Chapter 10 - The Tour Begins
Author's note: Hello, everyone! This is the moment you've all been waiting for: the beginning of the tour! Before I respond to your reviews, there is a very serious issue that I need to address here.
I don't know if anyone else's stories are being affected by this, but lately, trolls have been posting derogatory comments on my story. As a result, for my guest reviewers, your reviews will NOT show up immediately, because I am now moderating any and all guest reviews for my stories. To my fellow writers, DO NOT take the trolls' comments personally if they choose to comment on your stories. I strongly advise you to enable the setting that lets you moderate guest reviews if you haven't already. With that aside, it's response time.
Sonny April, you'll find out about Chris' behavior during the next several chapters!
TheIndividualist, I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter. You'll find out who might become the heir near the end of the story.
GirlPower54, I'm glad you're enjoying my story! As I said to TheIndivdualist, you'll find out who might become the heir near the end of the story.
Softkitty55, That was my intention all along (not surprisingly). In fact, I actually wanted each new winner to bear at least a little resemblance to the old ones in some way. Antonio is from Rome, and Rome's first emperor was named Augustus. Yuna is sort of like Veruca since her parents bought her thousands of Wonka Bars, even though she did the work of unwrapping them herself. Mindy is like the 2005 Violet since she is very competitive and rather boastful. Daniel is similar to Mike from 2005 since they are both excellent with using computers, and they both cracked Wonka's systems to find their tickets. Jenna...I'm not totally sure about her. As far as I know, she doesn't resemble any of the old winners, except for (maybe) Mike from 2005 since they both don't care much for chocolate. Tyler resembles the 1971 Violet since he is very mean, and Chris obviously resembles Charlie. But is he really like Charlie? Only I know!
Linkwonka88, the update is here, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
XXCandyLoverXX, you'll find out who will be eliminated first sooner than later!
agentdemigod, thanks for explaining fan casting to me. I'd be curious to know which actors and actresses you'd consider if this story were to become a movie! As for new rooms, remember that this tour takes place forty years after the 2005 one, so of course there will be lots of new rooms for the group to explore!
Tessa, you'll find out about how Chris might behave during the next several chapters.
Whew, this was a long author's note. Don't worry, the rest of this chapter is really, really long! Now, on with the story! :)
The big day, September 1, had finally arrived. The sky was blue, without a single cloud in sight. An enormous crowd of people had gathered outside the factory, and the seven ticket winners stood in front of the building's magnificent iron gates along with their parents.
Antonio Ricci was wearing a light-blue T-shirt with an image of a fighter jet on it, along with matching blue shorts and sneakers. His father was dressed in a black suit, a white shirt, and a gray tie.
"Will there be any opportunities for me to jump today?" Antonio eagerly asked.
"I wouldn't count on it, son," his father replied. "Besides, you forgot your parachute at the hotel room, and it's much too late to go back."
"But I really want to show off my skills!" Antonio cried.
"Sorry, not today. It's for your own safety. Please don't be reckless."
Yuna Sayuki and her mother were wearing the same kimonos from when they were interviewed.
"I wonder if there will be any candies in there that will prevent me from getting older," Yuna said to her mother, who just nodded in response.
Mindy Bell wore her brown hair in a bun, and she was dressed in a yellow nylon shirt and shorts, white socks, and white running shoes. She was happily sucking on her record-breaking Everlasting Gobstopper while biding her time. Her mother also wore her hair in a bun, and she was wearing the exact same yellow outfit as her daughter.
"Eyes on the prize, Mindy. Eyes on the prize," she told her daughter, who nodded and stared straight ahead at the gates.
Daniel Sparkman managed to gel his short, brown hair into a barely-visible fohawk. He was wearing a shirt that he won at the video game tournament, along with faded blue jeans and black sneakers. His father was wearing red-framed glasses, a black-and-red striped golf shirt, and black jeans.
"I can't wait to see all of the technology that runs this factory," Daniel said. "Don't worry, I promise not to hack into anything during the tour."
