Chapter 37: Tyler in the Horde 'O Zombies Swamp

Author's Note: Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the next chapter of Kind At Heart! I've been waiting for this chapter for a long time, and it's finally here! I hope that you'll enjoy it, but first, it's review response time!

Sonny April, that's an acute yet funny observation that you noticed with the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory reference! It would be funny if that's the case, but as it mentions A Trip to 1971 too, do you think that it implies that your fanfiction exists in this universe? I'm glad that you enjoyed the plot twist, and I hope that this chapter will be worth the wait!

Now, with all reviews responded to, enjoy Chapter 37, everyone!

The logs slowly but surely drifted over to the loading station, and the Oompa-Loompa operator who was present, wearing a yellow straw hat and blue overalls, helped everyone out of the ride. The logs then went through another hole which led back to New Loompaland.

"I'd be careful if I were youse in this room," the operator told everyone. "The Horde 'O Zombie Chews being made here are still being tested."

"But what do they do?" Daniel asked.

"You'll find out shortly, young 'un," he told the boy. "Just take my word for it, and don't touch anything unless you get Mr. Wonka or Charlie's permission."

"He's right," Charlie added. "Now then- since we're all here and accounted for, let us show you what awaits in the Horde 'O Zombies Swamp!"

After exiting from the loading dock, Charlie and Mr. Wonka led the group through the murky fields of plants. Not a single soul was in sight, and everyone was surrounded by complete and utter silence, aside from the sounds of frogs and other swamp creatures. An occasional Fruity Frog was seen, as well as a Gummy Snake. Grass made a trampling noise beneath their feet, and everyone, even Tyler and Kitsune, looked around nervously every so often.

"Maybe this isn't the kind of place to cause trouble in after all," Kitsune admitted.

"I don't think so," Tyler shivered.

A spooky atmosphere permeated this room, and the journey in the Horde 'O Zombies Swamp was still silent- that is, until Jenna broke it.

"Where are we going, Mr. Wonka?" she asked.

"You'll see," Mr. Wonka smiled. "We're almost there."

The moist room made Jenna's and Mrs. Adam's hair get covered in mist, and Jenna wringed her hair out as she walked along. Some of this water accidentally landed on Chris.

"Whoops!" Jenna apologized. "Sorry, Chris!"

"It's okay," Chris replied. "This room is causing my spiky hair to get all wet, too." He chuckled, trying to straighten out his hair just as Jenna was doing.

After several minutes, a small light was seen in the distance, as if from either a vintage lantern or a small cottage. As the walk continued, it kept getting larger and larger, and more and more focused.

Everyone saw a small house approaching, and it somewhat resembled a worn-down cottage or a witch's hut. Several shingles were missing in the roof, and the door was held on very loosely by three worn out latches. Its windows were covered in dust, so it was impossible to see inside.

"Come on in, everyone," Charlie said. "We've got something really exciting to show you in here!"

On the inside, the cottage resembled the home of a witch. A rocking chair was in one corner, followed by several shelves full of books against one of the walls. Cobwebs were also hanging in the corners of the cottage. In the center of the room was a round black cauldron full of green liquid, and when everyone looked, they saw small green pellets on the bottom of it.

"Welcome to the home of our Horde 'O Zombie Chews!" Mr. Wonka exclaimed. "Perfect for playing tricks on your neighbors during Halloween, haha!"

"What do they do, though?" Daniel asked.

"That's the best part!" Mr. Wonka smiled. "Just suck on one of these Zombie Chews, and your skin will turn green, and you'll become a zombie momentarily! Not only that, but several zombies will spawn near you, so it'll be like having a Halloween costume and a fun 'lil zombie army all in one! How about it, eh?"

At that, Kitsune's face lit up.

"Did you hear that, Tyler?" she asked her son. "A small zombie army? Wouldn't Kevin Prune like that!"

"They're still in the testing process, though, as the ride operator said," Charlie warned. "I wouldn't recommend having any, at least for now."

"I'm…I'm not sure that I want one," Tyler said, causing the entire group, especially Kitsune, to gasp dramatically.

"Why not, son?" Kitsune enquired.

"Because," Tyler said, "this entire tour, all I've been thinking about is myself and Kevin. I've come to realize that that douche is holding me back. I could've had so much more fun on this tour if I simply listened to Mr. Wonka and Charlie when they told me to."

"Come now, dear," Kitsune said, "don't you like doing pranks?"

"I do," Tyler admitted, "but I should've held back from them when I had the opportunity. I've come to realize that I love joking around, but I shouldn't do it at other people's expense."

Kitsune laughed nervously, and Tyler continued.

"Dad was always a jerk to me because of his job, so I took up pranking as a way to get his attention. Once I saw that it worked, I continued doing it."

"But I joined you because I saw that it worked," Kitsune admitted. "Because of his stupid job, he never pays any attention to me. Don't you see, Tyler? With these Horde 'O Zombie Chews, we could finally have the last laugh!"

"I see," Tyler said, hesitating, "but I'm not sure if I want to do it."

"Just one, dearie?" Kitsune begged him.

Tyler sighed.

"I wouldn't do it," Mr. Wonka warned the torn boy.

"Just one, Tyler?" Kitsune begged. "Please?"

"I'd stop enabling him if I were you, Kitsune," Charlie added. "You should know better."

Ignoring Charlie, Kitsune continued her begging. At last, he gave his answer.

"Fine," he said. "Only one."

