There were two beautiful songs in which inspired me to write this chapter. The beginning is inspired by 'Life on Mars?' by David Bowie. The second part (if you can understand where the second part begins) is written in commemoration of Sigur Ross' 'Staralfur'. Please listen to both of these songs! They're beautiful pieces of art!

Beta by: Zalexiya

Spectre Dancing in the Courtyard

One bleak snowy eve, Charlie Bucket sat on his bed, gazing out to the wonderful chocolate room through the hole in the ceiling. Though the season was of early spring, he felt like having the confection snow fall all year round, for winter was his favorite time of year.

As we had begun our story, Charlie was staring out his 'window' still pondering the happenings in the sub-inventing room that were going on for two months now. Every time he would ask Mr. Wonka, he would seem distracted and try to change the topic. When trying to sneak a peek himself, the Oompa Loompas would try to avert his attention elsewhere or flat out block his way. Perhaps it was a big surprise for him, or just a personal project of Mr. Wonka's.

Today he didn't even see Mr. Wonka, and it seemed the Oompa Loompas were skipping their chores as well. Before leaving for school that morning, he quietly snuck into the sub-inventing room (something he found very odd) to find it entirely empty. Mr. Wonka didn't come to dinner either, which raised eyebrows.

"I wonder where he could be," Charlie said more to himself than his mother. "It's not like him to be late for supper." His mother was busy setting the table as his father was reading a book and his grandparents were gossiping to themselves (Grandma Georgina muttering something about overcoats). He put away his homework as his mother finished her work and bade everyone over to the table to eat.

"He's probably very busy today Charlie. Don't worry yourself over it." His father spoke reassuring words, but no one was convinced. Mr. Wonka had never missed dinner before. Curiosity was building up inside of him and he was about to explode. Whatever was going on, it infuriated him to no end.

But his thoughts vanished as a white figure walked slowly across the snow laden courtyard of his home.

He leaned on the 'sill' to get a better look at who it was. The figure's walk was more like gliding; similar to a ghost. The hairs on the back of his neck rose to the fullest extent as he watched the form glide slowly closer to his home. When closer he saw it wasn't Mr. Wonka or an Oompa Loompa, but a girl. She wore a pastel pink dress that fell to the ground and billowed in her wake. Her dark red hair collected fallen snowflakes as she walked, almost forming a crown or halo for her.

He turned around looking down at his mother and father who were both sleeping soundly, and his grandparents, all of whom were also asleep, letting out a loud snore every now and then. He brought his gaze back at the girl who was now looking every which way with a mixture of interest and excitement. After a few moments of this, she let out sparkling laugh as she twirled and danced around the trees and through the snow.

Her movements brought him back to a past memory he had on a school fieldtrip. His class had gone to see an upcoming ballet at the St. Gabrielle's Le Opera Populaire, a newly opened opera house, run by an elderly French woman. This ghost of a girl moved like the dancers of the ballet; silent on her feet and barely leaving a trace behind except her little laugh. It was enchanting to the eyes to watch this spectre dancing in the courtyard, showing no acknowledgement that his house existed. She fell gracefully to the snowy grass from a one of her spins, closing her eyes and laughing all the merrier. Upon opening them, she caught Charlie's intent eyes, freezing the breath in his lungs.

They both sat there staring at one another in a comfortable silence for what felt like eternity. Such dark happy little eyes, he thought; for a split second he had a suspicion she was thinking the same. She broke the stillness by giving him a Cheshire-like smile, filled with pearly little teeth. He smiled back and waved timidly at her. Their moment did not last long for she glanced over her shoulder at something in the distance. He squinted to see what it was through the snow, but fell upon darkness. She looked back at him with wide eyes, reminding him of a deer in the forest, startled by a rustling in the bushes near by. Before he could blink, she sprung up from where she sat and quickly glided off into the swirls of white powder.

He jumped off the bed and ran to the front door, swinging it open and running outside. He stood where she was sitting mere seconds ago. She had vanished as if not even there.

Caramel's little adventure tour stopped at nothing short of whimsical inspiration. She was married to a genius! The T.V. room, the cotton candy dome, Fudge Mountain; it was too much to take in for one day. At one point she even began to feel lightheaded from the excitement and asked if they could stop to rest a bit, in which with a snap of his fingers, two chairs, a small table and meals (one consisting of roast beef, sweet potato, and peas; the other, a chocolate T-bone steak, white chocolate mashed potato drenched in caramel, and red gummy cranberry sauce) were brought to them by several Oompa Loompas. He saw her look at the plate questioningly then up at him.

He smiled and quickly stated, "Since your entire digesting system is made of candy, we can't take a chance on you eating real food just yet." She looked back from her plate to his and really didn't see any problem with this. "But once we get my gum ready, you'll be chewing a three course meal in no time!"