Jenna Adams wore her bright, red hair down past her shoulders, allowing it to cascade down her back as well as over her chest. She wore a black T-shirt with Wormhole Citadel's logo on the front and tour dates on the back, along with black nylon shorts, black socks, and black Mary Janes. Her father also wore a Wormhole Citadel shirt, along with tan shorts and brown sandals.
"I can't wait to go in!" Jenna exclaimed with a wide grin on her face. "I'm so excited to see what might be hiding behind those doors. Do you think there might be a music room, Dad?"
"It could be likely," he replied. "If so, you can amaze everyone with a crazy bass solo!" Jenna smiled and flashed the sign of the horns with her right hand.
Tyler Smith wore a green T-shirt that had a picture of an angry skunk on it, along with tan shorts and black sneakers. He also wore a big, brown backpack on his back. His father wore a black suit with a fluorescent-green shirt and tie, along with a pair of well-ironed black pants, a black leather belt with a golden buckle, and shiny black shoes.
"Please don't throw any of your stink bombs while inside the factory, son," Mr. Smith told Tyler, who responded by scowling at him.
Christopher Davidson's black hair was gelled into spikes, as usual for him. He wore a red shirt that, not surprisingly, featured Wonka's logo on the front. Below it, he wore blue plaid shorts, white socks, and black running shoes with red laces. His father also had his hair gelled into spikes, and he wore a tank top with Wonka's logo on the front.
"I can't believe it," Chris said to his father. "We're actually going in!"
"Who is that kid over there?" Mindy suddenly asked, pointing to Chris. "I bet he's the one who claimed his ticket yesterday."
"He must be Wonka's biggest fan!" Antonio exclaimed. "Look at his shirt!"
"Well, I'll show him what's better than just being a fan of a chocolatier!" Tyler exclaimed as he began to unzip his backpack.
"Don't even think about it!" his dad yelled angrily. "If you throw even just one of your stink bombs at anyone today, I will take everything that belongs to you as soon as we get home!"
"We shouldn't go anywhere near Tyler during the tour, Chris," Mr. Davidson told his son. "He seems that he will cause nothing but trouble."
"I know that, Dad," Chris replied, nodding his head. As he began to look around in order to burn the image of the magnificent factory into his mind, he caught Jenna staring at him out of the corner of his eye. His stomach seemed to do a backflip and his cheeks turned bright-red.
"Is something wrong, son?" Chris' dad asked him with concern in his voice. "Why are you blushing?"
"It's nothing," Chris responded, shrugging his shoulders. "Don't worry."
Suddenly, a loud click was heard as the clock struck ten. All eyes were fixated on the enormous iron gates as they slowly began to open.
"Please enter!" A booming, smooth voice came from the speakers that were mounted on the factory's exterior walls. Everyone began to run towards the gates, and once they were inside the factory's courtyard, they stood still, unsure of what to do next.
"Come forward," the voice instructed, and all fourteen guests continued to walk further into the courtyard.
"Close the gates." The iron gates slowly began to close, and a loud clang drowned out every other sound once the gates were closed and locked.
"Dear visitors," the voice continued as everyone walked closer and closer to the factory's entrance, "it is my great pleasure to welcome you to my humble factory."
The guests arrived in front of a wall with three large doors that were positioned side by side.
"And who am I?" the voice asked dramatically as the entire wall began to split in half to reveal bright-red curtains. "Well..."
The curtains were raised, and an animatronic singing puppet show began.
Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka,
The amazing chocolatier.
Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka,
Everybody give a cheer!
Mr. Davidson grinned excitedly at his son. "Chris, this was the same song that played forty years ago when I was a kid!"
He's modest, clever, and so smart, he barely can restrain it.
With so much generosity, there is no way to contain it!
To contain it, to contain, to contain, to contain!
Most of the group just stood still, except for Jenna and her father, who were moving slightly from side to side. Chris was also tapping his foot to the beat.
Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka,
He's the one that you're about to meet.
Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka,
He's a genius who just can't be beat.
The magician and the chocolate wiz,
The best darn guy who ever lived,
Willy Wonka, here he is!
