Sorry about the wait guys. I went to Ayacon during the weekend and just plain forgot about this. During which, all my inspiration dried up and I had to completely crash my original plan to add the 'Fake Ticket' chapter.
Anyway, unless I see CATCF again soon, I think this'll be my only fic for a while. Though I did consider doing the whole movie in Wonka perspective. Ah well, lets see if I can see the movie again
Lucky
February 1st was creeping on the factory, and the final ticket was yet to be found. Some people were just plain out astonished, considering that in most parts of the world, there were no more wonka bars to be found. Had a ship containing the special box sunk on delivery? Some starving child eaten the ticket along with the bar? Or was it just sheer luck that it hadn't appeared on their screens yet?
Wonka was starting to get worried himself. He had thought everything would be said and done by now, but still one ticket remained missing. There had been that nasty business with that fake ticket, but Miss Charlotte Russe had been easily taken care of. That young girl was going to find it very difficult to get her hands on any Wonka chocolate from now on.
By the evening of January 31st, Wonka relaxed in his private rooms, and resigned himself to his fate. There would be only four children, and he would have to make do with that.
Suddenly, the lift doors burst open, and an Oompa Loompa pried himself from the walls. They weren't too fond of the high speeds.
"Fifth ticket!"
Wonka grinned, and jumped from his seat.
"Well it's about time!"
This winner apparently, only lived a few minutes away from the factory, and the reporters were having a field day that a ticket could have been so close; yet been almost too late.
But the cameraman weren't having much fun. The winner's house must have been tiny, because they all seemed to be squished into one spot in the room, and Wonka could see no doors leading anywhere else. A boy with dark hair and deep eyes was blinking at the cameras in shock, golden ticket in hand, sitting on a bed with four rather old people. A man and a woman, who he assumed was the boy's p-p-parents, seemed to be using the bed as a shield, standing behind it.
"Charlie!" a reporter yelled over his competitors. "Charlie Bucket! Where did you find the ticket?"
Well, now he had a name at least.
Charlie gave a nervous smile, and explained that he'd found the ticket in a bar of chocolate he'd bought with the money he'd found on the street. The press lapped it up as Wonka took this knowledge in.
"Hmm, lucky boy. Very lucky."
"Charlie!" Another yelled. "How do you feel?"
"How do you think he feels!" one of the old men yelled back. "How would you feel if you found the Holy Grail when you had almost no chance?"
Most took this as an answer, but Wonka caught the look of sheer happiness on Charlie's face just before they focused on what was most likely his grandfather.
"He's such a kind boy," the mother added. "He wanted to sell it so we could have a little more money, but we couldn't take this from him."
"You people are shiny" one of the older women laughed.
Wonka smiled.
"Oh, this could be very good…"
The boy clearly understood how important this factory was, and he was lucky. Wonka couldn't count how many new chocolates he'd invented through luck. Admittedly, the Oompa Loompa's preferred to call the breakthroughs freak accidents, but it was pretty much the same. And that tiny little house filled with so many people? He'd jump at the chance to get away!
But still…Wonka frowned as the parents finally started to shove the reporters out the door. The boy had wanted to SELL the ticket? How foolish was he? They were priceless!
What if he was coming to the factory solely so he could steal some of his ideas? His competitors would probably pay thousands for just one of Wonka's latest inventions. Oh yes, this boy could be just as rotten.
Wonka would definitely keep an eye on this one. There were many security measures in the factory that could give him his just desserts should he try anything.
And yet…
As the screen faded back to the newsroom, Wonka took one last look at the final winner. If there was anything truly rotten about this child, it was very hard to see. This boy…had a chance. A very big chance.
The End