They both ate quietly, Caramel still reflecting on what she had seen previously, Mr. Wonka merely thinking of what else he had to show her. So much to do with so little time! He glanced up at her from his plate. She seemed full in many more ways than one.

"Feeling better?" he asked her without the smallest hint of worry. Fortunately she didn't notice it. She looked up at him as well and politely smiled.

"Yes, I do. But could we put this off until another day? I've seen so much already, it's really hard to take in all at once…I hope you understand." She looked back down at her plate shyly. Not much of a talker, he thought, but grinned anyway. No, he did not really understand her; who wouldn't want to see his entire factory all in one day? But it was getting late and he himself needed to catch up on what he may have missed. Agreeing to her request, he took her to a guest bedroom where she would be sleeping; just for the time being, of course.

He waited outside the bathroom for her to change into something a bit more comfortable. After five minutes or so, he began to realize how hard it may have been for her to undress, seeing as she had never done it before in her life. But, alas! She re-entered the room, with only the pink dress slip on. Her hair was a bit disheveled, and was blushing a bit more than normal, but she smiled to him all the same.

Willy leaned on his cane smiled at her as she jumped into bed, but did not go under the sheets. Instead, she crawled on her knees to the end of the bed and stopped a mere foot from him. Her hands were clamped together in front of her and they both looked down at the floor, perhaps a bit embarrassed. She looked up at his face. His eyes averted hers, until she said, "Willy?" He quick glanced up with wide eyes.

"Yeah?" he said softly. Her face was quickly turning the same shade of red as her hair.

"Thank you, for everything," she almost whispered before leaning and giving him a kiss on the cheek. He tensed at her movement but did not stop her. With his neck tight, he strained to smile and bid her a good night before leaving her at the end of the bed to stare at the large Auburn door he left through. Her bedroom walls were a soft yellow and the bed and furniture the same dark Auburn color as the door. Her bed was adorned with dark royal purple sheets and a golden canopy. She crept under the sheets in wonderment before falling into a sleep filled with the sweetest dreams children could ever wish for.

He sat pondering next to the fire once more. This girl was odd. He loved her to no extent of course, but the affection she showed wasn't what he thought it would be. Perhaps what he thought of marriage wasn't the same as her views. Maybe he had the wrong idea about marriage. What was marriage? His thoughts swirled and he closed his eyes to focus on one thing at a time. When reopening them he realized he didn't show her the two rooms he wanted to show her the most. The two rooms that would bedazzle her beyond anything else in this world! It would give him more time to be around her; get more acclimated to her personality. He stood up and left the room, excited about what he would be showing her very soon.

It hadn't been long that she was asleep when a soft something lightly touched her cheek. Even for the gentle touch, she woke with a start, looking wide eyed at the chocolatier in front of her.

"I forgot to show you something!" he whispered to her. She propped herself up tiredly and looked at him through narrow eyes. "Get dressed quick! You need to see this immediately! It can't wait for any other day!" Her pink dress landed on her head, covering her groggy bewilderment. She did as he told her and dressed as hastily as anyone could dress a second time in their life.

When out in the hall she followed behind him hurriedly. This really could not wait! When reaching a doorway, he looked back to her and smiled. "Now, I don't want you to get too over excited." By this time, she was wide awake and prepared for anything. He opened the door which swung slowly open to reveal a breath taking sight. It wasn't a forest but it wasn't a meadow or plain or anything describable. The grass was green, the trees were filled with vivid colors, and a chocolate waterfall fell at the edge of the room into the pool below. Only one light high above shed light through the room; snow (no, it's sugar, she thought tasting the powder that fell to her lips) lay in splotched patches all over the ground.

"Like I said, don't get crazy." He looked around as much as she did. She walked out to a clearing where the light shown the brightest. She tried to take it all in. It was a peaceful room; a very happy room. A giggle escaped her mouth.

She spun around the trees, kicked high into the air, jumped with glee and twirled around with outstretched arms. This was the happiest time of her life! With so much enthusiasm in one of her spins she finally fell to the floor in a fit of laughter. She turned her eyes upon a small run-down house in the middle of the clearing; she hadn't noticed this peculiar house before. It was so out of place, leaning to one side, threatening to collapse. But, what really caught her eye was a boy. He sat looking down at her from the hole in the roof. He fascinated her immensely with his mousy brown hair and freckled face. And what dark happy little eyes! His presence made her smile broadly, and to her pleasure he even smiled back…and waved! She was just about to wave back when a small 'pssst' was emitted behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Willy standing I the shadows, gesturing for her return eagerly. She turned back to the boy for one last look.

He stood watching her from afar, afraid to be in sight of the house. He knew he missed dinner that night with the Buckets, and was a bit anxious to be meeting Charlie the following day. As he watched Caramel glide towards him (her walking was improving drastically). A vice gripped his heart as he watched her closing the gap. He greeted her by scooping her up into his arms and twirling her above his head. She let out a loud laugh and brought her back down to the ground. For the first time she was alive he wanted to kiss her. But, he didn't. He restrained himself for a reason unknown. Perhaps this isn't the time, he thought, as he led her out of the chocolate room and onto the best surprise of all.