Tyler and Kitsune walked up to the cauldron and looked down into it. The green liquid within it bubbled, and Kitsune jumped up and down excitedly as she and Tyler reached into it and grabbed one of the green Horde 'O Zombie Chews.

"Down the hatch!" Kitsune said excitedly as they swallowed their Zombie Chews together. A smile came upon Kitsune's face, and she began to eat more and more of them. Tyler, meanwhile, had still only had his one.

"These are pretty good…!" Kitsune said, her mouth full and getting stuffed more by the minute.

"The more candies swallowed means more zombies, and more zombies mean more pranks, eh, Tyler?"

Suddenly, Kitsune paused, and Tyler froze, as if he was turning into a statue. His skin began taking on a green hue, but Kitsune's was not.

"Tyler…?" Kitsune questioned, but Tyler only moaned in response.

"Get…mother…" he said.

"Get me‽" Kitsune cried. "You're not supposed to go after me! You're supposed to go after everyone else!"

"Uhh…" Tyler said, his arms outstretched as he walked robotically towards Kitsune.

"Jinkies!" Kitsune cried, and she ran out of the cottage. Everyone else followed suit, and they walked as Tyler went after his mother.

As Kitsune continued running as fast as she could manage, she felt someone grab her kimono. A green hand leapt out of the ground and began grabbing her, and after only a minute, Kitsune was surrounded by an entire group of zombies- one of which was her very own son. The zombies all had green skin and torn clothes, and some even had drooping skin.

"Help!" Kitsune exclaimed. "Somebody save me!"

But nobody could save her. The zombies picked up Kitsune and started walking through the Horde 'O Zombies Swamp. Before anyone knew what was happening, they arrived at a cemetery, and the zombies, including Zombie Tyler, walked towards an open grave. One zombie covered Kitsune's mouth before she could say anything.

Kitsune's eyes were full of terror now. She could only look around, surrounded by countless zombies.

"Let…me…go…!" Kitsune managed to shout through the zombie's hand.

"Get…Kitsune…!" said one zombie, and Kitsune gasped, for this zombie coincidentally looked like a zombified version of none other than Mr. Smith.

"No no no no no…!" Kitsune cried. "Put me down! I'll do anything! I'll stop pranking! I'll be nice for the rest of my life! I'll recycle!"

But it was no use, for the zombies placed Kitsune deep into the open grave. Before she could escape, they took some nearby shovels and began putting dirt on top of the panicking Kitsune.

"Why aren't the Zombie Chews affecting Kitsune?" Jenna asked while all of this was going on.

"She had too many," Mr. Wonka replied. "She had so many, in fact, that the zombies would typically be peaceful, but instead, they're going after her. I guess that's what happens when you catch pranking fever."

Kitsune began clawing away at the dirt, but it was no use. Once Kitsune was almost completely covered in dirt, save only her head, the zombies disappeared into thin air. All of them, that is, except Zombie Tyler, whose knees wobbled, then he fell to the ground in a fainting fit.

The sound of saxophones, pianos, and trumpets was heard, and a huge group of Oompa-Loompas, including the ride operator Oompa-Loompa, entered the room and began another song in the style of 1930's Louisiana ragtime jazz.

Oh, alleluia! We're so proud to say

That this is the end of Tyler and Kitsune.

Our own Kitsune is frightened as she grips at the dirt,

Completely forgetting about the people she hurt.

And Tyler's a zombie, as green as pea soup,

And is now on the ground like a pile of gloop.

They wanted to be famous in the factory

And they got their request, you see.

"I didn't mean it like this!" Kitsune exclaimed.

You got what you want.

You don't want what you got!

You've done your last prank,

And it sure hit the spot!

Oh, once this crazy vicious brat

Said he'd make his rivals go splat.

And now, what else can you say?

This boy is done, and done he'll stay.

He'd use his skills to commit crazy crimes,

Then get away every single time.

Alas, they couldn't escape the Wonka family

As we teach them a lesson with glee.

From stealing property to causing alarm,

This boy grown up would do big harm.

As such we knew he needed a lesson

Before he'd hurt more instead of blessen.

Hurting and belittling others is so very wrong,

Which is why you got our Oompa-Loompa song.

The one who started it all was their father

Who always treated them as a bother.

The first to fall was our boy Tyler,

The prankster, the joker, the crazy smiler.

But wait, dear friends, we're not over.

We've still got to do some more exposure.

The enabler to Tyler in this whole thing

Was Kitsune, to add to the sting.

She'd only encourage her son's actions

Instead of finding positive life distractions.

We hope that all three will get the help they need

So that from estrangement they will be freed.

After they were done with their song, the Oompa-Loompas dug out a rather dirty Kitsune from the ground, and a duo of Oompa-Loompas placed Zombie Tyler on a stretcher, then carried him out of the room with his mother, as Kitsune finally looked at him with motherly concern on her face. In fact, she looked down on him as she was being escorted away and said, "I love you, Tyler."

Author's Note: That's the chapter! What do you think, everyone? I should let you all in on several references that I made in Tyler's Oompa-Loompa song. First, the Violet demise song from the UK tour musical, You Got Whacha Want, is referenced in the beginning of the second segment, starting immediately after Kitsune's interjection. Second, the UK tour Auf Wiedersehen Augustus Gloop is referenced in "why you got our Oompa-Loompa song" (the intro to the UK musical version of the song is similar). Third, as I'm sure you noticed, I kept the fan-favorite "Tyler/crazy smiler" rhyme from Next in Line. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned for the next one, everyone!

Until then,

Gabe S. :)