Chapter 23 - The Winner
Author's note: Here it is, readers: the finale of "Where All the Bad Nuts Go"! Now, we mustn't dilly or dally, so I'll respond to your reviews right away!
Sonny April, in regards to the boat ride, that is definitely true! You'll find out what the kids saw in the Entrance Hall shortly.
VerucaBeyotch and Guest, you'll find out very soon!
XXCandyLoverXX, thank you so much for enjoying my story. You were very supportive with your reviews, and I'm glad you took the time to read and review each chapter since the beginning. They meant so much to me. Don't worry, I will not forget to mark it as Complete! Now, let's move on to the finale! :)
(Note: partial credit goes to Turrislucidus for some of the song lyrics in this chapter.)
"My son!"
"Charlie!"
"Veruca!"
"Zhere you are!"
"You did it, Vi!"
I barely had enough time to realize what was going on before I was nearly tackled by my grandpa.
"You did it, Charlie!" he congratulated, tightly wrapping his arms around me. "I'm so proud of you. I was waiting and waiting for you to find the key and figure out its true meaning."
"So you knew what was going on as well?" I asked him as he let go.
"Oh, yes I did," he replied. "We were eagerly watching you and the others on TV. You did a wonderful job, and you persevered so well when things got crazy."
I grinned at him. "Thank you, Grandpa Joe."
"Even though I wasn't with you during your search," he continued, "I really enjoyed watching you as you explored all of the different rooms. The factory sure has changed since I was last here as one of Willy Wonka's loyal employees."
"And you knew where the key, I mean ring, was all along?" I asked, and he nodded, his smile growing wider and wider.
"Yes," he answered. "I knew for a long time. Willy Wonka told us all about the mission, including what you were looking for, just after you and the others began your search. It was just a matter of watching you trying to find it. I was cheering for you the entire time!"
"You were?"
"Well, of course I was, Charlie! I knew you could do it, right from the beginning!"
"But how did you manage to stay awake for the entire night?" I inquired. "I mean, it must have been hard for you, since you always slept when you were in the bed at our house."
"I was fuelled by excitement, of course," Grandpa Joe replied. "You know how much I've been looking forward to revisiting the factory!"
"As much as I have," I said with a grin, and he tightly hugged me again for several more seconds. Just after he pulled away, Veruca walked up to us.
"Charlie, I'm sure I've said this a hundred times already," she said, "but I still can't thank you enough for saving me from the rubbish chute, and for making me realize how bad I truly was before the tour."
"Please don't put yourself down, Veruca," I told her. "Like I told you before, it was not your fault. Your parents raised you that way, so they're the ones who should take the blame."
"Exactly," Grandpa Joe replied, nodding. "When we watched you and your father on the news, I said to him, 'That man spoils his daughter, and no good can ever come from spoiling a child like that.' I'm glad to see that you have changed for the better, Veruca."
"Thank you," she said quietly, looking down at the ground. "But, what about all the meltdowns and arguments that were my fault? Surely I must..."
"Veruca, look at me," I whispered. She lifted her head up to face me, and I looked into her blue eyes before continuing. "That's just part of being a kid. Not everyone is expected to get along with each other. You, Veruca, are a good nut after all."
Just then, I began to hear the sounds of an orchestral fanfare off in the distance. We all turned and watched as an army of Oompa Loompas dressed in glittering silver outfits gathered along the riverbanks. The orchestra suddenly died down, replaced by a soft, flowing piano melody. A lone female Oompa Loompa began to sing.
One has done right, and so have four,
You found the key, but wait, there's more.
We see you've learned how to be a team,
At least we've thought that, or so it seems.
The orchestra began to swell, and then all of the Oompa Loompas in the room sang in unison.
Augustus Gloop, Augustus Gloop,
The great, big greedy nincompoop.
You shed your greed, but failed to learn,
On a frenemy, your back, never ever turn.
But as part of this sweet, sweet deal,
You took another trip on the Wonkamobile.
Did you listen close, and listen hard,
Little Violet Beauregarde?
Starting fights, arguments, that's so wrong,
You kept chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing,
Chewing, chewing all day long!
Chewing, chewing all day long,
Chewing, chewing all day long,
Chewing, chewing, chewing, chewing,
Chewing, chewing all day long!
Veruca Salt, the little brute,
Was saved by Charlie from the garbage chute.
He taught you how to be humble and small,
You're not a bad nut, after all.
Regarding little Mike Teavee,
Who helped everyone find the key,
Find the key,
Still, we very much regret that we,
Regret that we,
Shall simply have to wait and see,
And see, and see, and see,
We very much regret that we shall simply have to see
If he goes back to playing stupid games
And if he does,
It's such a shame.