A spotlight shone down on the center of the stage, and two empty golden thrones that were cushioned with red velvet rose up from below. Suddenly, white-hot sparks flew everywhere, and the entire stage, including every one of the singing puppets, began to catch fire very rapidly. In addition, a dozen fireworks were launched in all directions from the roof of the factory, exploding in spectacular, multicolored bursts of light. The fire slowly began to die down, as did the catchy tune, and the puppets' eyes popped out of their sockets as they melted into a gooey, sizzling mess of charred plastic.
"Talk about a macabre conclusion," Antonio said under his breath just as the two famous chocolatiers swiftly walked out onto the stage amidst the flaming puppets.
Willy Wonka wore a black top hat, a wine-colored frock coat, black dress pants, and highly-polished black shoes. He wore a pair of purple latex gloves on his hands, and his violet eyes were shielded by round, tinted goggles with purple rims. In his hand, he held a long cane with a purple handle and a transparent shaft, and it was filled with candy from the Nerds room.
Charlie Bucket stood right next to Mr. Wonka. He was wearing a bright-red top hat with a wide, black brim, along with a bright-red frock coat, black dress pants, and black shoes. A darkly tinted pair of frameless glasses covered his olive-green eyes. Unlike Mr. Wonka, he was not wearing gloves, nor was he carrying a cane.
Mr. Wonka and Charlie proudly walked down the steps and stopped just a few feet in front of their guests.
"Welcome, everyone!" Mr. Wonka proudly greeted his guests, spreading his arms wide. "I see that we have some new faces here. Fourteen, to be exact! Of course, I don't think I need an introduction. I'm Willy Wonka, and this is Charlie Bucket." Charlie smiled and waved his right hand. "He was a Golden Ticket winner himself, forty years ago. I'm sure that some of the p-parents here might remember him."
"I remember seeing you on TV many years ago, Charlie," Tyler's father spoke. "I'm proud that you've been working alongside Mr. Wonka for all the time that had passed since then."
"Mr. Wonka, it's such a pleasure to meet you," Chris' dad said with a smile. "And you too, Charlie. I remember when you were just a little kid, and you were with your grandpa Joe. Am I correct?"
"You most certainly are, Mr. Davidson," Charlie replied, showing his pearly white teeth. "We're glad to have you here."
"Now, Charlie, I think we should get this tour under way," Mr. Wonka told him, but Charlie whispered something in his ear, causing him to gasp upon realizing something. "Oh yeah, I forgot something, everyone. We would like it if you could introduce yourselves. Who is going first?"
Mindy Bell was the first child to advance towards the two chocolatiers. She reached into her mouth and held her Everlasting Gobstopper in between her thumb and index finger. Mr. Wonka cringed at the sight of it.
"Mr. Wonka and Mr. Bucket," she spoke, "I'm Mindy Bell!"
"Oh," Mr. Wonka replied. "It's, uh, wonderful to meet you, I guess."
"You only guess that it's wonderful to meet the girl who broke the world record for sucking on an Everlasting Gobstopper?" Mindy replied in disgust. "You're really weird." She placed her Gobstopper back into her mouth and walked away.
Yuna was the next person to acknowledge both chocolatiers.
"I'm Yuna Sayuki," she said. "I'm pleased to meet you both."
"And I'm pleased to meet you, too," Mr. Wonka replied. "What a lovely kimono you're wearing."
"Thank you," Yuna said before walking back towards her mother.
"I'm Antonio Ricci," the next kid spoke. "Do you have any skydiving opportunities here at the factory?"
"Don't get too reckless," Charlie warned him. "I can see that you didn't bring a parachute today." Antonio shrugged and walked towards his father.
Jenna Adams was the next child to walk up to Willy and Charlie.
"Greetings," she said. "I'm Jenna Adams. Do you have any musical instruments here, preferably a bass guitar?"
"Just you wait and see!" Mr. Wonka said as he smiled at her. "You'll hear a lot of music today during our tour."
"That's what I like to hear!" she exclaimed, flashing the horns with her hand before walking back to her father.
"I'm Tyler Smith," the next person spoke with a fake smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."
