Chapter Three

We walked on through a hallway into what looked like a cloakroom. There were hooks shaped like hands on the opposite wall and a little platform with a huge contract thingy hanging above it. The writing got so small that by the time you read to the bottom, it was impossible to comprehend. There were feather quills resting in cups near it.

We were told to hang our coats on the hooks. I nonchalantly hung my blazer on a hook and gasped as the "hand" hook grabbed it. There were several screams.

"There are surprises around every corner but nothing dangerous!" Mr. Wonka hurriedly assured us. Nobody really seemed sure of this.

"Now everyone gather round here. Just a little contract, not responsible for any accidents, etc. etc."

"A contract!" Mr. Beauregarde exclaimed, "Listen mister, I know all about contracts being a car salesman and I don't sign anything I can't read!"

"Who would like to be first?" Mr. Wonka went on, as is he hadn't heard him.

"I'll go first!" Veruca stepped up.

"Now Veruca, sweetheart, I really don't think-

"I'm going to sign it and don't you dare stop me!" she spun around and shouted at her father. I raised my eyebrows.

"Now that's a girl who knows where she's going," Mr. Wonka commented. We filed in a line and each signed.

"Now, onward! We have so much time and so little to do!" Mr. Wonka exclaimed. We stared blankly at him, "Sorry, strike that. Switch it."

He led us down another hallway and through a door to a strange room. It was long and narrow and the walls, floor and ceiling were zebra-print. We could barely fit in all together. Chaos erupted.

"Hey, where's the other door?"

"Somebody's touching me!"

"What is this, some type of fun house?"

"Why, are you having fun?" Mr. Wonka turned.

"Where's the other door, Mr. Wonka?" someone asked.

"Well, I'm sure there must be a door somewhere!" Mr. Wonka said, puzzled over the shouting. I was pushed into Mell and she bumped into Mike tripping over Sara.

"Hey!"

"Ah, here's the door!" Mr. Wonka pushed through and grabbed the handle.

"What are ya talking about Wonka?" Mr. Beauregarde said.

"Yeah, we just came through there!" Mr. Salt protested.

"Really? Are you sure?" Mr. Wonka pushed the door open and there was a different hallway. It was longer and there were several doors on each side. There was a chorus of gasps and "ohh's" and "ahh's."

"Come on, Violet, we're getting out of here!" Mr. Beauregarde said.

"Oh, you can't go back," Mr. Wonka walked forward a little, "You have to go forwards to go backwards."

Confused, we slowly wandered down the hallway following Mr. Wonka.

"Hey, the hall's getting smaller!" someone exclaimed.

"No it's not, he's getting bigger!" someone else answered.

It did look as if the hallway was getting smaller...or he was getting bigger.well, either or, he stopped, ducking under the ceiling and pushed a button somewhere on the door at the end of the hallway. We all ducked in around him, watching anxiously. A little keyboard flipped out from the door. I looked around, as there were several gasps.

"Musical lock," he explained as Mr. Wonka put his fingers to the keys and played a little tune.

"Rachmaninoff," Mrs. TeeVee murmured, smiling. I grinned in her direction. I liked this lady. Mike shifted impatiently behind me.

"Beyond this door is the main area of the factory. Everything inside is eatable-I mean edible. I mean you can eat everything inside! At least I think you can.almost everything." He smiled at us, "You're going to like this. I know you will. Ladies and gentlemen.(he slowly opened the door).the Chocolate Room," he finished in a whisper.

We walked warily through the door and all of a sudden, music started playing from out of nowhere. I gave an incredulous look to Mell who was standing next to me. She raised her eyebrows.

As the music gradually grew louder, I gaped open-mouthed at the room we had just entered. It was like a little park made out of candy. No, it was like Heaven on Earth. There was a giant waterfall in one corner that splashed into what looked like a chocolate pool. I shook out of my reverie when Mr. Wonka started singing.

"Come with me and you'll be, In a world of pure imagination."

I gasped with delight. Cool! I mouthed to Mike. He grinned with excitement. The group pushed forward to try and get past Mr. Wonka to the mouth- watering treats, but he wouldn't let us.

"We'll begin with a spin, Traveling in a world of my creation, What we'll see will defy.explanation."

I bounced on the balls of my feet. We've never been in a musical adventure before. I looked over at Mell and she was singing along.

"Guess ya didn't need Rivers on this trip," I hissed at her.

"Huh?"

"Your CD player!"

She giggled, "Oh yeah! I was actually listening to him before we left. I don't think I ever turned him off."

I laughed and bumped into Veruca in front of me. She turned around and gave us a look. Mell stuck her tongue out. I silenced them both and told them to listen.

"This is my favorite part!"

"If you want to view paradise, Simply look around and view it. Anything you want to, do it. Want to change to the world? There's nothing to it."

I sighed with satisfaction. The music changed and Mr. Wonka turned around, smiled at us and slowly bowed. Everyone ran past him as if it were a race. Having not eaten since the candy bar yesterday, I pushed Veruca out of the way and made my way to a tree that rained Skittles or something. I jumped up, waving my arms, trying to knock them down. Mike walked past me and raised an arm casually. The branch bent down and a whole bunch of Skittles came raining down.

"Thanks!" I yelled to him. He raised his arm again in "your welcome" as he sat by a huge pumpkin thing that was filled to the brim with chocolate. As I picked out the red ones, I listened to the "background" music. It was so cool. It really was like a movie. I sat in the artificial grass and watched everyone scramble around.

Mr. Beauregarde was biting through a huge Twizzler. Veruca was helping Mike finish off the chocolate pumpkin thing. Mell and Sara were fighting over a giant lollipop as big as Mike. Violet was off in the corner chewing something. Mrs. TeeVee was licking her fingers and Charlie and his grandpa were sharing the other giant lollipop. Mr. Wonka was still singing, watching everyone with a pleasant look on his face. He sat down and drank tea out of a buttercup.

"If you want to view paradise, Simply look around and view it. Anything you want to, do it. Want to change the world? There's nothing to it."

I smiled, thinking it was paradise.that is, if I didn't go home fat.

"All right everyone, gather over here!" Mr. Wonka beckoned everyone towards the chocolate river.