But what about the one who found the key
All by himself? We watched with glee
As little Charlie found it by the door,
Therefore he's in for something more!
We're watching you all with eager eyes,
To see who truly deserves the prize!
And what is it? Oh, just you wait and see!
The Oompa Loompas began to disperse as the song gradually faded away. I never noticed that Mr. Wonka was standing right beside me until he clapped his hands in applause.
"Bravo! Well done!" he exclaimed. "This time, I'm not just saying that to the Oompa Loompas. No, I'm also acknowledging you kids as well." He walked forward and turned around to look at us. He cleared his throat before he continued. "My dear children, I have a very special announcement to make. One of you five will be the winner of a special prize that is beyond anything you can ever imagine."
"I want to know what it is!" Mike blurted rudely.
"Now, don't get overexcited!" Mr. Wonka said. "Keep very calm. Now, I must announce the winner of the prize, and that honor goes to someone who has a kind, noble heart, is willing to be a leader, and who is willing to make certain sacrifices. Charlie Bucket, it's you." I gasped in surprise and excitement as Mr. Wonka beamed at me.
"Oh my gosh!" Grandpa Joe cried. "Way to go!"
"You deserved it, Charlie!" Veruca happily exclaimed. "I'd have been covered in rubbish if it weren't for you!" She tightly hugged me for a few seconds before running back to her father.
"Mr. Wonka?" I asked. "Could you please tell me what the prize is?"
"My dear boy," Mr. Wonka replied, "You have just won something very special. The most 'something' something of any something that's ever been. Charlie Bucket, I'm gonna give you my entire factory." The entire group let out a collective gasp.
"You must be joking!" Grandpa Joe exclaimed.
"No, really," Mr. Wonka replied, trying to stay calm. "I'm dead serious! I'm not a young man by any means, you see. Someday, I will be gone, and who could I trust to run the factory when I leave? No offense to the grown-ups here, but most of them just want to do things their own way, and that would really screw up my business. Therefore, I decided that I had to find a child, since they often have endless amounts of creative potential. I sent out five Golden Tickets to allow five children to visit my factory, and the one who was the least rotten at the end would be the winner, and that's you! So, Charlie, whaddya say? Are you ready to leave everything behind and come live with me at the factory?" I tried to speak, but no words came out until several seconds of complete silence had passed.
"Will..." I finally spoke. "O-of course! Yes, for sure! Will I get to bring my family with me?"
"Of course you can, my boy," Mr. Wonka enthusiastically replied. "Bring them all! They deserve the prize as well."
"But, what about the other children? Veruca, Mike, Aug..."
"Unfortunately, they must go home," he said. "Only one person can win the prize, and they have lost. That's just how things work out sometimes."
All of a sudden, I felt emptier than I've ever been in my entire life, as if I've never eaten for weeks on end. The other four children and I had spent all of this time together as a team, learning new things about not only each other, but ourselves as well. And now all of that vanished into thin air like that Wonka bar when it was sent by television. I had longed to visit the factory for many years. My dreams came true when I found the last Golden Ticket two days ago, and now they were smashed into tiny pieces because I would never see my new friends again. They were ejected from the competition, even though I felt they could deserve another chance.
"Mr. Wonka, I am very sorry, but I will turn down your offer," I apologized solemnly. "I will not give them up for anything. Not even for all the chocolate in the world." As soon as I said that, I noticed one single tear rolling down Veruca's cheek. "I will only accept on one condition: we must all share the prize. Everybody here has great potential within themselves. They just need to find it and use it."
Everyone gasped in wonder except for Mr. Wonka, who sprinted towards me and furiously shook my hand.
"Oh, my dear boy," he said excitedly, "you have won! You passed the test!"
"What test?" I asked him, confused.
Mr. Wonka smiled at me, revealing his perfect, white teeth. "Remember what I said before, Charlie? I said that I wanted someone who is willing to make certain sacrifices, and that's you. I wanted to test you to make sure that you weren't just being nice to impress me and everyone else, but to show such a level of leadership, honesty, and compassion that you were willing to give up the grand prize to help other people. I already decided that everybody should stay, because they all deserve a second chance. Congratulations, Charlie! You did it! Well done!"
Everyone jumped and cheered, and they completely surrounded me in a gigantic group hug. There was a twinkle in Mr. Wonka's violet eyes, and I could tell that he was feeling happier than he had ever been in his entire life.
"Now, everyone," Mr. Wonka said as everyone let go of me, "it's time to say goodbye, but only for now! Charlie and Joe, you can stay here with me. As for the rest of you, I'll see you back here in a little while!"
