Hidden in the Factory (A CATCF Story)

That's One Big Blueberry!

🍭Esme's P.O.V 🍭

We stepped into the inventing room as the machines hissed and popped out new candies. I think I loved this room the best, mostly because it had the most places to hide and machines to fix.

"Now this is the most important room in the entire factory" Willy announced "Now everyone enjoy themselves, but just don't touch anything, kay?" He waved us off and Violet and Mike ran off first.

I was about to say something to Willy when Violet yelled "Hey, Mr. Wonka! What's this?"

"Oh!" said Willy "Let me show you." An oompa loompa handed him a round candy. "These are everlasting gobstoppers! There for children who are given very little allowance money, you can suck on it all year and it'll never get any smaller! Isn't that neat?"

"It's like gum" said Violet.

"No" stated Willy "gum is for chewing and if you tried chewing one of these gobstoppers, you'd break all your little teeth off. They sure do taste terrific!"

We moved onto another table and Willy picked up another candy. 

"And this is hair toffee!" he explained "you suck down one of these little boogers and in exactly half an hour a brand new crop of hair will start growing out all over the top of your little noggin! And a mustache! And a beard!"

"Who wants a beard?" asked Mike, snappishly.

"Well, beatniks, for one. Folk singers and motorbike riders. You know, all those hip, jazzy, super cool, neat, keen and groovy cats? It's in the fridge, Daddy-O!  Are you hep to the jive can you dig what I'm laying down? I knew that you could! Slide some skin, soul brother?" Willy put his hand down for a high five. Mike just stared at him confused.

I burst out laughing, Willy smiled at me.

"Unfortunately the mixture isn't quite right yet" said Willy "because an oompa loompa tried some yesterday and well..."

We watched as an oompa loompa came forward covered from head to toe in hair.

"How are you today?" asked Willy.

He gave two thumbs up.

"You look great!" Willy complemented him. 

I could tell he felt bad about turning him into a walking hairball. The other oompa loompa's tried to shave him, but the hair just kept growing.

Willy and the group walked away, but I stayed behind and looked at the hair toffee mixture. I figured out the problem after a few minutes. The trouble wasn't the mixture, it was the machine! It was set to extra hairy instead of regular hairy! 

I turned the dial to the proper setting and smiled to myself.

"What are you doing?" Willy asked.

I spun around and saw him looking at me with a little half smile.

"I-I'm sorry" I told him, biting my lip.

"For what?" He asked.

"Well, I shouldn't have touched your machine without your permission" I said, tucking my bangs behind my ear

"Oh pish-posh!" He said with a wave of his hand "you didn't break it, did you?"

"No, I guess not..." I said "in fact I made a little adjustment."

"What adjustment?" He asked, curiously.

"Well you see, the problem with your hair toffee wasn't in the mixture" I explained "it was the machine that mixed the ingredients. It was set to extra hairy instead of regular hairy."