(Matilda's POV)
We travel down numerous pathways, being careful to check around corners, in case he's stationed Oompa Loompas to be on the lookout for me.
"This place is enormous," I remark as we turn our umpteenth corner.
"How did he build this entire thing?"
"I doubt he built it himself," Alfie exclaims.
"Unless he's magic," Billie adds.
"Inconceivable. Magic can't exist."
"But a giant factory can?"
"Touche."
All of a sudden, we hear a yell of distress coming from inside one of the rooms. We peek inside to see a rather enormous boy trapped in a tall vat of chocoate.
"Help! Help!" he yells in an accent which I assume to be either Austrian or German.
The six of us bust inside.
"What happened?" I exclaim, having to stand on my tiptoes to even see a bit of him up close. My nose peeks over the edge.
"I vas sucked up into Vonka's chocolate pipe."
"But how?"
"I fell into der chocolate river."
"Must've been trying to gulp it all down," James remarks.
I give him a small flick.
"What was that for?"
"For being a dodo."
I turn back to the boy.
"What can we do?"
"You must help me out!" he exclaims.
"Vonka said if I'm not pulled out in time, I vill be poured into das boiler."
He points below. We rush over and peek at a vat of boiling chocolate. We can feel the heat from where we stand and we know this boy is in serious trouble. I turn back around to him.
"All for wanting chocolate?" I ask out of pity.
"I can't help it," he moans.
"Vodka's chocolate tastes like der Himmel. I eat it by der truckload."
Immediately I look around to see if there's anyway we can get him out easily. Soon I spy a small manual crank by the pot.
"Maybe this will work."
I begin to turn it only to see that it tilts the vat towards the boiler. I try turning it the other way only to see that it's blocked off by a small brown brick of…
I investigate the block when the familiar aroma hits me.
"Chocolate?"
I try to pry it off, but to no avail. All of a sudden, Sophie hops up beside me and begins to gnaw at the block. The others join in and the block begins to diminish.
They're almost finished when suddenly—
BANG!
The door flies open and in step two Oompa Loompas.
"Aha!" one of them yells.
"What are you doing down here?" asks the other sternly.
"You're supposed to be in the conversion lab and those squirrels are supposed to be in the Nut Room."
"What are YOU doing here?" I ask them.
"We came to pour this new batch into the boiler," remarks the first.
"Don't you realize there's a child inside?"
"Yes."
A pit forms in my stomach before setting itself ablaze. Almost immediately, they charge at me and I kick them back. They bounce back several more times and I find that my feet are beginning to tire out.
"Please hurry up!" I exclaim to the squirrels.
"I can't hold them off much longer."
They begin to charge back for what seems like the 100th time when Dani finally bites away at the last bit. I turn the handle counter-clockwise and the boy rushes out, covered in the sticky chocolate. The five squirrels launch themselves at the Oompa Loompas and tear at their faces. They try to throw them off, but suddenly, the boy throws a fist out at one of them, knocking the wind out of them. I proceed to do the same to the other, hitting it on the noggin for good measure.
"Are they….?" the boy asks, panting.
I check their pulses and shake my head. We rush out into the hallway and run a good distance before we speak.
"Danke Schon! You saved my life. I am Augustus Gloop."
"Pleasure. Matilda Prescott."
"Dani Williams."
"Sophie Springer."
"Billie Smith."
"Alfie Nelson."
"James Adams."
"Vat are you all doing here?"
"We'd ask you the same question," I remark.
"If it hadn't already been in the paper."
"Well, believe it or not, we were kids," Sophie says, gesturing to the other four.
"But we were lured in here and turned into squirrels."
"Und you?" he asks me.
I huff out a quick breath.
"I was lured in here too, but Wonka wants to make me his daughter."
"His daughter?" he asks incredulously.
"I'm shocked too," I add.
"Something about creativity and IQ."
"Vhy don't you leave then?"
"Do you really think I'll be able to find my way out of here?" I scoff.
"And besides, he's probably got Oompa Loompas positioned everywhere. They probably all know that I got out of that conversion lab."
"Vat vere they converting you to?"
"I don't think I want to find out," I shiver.
"Anyways, we're on our way to find Wonka's secret lab. That should have the antidote for these guys."
"Can I come too?" Augustus asks.
"Perhaps I might be able to find some new candies of his in das lab. Plus I could help protect you from being converted."
I consider this for a moment. I glance at the others, who give me a shrug, as if to say "Eh. Why not?"
"Sure," I shrug.
"Just so long as you can keep up with us," James grumbles.
I give him another flick.
"Ow! Stop it!"
"I'll stop it when you stop being a dodo. Now let's go!"