"It's good to meet you, too," Mr. Wonka replied with an equally fake smile. "You'll love some of the candy-making rooms that we have inside the factory!"
After Tyler walked back towards his father, an awkward silence followed for several seconds. Charlie signaled to Mr. Wonka, who cleared his throat to address the remaining two winners. Mr. Wonka looked at Daniel Sparkman first.
"You," he said, "you must be Daniel Sparkman. You're the little devil who hacked into my Linux server." Daniel frowned at him in response.
Charlie walked towards Chris, who smiled up at him.
"Last but far from least, you must be Chris Davidson," Charlie said, shaking the boy's hand. "I am so happy to have you here as my guest. And Mr. Davidson, welcome back! I hope you enjoyed the show just as much as before, if not more!"
"It was phenomenal!" Chris' father exclaimed. "Thank you."
"Now," Mr. Wonka said, "let's get a move on, kids!" He and Charlie led everyone past the flaming puppets and into the factory.
The group entered a very long hallway with cold, gray walls, a cold, gray ceiling, and a bright-red carpeted floor. Mr. Wonka and Charlie began to lead everyone down the corridor until Tyler's father complained about how warm the temperature was inside the factory. Charlie turned around and smiled at him.
"Mr. Smith," he replied, "the factory has to be kept warm inside because our workers are used to an extremely hot climate. They just can't stand the cold!"
"Who are they?" Jenna asked. "Who are the workers, I mean?"
"All in good time," Mr. Wonka replied as the group resumed walking. While everyone journeyed down the corridor, the children were engaging in little conversations with each other.
Chris hesitantly walked up to Jenna and gently tapped her on the shoulder.
"Y-you're the bassist of Wormhole Citadel, am I correct?" Chris asked her. "I'm actually a pretty big fan of your band."
Jenna let out a nervous laugh as she looked at him.
"I am, yes," she replied, "and thank you. Do you play any instruments, Chris?"
"I play the piano and the clarinet," he replied. "I've actually written piano arrangements of some of Wormhole Citadel's songs."
"Very impressive," Jenna said, winking at him. "So, friends?"
"Friends," Chris replied, trying his best to smile decently.
"So, do you like practical jokes?" Tyler asked Daniel.
"I do," Daniel replied, "but I sure don't like yours! Seriously, you acted like a freaking maniac on TV! You're not even trying to be funny."
"Well, it's not like you did any better by hacking into Wonka's server to claim your Golden Ticket!" Tyler retorted. The two boys glared at each other for several seconds before walking back to their parents.
Before long, the corridor was getting smaller and smaller as the group approached the end. Mr. Wonka and Charlie had to crouch down as they stopped in front of a tiny door that was just one inch tall.
"Behind this door," Charlie announced, "is one of the most important rooms in the entire factory."
"We call it the Chocolate Room," Mr. Wonka said as he dug out a set of keys and inserted the smallest one into the tiny door's keyhole. He turned the handle with his thumb and index finger and gently pushed the door open, but the entire wall opened up instead. With the exception of Mr. Wonka and Charlie (who visited this room daily), everyone gasped in amazement and wonder as they feasted their eyes on the room before them.
The Chocolate Room consisted of expansive, green meadows, as well as candy apple trees, marshmallow mushrooms, a field of candy pumpkins, rock candy pavers, and lollipop trees. The centerpiece was a wide river which was filled with hot, melted chocolate. At the very back of the room, there was a ninety-foot cliff over which a sheet of liquid chocolate cascaded and tumbled before crashing down into the river.
"Now," Mr. Wonka said, "do be careful, my dear children. Don't lose your heads. Don't get overexcited. Just keep very calm."
The tour group stood still like awestruck statues, with widened eyes and hanging jaws. Mindy's Everlasting Gobstopper fell out of her mouth as she took in the sight of the room, and she hurriedly knelt down onto the grass to reclaim it for herself. After several seconds of complete silence, the group decided to follow Mr. Wonka and Charlie as they made their way towards the river.
"It's beautiful," Chris commented as the group walked across the meadow. Charlie turned around and beamed at him, knowing that he had made the exact same comment when he first laid eyes on the Chocolate Room forty years ago.
