled open the round door.
Wonka and Charlie beamed with delight at what was inside. Augustus's mother cringed, and Scarlett winced. Violet only gasped.
"Don't let them see you staring, they get scared, and it ruins the flavour" Wonka said.
Verruca screamed.
All around the ice-blue walls and up the domed ceiling were thick, shiny spider's webs. Although these were a caramel brown. "Caramel sauce" Wonka said.
But through the webs gleamed dark eyes. Dozens and dozens of large, pale spiders glared at them behind the doorway.
Their thick bodies were rippled with brown, and their many eyes unblinking.
"They are made of the ice cream ja?" Augustus said, salivating slightly. Wonka nodded, and Violet stared in disbelief.
"They can't be made of ice cream! You can't make a living thing out of ice cream!" Violet said. Wonka only grinned.
"Come on, we have to show you to your rooms" Charlie said. Wonka nodded curtly and picked up his cane.
They past several more doors along the way. Wonka and Charlie saying "Ooh, you will all love that room" or "This is a room to see"
After almost an hour of riding down the pink corridor, they stopped in front of a huge door. On it in glowing letters: "HABITATION CENTER"
Directly opposite the door on the other side of the corridor was a smaller door. "OOMPA LOOMPA VILLAGES" It said.
"Don't go in there, the Oompa Loompas won't like it" Wonka said. Violet rolled her eyes.
Charlie and his grandfather pushed open the large door. It swung open at the lightest touch, and the group saw the Habitation Center, spread out before them in a huge room. Candy-striped walls rose up until you could barely see the ceiling. The floor was covered in that swudge stuff Violet remembered from the Chocolate Room. Roads of what appeared to be black tarmac connected three houses. One, a small shack, with a hole in the roof and a sunken floor. The other house could only have been Wonka's. It was large, with quirky angles and large windows. The other looked like a large hotel, made out of bricks that looked like fudge.
"Everything in here is edible! Well, except for Charlie's house, it's the one over there" Wonka pointed to the shack, and Violet stared a moment.
"And this is where you will be staying" Wonka led them up to the large fudge-hotel looking building. Inside, a large lobby with lemonade fountains and Oompa-Loompas behind the desks greeted them. They were dressed in bow ties and purple waistcoats.
Wonka knocked on the desk with his cane, and the Oompa Loompa handed him five keys, which he gave, in turn to each of the parents.
Violet looked at the key in her mother's hand. It was attached to a orange lifesaver as a keychain. ROOM 34 it said.
Charlie cleared his throat with a small cough. "We'll let you settle in, and come back in an hour" He said. Wonka nodded, and with Charlie and his grandfather, walked back through the revolving door and disappeared.
"I want the penthouse suite" Verruca declared. Her father straightened his tie and glared at his daughter. "You're getting what room he gave you, and that is final!" He said sharply. Verruca returned his glare with a steely expression.
"Let's go, honey" Scarlett lead Violet through the lobby to the elevator before it got too awkward. They were joined by Augustus and his mother and Mike Teavee. His father only just slipped through the doors in time.
"Looks like we're all on the same floor" Mike's dad commented, seeing the numbers on Scarlett's an Augustus's mother's keys.
"Augustus, sweetheart, that is not a good thing to do" Augustus's mother said, for Augustus was busy licking the walls of the elevator.
"I thought we talked about this Augustus! No more of the candy and the sugar!"
The elevator dinged before Augustus could give his mother a reply.
Violet stepped out and immediately spotted room 34, almost directly opposite the elevator. She pushed the door open, and walked into the most beautiful hotel room she had seen.