"Daddy," I heard Veruca say as everyone else proceeded to leave the factory via the Entrance Hall, "I want two chocolate chess boards. Oh, and one for Charlie, too."
~Four months later~
Since I moved in to the factory with my family, the place had undergone several major changes. The Oompa Loompas built an exact replica of our house in the Chocolate Room, although with a few subtle changes. The makeshift stairs that led to my room were replaced by a structurally-sound wooden spiral staircase. Everything in the house, from the TV to the dining room table, had been upgraded to the latest and greatest versions. The Wonka bar wrappers that were nailed to the wall of my old room were intact, although many, many more wrappers began to populate the wall since my first day of living in the factory.
Before the Salt, Gloop, Teavee, and Beauregarde families moved in, an enormous underground village was built that consisted of narrow streets and little shops, along with perfect replicas of their homes, right down to every last knickknack. Violet brought all of her trophies and medals to her newly-reconstructed house, Veruca kept every one of her pets, and Mike's parents moved the video games to the Television Chocolate Room. (The camera turned itself off whenever Mike entered the room to avoid repeating the disaster that had previously occurred.)
Augustus worked as a taste-tester in the factory's main taste-testing lab, and he was the first person to sample Mr. Wonka's latest candies before he allowed them to proceed to the production line. He got to eat all the food he wanted, although he also had to eat vegetables and fruit, along with meat and grains.
After some negotiating, the Salt family merged their business with Mr. Wonka's, and Rupert Salt's workers found jobs in the department where the nuts are packaged into boxes before heading off to the trucks that were parked inside the loading bays.
Mike and Violet worked together as a duo in the Inventing Room. Violet received new candy suggestions from people around the world, and after she picked the best ideas, she designed and created the prototypes for each candy. Mike was in charge of designing, building, and programming the machines that would manufacture these candies.
Mike, who had returned back to his normal height, still played video games and watched television in his spare time, but Violet also got him to be more physically active. Before long, he and Violet were engaging in full-fledged karate competitions with each other. When Violet was not with him (which was very rare), she took trips to each of the gum rooms. Speaking of gum, she was still chewing her record-breaking piece, which was now seven months old.
As for me, I was the pupil of none other than Willy Wonka himself. He spent the majority of his time as my mentor, and I was on my way to becoming the new CEO of the Wonka Candy Company. My family was happier than they had ever been. My dad got a better job at the toothpaste factory, repairing the machine that had replaced him. For the first time in many, many years, my entire family ate full-sized, wholesome meals every day.
When I wasn't spending time with Mr. Wonka or my own family, I was with Veruca and her father, and I gained business skills from them as well. Of course, I also formed stronger friendships with Mike, Violet, and Augustus, along with their families, and I visited them often to see how they were doing.
Our lives were the best that they had ever been. Creativity, imagination, laughter, and even the occasional argument here and there became the new lifeblood of the chocolate factory that had always been a major part of my life. Even amongst all of the daily surprises, one thing was absolutely certain: life had never been sweeter.
Author's note: That's my story! Thanks for staying along for the ride, everyone. This story has been four months, two weeks, and one day in the making, and I truly did have a lot of fun while writing it. I can't even believe I made it to this point! Whew, now I can relax. Now, time for an important question: how would you guys feel about a sequel for this story? Please feel free to voice your opinions, and if you have any plot ideas in mind, shoot 'em my way! Don't be shy!
I also thought I should tell you a bit about how this story came to be. Believe it or not, this was originally supposed to be a simple oneshot about Charlie failing to save Veruca, and he would have gone down the garbage chute along with her. That was before I started writing, however. Once I did begin writing the first chapter, I sort of had an idea in mind that they should check out some other areas of the factory (although XXCandyLoverXX's idea about the obstacle course was rather compelling, too). Of course, my ideas have evolved since then, and it was while writing the third chapter that I came up with a legitimate plot line. I had a lot of fun reading your suggestions and using my imagination to describe each of the rooms where the factory produces all of the different varieties of candies. Some of them were real-life Wonka candies. Others were from the book and both films, from your suggestions, and from my own pure imagination.
As for what's coming next, I will be working on "Roy and the Chocolate Factory", and my next two stories are "Violet and the Chocolate Factory" and "War of the Wonkas", the latter of which will be about the 2005 and 1971 Wonkas criticizing each others' factories. Once I'm done with those, I'll get on with a possible sequel or start something else if any ideas come to my mind by that time. Thank you so much for reading, everyone, and I'll be back soon with the 2nd chapter of "Roy and the Chocolate Factory"! :D
(Note: from this point on, all reviews will be responded to via Private Messaging. As for my guest reviewers, I can assure you that I took my time to read them.)