"Oh yeah, it's very beautiful," Charlie replied before the group continued to walk towards the riverbank. He smiled and pointed to the river. "Every drop of the river is hot melted chocolate of the finest quality!" He and Mr. Wonka began to lead everyone across a long, narrow bridge, and they stopped right at the halfway point so that everyone had a clear view of the nine-story chocolate waterfall. The group took the time to breathe in the luscious scent of pure cocoa that seemed to pervade every molecule of air.
"The waterfall is most important," Mr. Wonka lectured. "Mixes the chocolate, churns it up, makes it light and frothy. By the way, no other factory in the world mixes its chocolate by waterfall, my dear children." He turned around to address the group, but his violet eyes were more focused on Chris than anyone else. "And you can take that to the bank," he added.
Mr. Wonka and Charlie continued to lead the group over the bridge, and they made their way down a series of colorful stone steps that were made from rock candy.
Once everyone was safely on the other side of the bridge, Mr. Wonka pointed to a big, round door that was mostly submerged in the river. It was at least twenty feet in diameter, and the disturbance from the waterfall caused enormous waves of melted chocolate to crash against it over and over again.
"People!" Mr. Wonka exclaimed, getting everyone's attention. "You see this big door over here? Every few minutes, a powerful hydraulic system will cause this door to swing open, and thousands upon thousands of gallons of chocolate will rush through there and into the pipes which deliver it to the deepest areas of the factory. We also have a system of pipes which suck up the chocolate from the river, and they carry it away all over the factory."
"Why can't you just use one or the other?" Daniel asked. "Isn't having two systems running at the same time rather pointless? I mean, it's a huge waste of energy, for one thing—"
"Uh, I wish you wouldn't mumble," Mr. Wonka said, "because I can't hear a single word you're saying."
"The pipe that is behind that door is a passive system that relies entirely on gravity to do its work," Charlie told everyone, "so it actually saves energy since no pumping or suction is required. That pipe only transports the chocolate to the very deepest rooms, though, since most of the factory is underground. For most of the rooms, which aren't quite as deep underground, we use an elaborate network of glass pipes to transport the chocolate to the ones that require it."
"Speaking of which," Mr. Wonka announced, "one of those pipes will lower itself into the river right now."
A saucer-like contraption moved into position over the river, and a long, transparent pipe slowly descended from it like an insect's proboscis. As soon as it broke the river's surface, a whirlpool was created, and in mere seconds, the chocolate was seen flowing and bubbling inside as the pipe sucked the liquid into the saucer. After a few minutes, the pipe retracted itself back into the saucer, which transported the chocolate out of the room.
"And do you like our meadow?" Mr. Wonka asked. "The grass that you're standing on right now is called swudge! Please try a blade, please do! It's so delectable and so darn good-looking!"
Chris' eyes widened in astonishment. "You can eat the grass?" he asked.
Mr. Wonka smiled at his favorite ticket winner. "Of course you can," he responded. "Everything in this room is edible, and even I'm edible! But that is called cannibalism, my dear children, and is in fact frowned upon in most societies."
"Now, go and enjoy yourselves, everyone!" Charlie exclaimed, and he grinned as everyone rushed off in different directions to explore the Chocolate Room on their own.
It didn't take long at all for Tyler to discover the candy pumpkin field. He knelt down beside a big, red gourd, and he kicked it with just enough force to pierce a small hole in its tough skin. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a small bomb, and after setting a very short timer, he dropped it inside the candy pumpkin before running away as fast as he could. Seconds later, the bomb exploded with a muffled bang, and the pumpkin's gooey insides splattered on nearly every surface within a fifty-foot radius. Mr. Smith immediately ran towards his son.
"I told you not to set off any of your stupid bombs while inside the factory, Tyler!" he shouted. Tyler turned around and smirked at him.
"Dad," Tyler said, "Charlie told us to enjoy ourselves, and this is my way of enjoyment." He then began to walk around the area, licking the goo which had splattered on the trees and shrubs nearby.