It was like a small theatre room with viewing seats set in the back and plenty of open space to walk around. One wall was replaced by a tank, but there was no glass, or fish or really anything for that matter. A railing lined the large balcony-like floor jutting into the tank. If you were to look down when standing at the edge, you would see nothing below the small platform supporting you.

He stood, both hands on his cane, looking out to the empty mass before him. It held a deep purple glow, like the morning sky, hours before the sun rises. She stepped beside him, leaning on the railing with both hands.

A blue glow danced across both their pale faces like that of lights reflecting off the surface of still water. It puzzled her a bit where this glow came from, but she shrugged it off, still transfixed on the great mass before her.

Now as many silly questions are asked a day, this will be one of them. You know that feeling you get when you are in the dark, but know you are close to an object even when you can't see it? Well, she didn't have this feeling one bit; in fact it felt as open if not more than the previous room he had taken her to. It was never ending (like a little piece of outer space), a bit intimidating, and mesmerizing all at the same time. Tranquility filled every inch of the body and soul when entering this room. It was so hard for her to find words.

Neither of them broke their mesmerized stares as little dots of light began appearing in front of them. Were they far off or just very small specks of light? She couldn't answer, but watched them forming constellations in the sky. Slowly they grew into jellyfish, each one a different unique color and size. Some were as deep violet as Mr. Wonka's eyes, others as rich a red as Ms. Carlotta's, while others carried blues and pinks and oranges of extraordinary hues. No matter the color, the jellyfish rippled in the same blue light as Willy and Caramel.

One the color of cotton candy pink wandered from its group, straying closer to the two adult's faces. She stretched out a hand to feel it, but hesitated a second before touching its soft squishy form. It rippled like water from where she touched it and floated away. Willy merely watched her with interest. Their arms almost touched one another's. She drew back her hand, and touched it with her other.

She couldn't feel the jellyfish.

Her tranquil and awed mood dropped as depressingly as her chin to her chest. Mr. Wonka saw her lower her hand back to the railing, but looked beyond it. He nudged her softly with his arm. She looked up just in time to give a loud gasp. Inches from her face, a huge humpback whale arose from nowhere, as if trying to breach an invisible surface. It's grayish-green body shimmered like the jellyfish, but with so much more beauty! A concussion went through her body as the beast gave a bellowing wail, leaving an odd sensation running up and down her arms and back of her neck. She finally found her voice.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered to no one. Tears were welling up in their ducts, threatening to spill. It was so beautiful…

"I thought to myself one day, why have your jellies and gummies loose their shapes from being weighted down if you can simply raise them up?" he gestured a raising motion with his hands. She wasn't paying attention as her eyes were still focused on the behemoth whale leisurely spiraling through the air in front of them. "The gummy fish should be around here somewhere—ah! There they are," he pointed to a school of red and white Swedish fish that whizzed past in a comical manner. She lightly chuckled at this. Then she asked the oddest question.

"Why did you bring me here?" Her voice was still a whisper, but she directed it to Wonka this time.

"To know if you were happy here of course," he stated with his ever-boyish air. "You are happy here, aren't you?" He became very serious with these last words. She didn't break her gaze from the whale, still singing it's melancholy tune. "I mean, I would feel very bad if I made you and you didn't like living here." His childish tone came back to his voice. She fixed her eyes upon his lavender ones.

"For everything you have shown me today, and everything you will be showing me in the future, if I didn't enjoy being here, there would be something very wrong with me," she looked into his eyes just as serious as he was. There was a moment of silence until Willy gave a small laugh. She couldn't help but smile and laugh along with him.

As their laughter faded, they gazed into each other's eyes lovingly. Before he knew it, he took her hands in his and bent his head, giving her a kiss.

That's how the hiding Charlie saw them. Their silhouettes connected by both lips and hands behind a dark background, lit up by masses of floating jellyfish and the mammoth whale gliding through space like an wingless angel.

A/N: I think the quote about Endorphins in Chocolate giving you the sensation of being in love is quite true! Because I had a double chocolate chip brownie before writing this, and felt really giddy an hour or so after. I wrote the first part of this chapter during that time.

For those who did listen to the songs may have figured out the title is one line of lyrics from 'Life on Mars?' that I rewrote to fit this chapter! And that if anyone has seen the movie Life Aquatic (go see it now! I command you!) 'Staralfur' was the Jaguar Shark theme song.

Thank you to BrokenSong (I'm glad my story made you feel a little better, and can't wait till you update your story!), Freddylover5, No One Mourns the Wicked, Melantha Nocturne, Spooky's Angel, Faerie in Combat Boots, and Turtle Sister