Author's note: The show goes on…
2. Desperation
Mike's scream resonated around the shocked group before Violet dashed off down the tunnel at a pace that would have made cheetahs look like little old ladies with huge bags of shopping.
"Violet! No!" Veruca yelled.
But Violet kept running, shouting Mike's name.
"HELP!" Mike shouted back in reply.
Violet stopped dead, "Where are you?"
"Down here," Mike said, his voice sounding strained, like he was putting great effort into something. Violet looked down to see he was actually putting great effort into clinging to a cliff-face to stop himself from falling down a dark pit. Violet shuffled back slowly when she realised she'd stopped barely an inch from the pit's edge.
"Too damn dark," she muttered as she made her way backwards.
"OW!" Mike cried as the ledge he was gripping gave way and he sank his fingers into the walls of the pit, "Damn chocolate…"
"Don't worry, I'll get you out!" Violet called from above him, throwing herself to the ground and edging further towards him. She peered over to see his fingers slipping dangerously from the rapidly melting chocolate. She thrust her arm down and grabbed his wrist just as he fell away from the wall.
"Jesus!" Mike exclaimed as he swung ominously over the dark pit, gradually making his way up as Violet pulled his arm.
Violet pulled for all she was worth, digging her shoes into the ground behind her and dragging the pair of them out. She felt Mike slip from her grasp and threw down her other arm to grab him.
"Uh oh."
Mike looked panicked at her sudden exclamation. Violet's tracksuit smeared with chocolate as her feet unstuck from the chocolate ground and she slid forward. No matter how much Mike clawed with his free hand at the wall, neither he nor Violet could prevent them toppling over into the pit. They tightened their grasps on each other and braced themselves for what could easily be a never-ending fall. It never came. They just jerked to a stop and Violet found herself hanging upside-down, a great weight around her ankles.
"Charlie!" Mike cried upon looking up. Charlie didn't respond; he was too busy struggling to stop Violet falling any further. He was too weedy to withstand their combined weights, however, and it wasn't long before the trio found themselves slipping again.
"Veruca! Augustus!" he shouted desperately, "Help!"
"And get my dress dirty?" Veruca asked, "I don't think so!"
A firm shove from Augustus sent Veruca flying, landing ungracefully at Charlie's feet. She grudgingly wrapped her arms around his legs and attempted to pull the three of them up, but she, like Charlie, was simply not strong enough. Groaning partly with effort and partly in desperation, she suddenly felt a tight hold around her waist accompanied with a faint smell of chocolate.
"I vill get you all out," Augustus said from behind her.
Mike's hands, lubricated from sweat, started slipping as Augustus heaved. He swung his free arm up to Violet's and clung on for dear life, swinging violently from the propulsion. His knees landed with a dull thud into the chocolate wall. Feeling refreshingly safe, he started shuffling up the wall, pushing Violet along as he did so. One swift, sharp tug from Augustus, and the five children were sent toppling onto safe ground in an uncomfortable, puffy heap.
After getting his bearings – and realising he was the one on top preventing everyone else from getting up – Mike rolled off the four squirming kids with a thump. Violet got up, helping Charlie as she did so. Augustus brought Veruca to her feet as he got to his. Mike cleared his throat nervously.
"Er…thanks," he said, his voice quivering, "Thanks for, er….saving my life, I guess."
The others – apart from Veruca who appeared to be mourning over her dirty dress – all smiled appreciatively.
"And I'm sorry," Violet said, "I should have listened to you when you said to think about our choices more."
"Hey, don't worry about it," Mike said, waving his hand dismissively, "If you'd stopped to think about throwing yourselves down that pit, then…well…I doubt I'd still be here. I suppose there's something to be said for being rash."
"But not too often," Violet added with a small smile.
Mike laughed, "No."
There was a warm silence between the five kids.
"Have…have we just matured?"
The question came from Charlie, but it could have come from any one of them, as they were all thinking the same thing – apart from Veruca who was still upset about her dress.
"Come on," Violet said, leaving the question open, "Let's go down the left path. But, er…let's check it out first."
"Why?" Mike asked, "What have we got to lose?"
"Let us just go," Augustus interrupted, "It has been almost one hour since breakfast and I am getting hungry."
He waddled off out of the tunnel followed by Violet, Mike, Charlie and finally Veruca, who had abandoned her attempts to lick the chocolate off the skirt of her dress.