Meanwhile, Chris found an enormous tree from which hung dozens of red toffee apples. He went to grab one with an outstretched arm, but just before his fingers could close around the fruit, someone's arm reached out and ripped it from the branch. Chris turned his head and saw that Mindy was standing beside him, clutching the apple in her right hand. She used the other hand to remove the Everlasting Gobstopper from her mouth.
"Isn't that rather unhygienic, Mindy?" Chris asked. "You've been sucking on that Gobstopper for nine years. Don't you realize how many germs are—"
"Listen," she interrupted, glaring at him. "I do wash it every night before I go to bed. You see, I broke a Guinness World Record with this Gobstopper here. You're just a pathetic loser who only thinks about Willy Wonka and nothing else."
"I am not!" he retorted. "It's no different than being a fan of a band or a sports team."
"Worshipping Mr. Wonka like a blind sheep will not get you anywhere, Chris. I work hard to be a winner, and you're just a follower. That's that." Mindy took an enormous bite out of her apple and walked away.
Yuna found a secluded area in a corner of the Chocolate Room that was full of yellow flowers. She went to pick one up, and she gasped in surprise when the petals separated from the bottom section, which turned out to be a little yellow plate. She took a sip from the petal cup, and she smiled as sweet, honey-like syrup ran down her throat.
Not far away, Antonio was blowing into a pink candy balloon, and it swelled up to nearly five feet in diameter before it popped, covering his face with a squishy, rubbery blob of pink candy.
"That was rather enjoyable," he said after he gobbled up the candy blob. "Now, if only Mr. Wonka could start making candy parachutes!"
Jenna ran towards one of the lollipop trees, and she carefully removed a small, red one from one of the lowest branches. A few seconds later, she spotted Chris slowly walking towards her.
"Hey, Jenna," Chris said shyly, "I thought you said you didn't care for candy."
"I do like candy, Chris," she replied with a smile. "It's just that I'd rather have other foods, for the most part. I could just live without it. Not that I hate it, but I don't need it, if you know what I mean." Chris nodded in response.
"Well, if you don't mind," he said, "I'll go off on my own again to explore the rest of the room."
"I'd be happy to go with you," Jenna told him. "I mean, we're friends now, and friends should stick together."
"Very well," Chris responded, and the two children began walking towards a nearby field of gummy worms.
Daniel went over to a strange-looking patch of grass near the base of the waterfall. Each individual blade seemed to be glowing, and they changed color every few seconds.
"Hey, Mr. Wonka, what's this?" Daniel asked once he was within earshot.
"Oh!" Mr. Wonka replied. "Let me show ya!" He then took out a small wireless microphone and announced with a booming voice, "Can everyone meet me over here? There's something I want you all to see."
Once everyone gathered around the spot where Daniel and Mr. Wonka were standing, Mr. Wonka began telling the group about his beloved creation.
"This is Solar Swudge," he said as he took a single blade out of the ground. "It glows in the dark, and it also changes color every few seconds. It even changes its flavor if you hold onto it long enough. For example, one of these blades might start out with a minty flavor, and thirty seconds later, it might taste like coconut or lime. It's completely random, so every single blade will taste different. Or they might taste the same! You'll never know, haha!"
"Does it do anything to you when you eat it?" Yuna inquired.
"Not necessarily," Charlie answered, "unless you're in a dark place. The Solar Swudge will cause you to glow in the dark, and just like the blades themselves, you will glow a different color every few seconds. They're perfect for glow-in-the-dark parties and nightclubs."
"Amazing!" Daniel exclaimed. "How exactly do they change color?"
"It's the result of a natural phenomenon called bioluminescence," Mr. Wonka answered, "combined with some genetic engineering, as well as a very secret ingredient. Super amazing stuff, this Solar Swudge. Now, shall we move on? I've got something else to show you."
Mr. Wonka and Charlie began leading everyone towards another area, but their forward progress was suddenly interrupted by a loud cry that echoed throughout the entire Chocolate Room.
Author's note: I really hope you enjoyed this extra-long chapter! What do you think will happen next? Feel free to comment and share your opinions! :)