Part 2:
Aw Nuts!

After jotting down his candy idea on a piece of paper and stashing it in his pocket, he got off the bus, having noticed the rain had stopped. Walking down the streets full of people made him agrivated. They were always brushing against him, bumping into him, and... he hated it... touching him! Gah! Physical contact was not one of the services he offered, and loathed it when people expected it from him. What ever happened to admiring someone from a distance?

As he wandered around, not really having a clear idea of where he wanted to go, something caught his eye. Two big black eyes staring at him through a window, a furry face, and floppy ears. He couldn't help but smile. Only a crazy person wouldn't smile at a puppy, and he was not crazy... in his mind anyway. Chuckling a little, he gave in to temptation and stepped into the pet shop to go see this little puppy up close. It yipped at him, its little pink tongue hanging out, a sort of smile on its face.

He reached out hesitantly and scratched it behind the ears, his smile growing as the puppy looked up at him in content. It was so darn cute! Part of him wanted to take it home with him, but he knew a chocolate factory was no place for a dog. Besides, didn't chocolate kill dogs? It was a disgusting thought, being the world's largest chocolaholic, but one that made him wonder, none the less.

"Can I help you, sir?" asked a voice. He turned around and a young woman with brown curly hair, eyes that seemed to be narrow with suspicion naturally, and a tad too much perfume, reminding him of his aunt who would nearly suffocate him with it whenever she would hug him... well, that and the fact that she was over two hundred pounds (it still gave him nightmares...)

"Uh, no," he said quickly, becoming frightened by the memories this woman's horrifying perfume was triggering. "I was just looking. Cute little guy... isn't he?" He made no eye contact with the woman who nodded.

"Normally we don't carry mixed breeds, but since children can't seem to afford the real deal now-a-days, I have to carry the cheap ones." She said this last part as if something smelled terrible nearby. She was everything but friendly. She would make a good IRS agent, he thought to himself.

"Actually, I don't think you have what I'm looking for anyway," he lied, trying to think of a way to make a clean getaway.

"Sir, we carry everything. What are you looking for?"

"Er... squirrels!" That was a flat out lie. In fact, the other day he found out by mistake that not all the squirrels were male. The result, 500 new squirrels, ready to work. Helpful, perhaps, but a little irritating with the constant squeaking.

"Squirrels?" she asked, eyes actually widening a little.

"Yeah... squirrels. Unless... you have them?"

"No!" she said a little quickly. "We carry everything BUT squirrels."

"Oh, I see. Well, that's a pity than isn't it? I guess I'll be going then..."

"Even if we did carry them, I highly doubt you'd find them trained." At this he froze and looked at her.

"What did you say?"

"I said I doubt you'd find them trained, Mr. Wonka."

He stood perfectly still, trying to think of what to do or say. Should he run? Hide? Sic an attack oompa-loompa on her? "You... know me?" he asked at length.

"Five years of therapy... Mr. Wonka," she said in a dark voice. "You caused me five years of therapy, and they still don't believe that I was attacked by trained squirrels! I was the laughing stalk of my family! And do you know what happened next!" She was in his face now, and he tightened his grip on his cane, hoping he wouldn't have to use it.

"You got better?" he offered hopefully in a very high voice.

"No! I end up having to move down here changing my name from Veruca Salt to Seruca Valt, and now I live in... an apartment! An apartment! I hope you're happy!"

Perhaps you should go back to therapy, he almost said, taking advantage of the awkward silence to step away a few inches. "My dear woman, I apologize for any... problems you went through... but it would help us both a little if you'd blink." Her eyes had been boring into him, and if she were superman, lasers would have shot out and fried him into oblivion.

"If I hadn't gotten my identity changed, I'd sue you for every penny you have!"

"Well, that's just a shame then. Good luck with that." He turned and literally fled from the place, being followed by a shout of, "I'M NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET!"

For a moment, he was certain he wouldn't get away alive, but he did and took a moment to catch his breath. "Never... leave... the factory again!" he panted, waiting till he was able to shake it off.