Ok, have fun and please review. I just love your attention so much! This chapter was written under the impression of the song "First day" by Timo Maas and Brian Molko.
Chapter 7: Imaginary sweets.
The ladder ended up with an open doorway. It led to another room. Still remembering the bad surprises of the Chocolate-making room, Charlie and Mike entered it carefully, seeking for the trouble. But the trouble was that there was nothing in the room at all, except the little round table in the right corner. The room itself was rather small, with the walls painted in silver color. And strangely, there were no doors anywhere. Not even a hole or a crack either. The floor was completely smooth. It was just a little square room with a white table, nothing else.
-Maybe we climbed up the wrong ladder? – Charlie suggested.
-Yeah, well there was only one ladder, you genius. –Mike smirked.
-But… how are we going to get to the glass elevator if there's no other way out?
-Good question. A philosophical one, I guess. But why do I have to know it?
-Let's examine the walls. Maybe there's a trap door or something like it. –Charlie said, trying to ignore Mike's sarcasm. He just hoped for the best, like always.
They checked up all the walls thoroughly, but didn't catch any luck. Was the chocolateer playing jokes on them again?
-I think we should find out what's on that round table. At least it's the only thing left to explore here, Charlie. - Mike noticed. His look was unconfident.
On the table there was an enormous plate full of red, orange, blue, violet, purple and green rpund sweets. Except the color, they looked plain and ordinary. There was also a sign "Try me!" below the plate.
-Ha-ha, really funny, Mr. Wonka. And what if these little devils are with cyanide?
-Don't be silly, Mike. If the sign allows us to do something, you can be sure everything's all right.
-I still think the Wonka guy wants to kill us. What if they are poisoned?
-The way out has to be through these sweets. Are you with me?
-No, I'm not going to eat this! I hate sweets anyway! – Mike shouted.
-Then I'll do it.
Charlie leaned forward to take the yellow sweet, but suddenly he felt Mike's hand touching his back tenderly.
-We'll take the red one, just in case. And we're gonna share it. You're not going to die in this horrible room without me, do you? – Mike asked, looking embarrassed.
Charlie smiled, then broke the red sweet in two pieces and gave one of them to Mike. Than he swallowed his part and closed his eyes, waiting for the effect…
He looked around and instead of the silver room saw a beautiful green valley with meadows, old oak-trees and a clear blue sky. There was the Bucket house in front, and a river limpid as the mirror.
-Ok, I've heard there are medicines that give hallucinations, but not that complicated!
-Mike, do you see the same?
-Maybe, if you mean the countryside landscape.
-Yes. And I see my house. I imagined it like this! I mean, I wanted my family to live better, and I thought it would be great if we lived somewhere by the river, in the countryside!
-That means we're not hallucinating… are we in your brains?
-Ew, no! Maybe we're in my imagination? And you're here because we ate two pieces of one sweet! Isn't it a wonderful invention?
-So where is the way out, smart boy? "It has to be through these sweets."(Mike put on Charlie;s voice, acting like a "little nice boy") Remember? Tell me please, I'm starting to get impatient here! – Mike asked, annoyed of Charlie getting too enthusiastic about his imagination. Mike Teavee didn't have one, and never regretted it.
Charlie again felt badly of the rude tone, and ignored the computer genius' question. He walked forward to the Bucket house. He was sure that the clue was behind the house's door, and he had to open it. Mike followed him, mumbling: "Always do what the Dreamboy wants, or you won't survive…"Charlie liked the nickname Mike gave to him. It sounded quite gently for the aggressive brainiac.
The wooden door stood firmly, and had a huge lock hanging on it.
-Any ideas, Mike? –Charlie asked. He certainly had no key to that door.
-I'm already trying to think up something. Ok, let's forget the logic, the science and the 8 classes of school education. Let's try to reason like Mr. Wonka does. It's your imaginary world, right?
-Right.
-So it means that everything you'll imagine becomes real. Just try to invent an ancient key for that door, a large, heavy, copper key with the filigree carving in your mind. And if my freaky idea works, you'll find it somewhere in your pockets.
Charlie tried to imagine the picture with the key, but he couldn't remember anything. Their house didn't have any keys at all, because there were no possessions to lock up.
-So, is there anything?
The little Bucket examined his pockets. There were only 3 or 4 toothpaste caps from his father.
-I'm terribly sorry, but…
-Hey, there's something inside my jeans! If it's a mouse, I'll kill it!
Mike turned his pockets out and found the key he had described five minutes ago.
-Mike, you made it! You used your imagination, and now we'll enter the door!
The "Dreamboy" couldn't help but shake Mike's little hand. The kid blushed and said quietly:
-Charlie, that's impossible. I don't imagine. This occupation is for jerks that don't understand information technologies.
The older boy just decided to be thankful to Mike, even if the kid denied his abilities. If you wanted to get along with Mike Teavee, you just had to accept him the way he was, and remain calm.
They pulled the door and came in. Charlie Bucket looked around: there was no room with the bed that stood in his house. It wasn't his home at all. The hall (for it looked enormously large) reminded the boy of the scary basement in their school, with rats scurrying in the dark.
-I don't like this place… - Charlie said, looking at Mike.
-Me too… Charlie, what if I have imagination?
-You do, and I'm really happy about it. – Mike whispered.
-If I were you, I wouldn't.
-Why?
-Have you ever watched the movie "Resident evil"?
-No. What's so bad about this movie?
-It's the same basement that was in the movie! With zombies, rats and trembling lights!
-Wait, Mike… Are you trying to tell me there are zombies in this room? But they don't exist! It's impossible!
-As impossible as the ancient key coming from nowhere in my jeans…
They heard a strange noise from the darkness. It was a lot like a death rattle. The zombies must have heard the sound of their voices and began to move towards them.
-Oh no, they're coming to eat us alive! What are we going to do? We have nothing against them!
-Charlie, we're dead. It's been very nice knowing you. And if you think that I'm sometimes rude, I'm sorry. In fact I really like…
-Stop saying that! – Charlie yelled, grasping Mike's shoulders and making him look straight into his eyes. –You're the incredible Mike Teavee, remember? You're the little devil who cracked the system! You know absolutely everything! Just don't panic and be yourself!
Mike looked startled. He sat on the floor and looked hopelessly into the darkness.
-Wait, Charlie, I have an idea! I'll make my imagination work once again!
Charlie saw the terrible men and women with scratches all over them, blood dripping on the floor, and the thoughtless look in their eyes. He put his hands on the head, trying to remember the best moments of his life and saying goodbye to this scary but beautiful world.
And after a few moments he heard… the explosion. He opened his eyes and saw a thin woman dressed in black leather suit, with the pistols hanging all over her. She was shooting from her guns fiercely, and the zombies fell to her legs without moving.
-Alice! –Mike shouted. –You're so in time! I thought I'd never see the lights of day again!
-I'll save you, Mike Teavee. And your friend too. Run forward – there's the trap door behind the huge box, just like in the game. Quick!
-Thanks, Alice! One last silly question: how did you know my name?
-No wonder I know it. You played "Resident evil" so many times that I had found everything about you. Great game. I've never seen someone who could kill 10 zombies with one shot.
Mike took Charlie's hand (the little Bucket still couldn't get the idea what had just happened) and opened the trap door. After closing it, they fell on the floor exhausted.
-Charlie, are you okay? –Mike's face looked concerned.
-I think so. What about you?
-Me too. And, if it's possible forget the things I told you before Alice came.
-I actually don't remember much.
-Good for you. –Mike said a little bit angry.