This was the day I would finally visit the famous Wonka factory! All the golden ticket winners were gathered in front of the factory gates, with cameras clicking away in a flurry of excitement.

I was dressed in a knee-length dress adorned with laces and comfortable flat shoes, and I couldn't help but appreciate how well it suited me. It was the same style that Miss Mitchell was wearing: a simple dress in a lovely shade of yellow. We also both sported matching scarves.

Thankfully, we had worn warm coats to ward off the chill. I noticed a few strands of my (h/c) hair getting in my face, so I brushed them to the side.

"Remember to be well-behaved, (Y/N). We wouldn't want to make a bad first impression on Mr. Wonka," Miss Mitchell advised me. I nodded in agreement, trying to keep my focus on the factory before us.

"Daddy, I want to go in!" Veruca told her father.

He checked his watch and replied, "It's 9:59, sweetheart."

"Make time go faster!" she demanded, her eyes giving off a glare.

Mrs. Beauregarde whispered something to her daughter. "Eyes on the prize, Violet. Eyes on the prize," she warned, and Violet nodded in response.

Mike wore an impatient expression, his boredom apparent as he waited for the gates to open. Then, the massive factory gates began to creak open. Excitement filled the air as all of us eagerly anticipated the next set of instructions that awaited us inside.

"Please enter!" Mr. Wonka's voice echoed through a speaker. The four winners wasted no time and rushed through the gates. Me and Miss Mitchell glanced at each other, then we followed the rest.

"Come forward," he added. We went closer to the entrance.

"Close the gates." Then, the gates creaked and closed loudly.

As we made our way up to the entrance, Mr. Wonka's voice came through the speaker, warmly welcoming us. "Dear visitors, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to my humble factory. And who am I? Well..."

At that point, the red curtains parted dramatically, revealing a slew of singing puppets twirling around in a cheerful yet eerie manner. I could not help but watch them in a state of shock and horror, a feeling shared by the rest of the winners.

Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka
The amazing chocolatier
Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka.
Everybody give a cheer!

Hooray!

He's modest, clever and so smart.
He can barely restrain it.
With so much generosity,
There is no way to contain it!

To contain it, to contain, to contain, to contain!

Hooray!

Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka
He's the one that you're about to meet
Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka
He's the genius who just can't be beat

The magician and the chocolate wiz.
The best darn guy who ever lived
Willy Wonka, here he is!

As a red chair rose from the ground, the stage erupted in pyrotechnics that melted the puppet performers. The unexpected turn of events stunned everyone. I had a feeling that the unsettling song would haunt my dreams for weeks, perhaps even months.

Then we heard someone clapping and laughing with delight. He was standing next to Mr. Salt, wearing the iconic hat, purple gloves, and red coat. Not to mention his large glasses.

"Wasn't that just magnificent? I was worried it was getting dodgy in the middle part, but then that finale...wow!" the man exclaimed. He then stepped forward to face our group.

"Who are you?" questioned the rude Violet.

"He is Willy Wonka!" I exclaimed in surprise. Some of the others in the group cast skeptical glances my way.

The man cleared his throat and said, "Good morning, starshine. The earth says hello!" It was met with awkward silence. I stifled a laugh, but Miss Mitchell caught me with a stare.

Mr. Wonka pulled out a few cards and began his greeting, "Dear guests, greetings. Welcome to the factory. I shake you warmly by the hand." He held out his hand for a handshake, and it seemed that I was the only one who promptly took it.

Perhaps it was just a matter of making a favorable first impression, and I was more than willing to oblige. "My name is Willy Wonka," he added.

"Then shouldn't you be up there?" Veruca pointed to the red chair.

"Well, I couldn't very well watch the show from up there, now, could I, little girl?" he explained.

"Let's get a move on, kids!" he piped up and began to walk towards the factory. The group then followed him behind.

"Don't you want to know our names?" Augustus asked.

"I can't imagine how it would matter," said Mr. Wonka. "Come quickly. Far too much to see."

As we passed by the burning dolls, the doors swung shut behind us, and before we knew it, we were now inside the mysterious factory.

🍫🍫🍫

"Just drop your coats anywhere." He discarded his glasses and coat onto the plush red carpet. Our group hung our coats on the posts while me and Miss Mitchell wrapped our scarves around the posts.

"Mr. Wonka? Sure is toasty in here," Mr. Teavee complimented.

"What? Oh yeah, I have to keep it warm in here. My workers are used to an extremely hot climate. They just can't stand the cold!" Mr. Wonka explained.

"Who are the workers?" I asked.

He just smiled and replied, "All in good time. Now." Mr. Wonka gasped as the chewing gum girl hugged him.

"Mr. Wonka, I'm Violet Beauregarde!" The girl introduced herself while smacking loudly on her gum.

"Oh, I don't care," he mumbled.

"Well, you should care. Because I'm going to win the special prize at the end," bragged Violet.

"Well, you do seem confident, and confidence is key," he murmured. Violet exchanged a knowing glance with her mother, who nodded in agreement.

He got interrupted again when Veruca did a curtsy. "I'm Veruca Salt. It's very nice to meet you, sir."

"I always thought a verruca was a type of wart you got on the bottom of your foot," he chuckled. Veruca's mood changed from a proud smile to an offended stare.

"Does it exist, Miss Mitchell?" I asked my caretaker.

"It does," she replied, "but don't try to imagine it."

"I am Augustus Gloop. I love your chocolate!" Augustus greeted Mr. Wonka enthusiastically, all the while continuing to eat his chocolate.

"I can see that. So do I. I never expected to have so much in common," Mr. Wonka replied, his gaze fixed on the boy.

Mr. Wonka turned around, and his gaze fell upon Mike. "You. You're Mike Teavee. You're the little devil who cracked the system," he stated with a mix of amusement and reproach. The boy responded with an unfazed roll of the eyes.

Mr. Wonka then turned his head in my direction. "And you. Well, you're just lucky to be here, aren't you?" he remarked.

"I'm (Y/N) (L/N), sir. I'm just happy to be here," I replied with a sense of humility and appreciation. He only hummed in response, but I guess that was enough for him.

"And the rest of you must be their..." Mr. Wonka seemed to struggle with the next word, leaving both the parents and the children with confused expressions as they waited for him to continue.

"Parents." Mr. Salt finished the sentence for him.

"Yeah!" he chuckled. "Moms and dads. Dad? Papa?"

Another round of awkward silence hung in the air, with the unspoken word clearly evoking some discomfort in Mr. Wonka.

"Actually, I'm (Y/N)'s caretaker. She comes from an orphanage," she explained, redirecting the conversation. Good save, Miss Mitchell!

"Ah, how interesting. Okay, then. Let's move along!" Mr. Wonka's tone shifted, and he directed his attention to the front, signaling for the rest of us to follow.

I heard Mr. Teavee make a joke about how Mr. Wonka seemed a few quarters short of a buck. Unfortunately, I didn't understand it myself. I was walking beside Augustus. He pretended to share his chocolate and asked, "Would you like some chocolate?"

I was expecting a sarcastic response from him, so I said, "Sure...?"

"Then you should've brought some," he laughed. I rolled my eyes and sighed in annoyance.

The more we walked through the hallway, the more cramped it got. "An important room, this. After all, it is a chocolate factory," he pointed to the small door.

"Then why is the door so small?" Mike asked.

"That's to keep all the great, big chocolately flavor inside," he laughed a little. He then retrieved a bunch of keys (trust me, it was a lot) and proceeded to unlock the door.

Pushing the door open with his palm, Mr. Wonka unveiled the room, and before us lay a marvelous dream brought to life.