"Wonka" by Mariah Picon

Chapter 1: The Opening

On a cold, foggy sky in the day time, the only sounds are the lapping of the ocean waves and the distant tolling of a ship's bell. Then, chugging out of the thick mist, comes a 1940s trawler. A strange figure wearing a bright green waistcoat and wildly colorful scarf climbs the mast, it was Willy Wonka as he peers into the fog, he sings the song, "A Hatful of Dreams".

After seven years of life upon the ocean
It is time to bid the Seven Seas farewell
And the city I've pinned seven years of hopes on
Lies just over the horizon, I can hear the harbor bell
Land, ahoy!

Willy spies a grand old city looming out of the freezing fog until he spotted a town in Europe. Willy grabs a rope and abseils down to the deck as the othersailors prepare the boat to come into harbor. Willy travels through the engine room, gathering his tatteredold plum-colored tailcoat and battered wooden suitcase as he continued singing.

Got a tattered overcoat and battered suitcase
Got a pair of leaky boots upon my feet
Gotta drag myself up by my one good bootlace

Willy leaps onto a box crate as it is craned up out of the hold. The crate is hoisted round over the wharf as Willy gets off the trawler.

I've poured everything I've got into my chocolate
Now it's time to show the world my recipes

The captain of the trawler throws a small bag of coins to Willy Wonka.

"Good luck, Willy!" The captain shouted.

I've got twelve silver sovereigns in my pocket
And a hatful of dreams

Willy drops from the crate onto the back of a passing truck and rides out of the docks in style. Once Willy arrives in the middle of the town, he leaps off the back of the truck, grabs hold of a lamppost and slides down into the resplendent town square. On one side stands a cathedral, on the other, a cathedral of commerce: a great, glass-domed shopping arcade. In the middle sits a huge fountain, its water frozen solid in the cold. Willy keeps singing his song.

There's a famous restaurant on every street here
There's Brandino's and the Bar Parisian

"Restaurant map, sir?" The Map-Seller Man asked.

"Thank you." Willy said, giving a sovereign to the Map-Seller.

Got a little map to tell me where to eat here

Willy unfolds his map, then notices someone at his feet. It is a shoeshine boy, upon whose box Willy has inadvertently placed one foot. The boy demands a sovereign and Willy pays up.

Had a dozen silver sovereigns, now I'm somehow down to ten

Willy goes over to a fruit stall and picks up a pumpkin.

Want the finest produce? This is where they stock it

A streetcar passes and honks the horn, narrowly missing Willy, who drops thepumpkin in surprise that it splats all over his boots.

"That's three sovereigns, mate." The Fruit-Seller Woman said.

Though the prices are suspiciously extreme

Willy give sovereign to the fruit-seller woman to pay.

"You break my pumpkin, you pay forit." The Fruit-Seller Woman said.

I've got five, six, seven?

As he counts his coins, Willy spots the Shoeshine Boycleaning his boots again -- and reluctantly hands over yetanother sovereign.

Six silver sovereigns in my pocket
And a hatful of dreams

The Shoeshine Boy follows Willy towards the galeries gourment.

"Brush your coat, sir?" The Shoeshine Boy asked.

"No, thank you." Willy answered.

"Cologne?" The Shoeshine Boy asked.

"No. Leave me alone!" Willy answered.

Willy walks reverently through a grande arcade with marblewalls and a mosaic floor. At the four corners of the centralatrium stand the four most exclusive stores in town.Three belong to Fickelgruber, Prodnose, and Slugworth, eachrather fusty but very expensive-looking choloate shops. Willy is still singing his song while walking.

At last, the Gallery Gourmet
I knew that we'd see it one day
It's everything you said, mama
And, oh, so much more
Each way that you turn, another famous chocolate store

Willy notices that the fourth corner store is vacant. A signin the window reads "To Rent".

Here's my destiny, I just need to unlock it
Will I crash and burn or go up like a rocket?
I got nothing to offer but my chocolate
And a hatful of dreams

As Willy gazes at the empty shop, his imagination begins totake over.

First, the name "Wonka" appears above the shop. Then thenewspaper which lines the windows rises up like curtains toreveal mountains of goodies. Finally, Willy starts to dance and the people in theGalleria dance along with him. For a moment, the city becomesa riot of color and joy. But what Willy doesn't know, is that there was a orange-haired young woman in purple outfit named Daphne Blake, who was on her way from the grocery store until she stops to see Willy was dancing for his imagination from a few feet away. Willy's dancing makes Daphne smile and chuckled for reaction as there was a policeman who was also watching Wonka too. The policeman walked closer to tap Willy on the shoulder, breakinghis reverie, and the world goes back to normal.The Policeman points to something written in the corner ofthe "To Rent Sign": "No Daydreaming - Penalty § 3", which Willy reluctantly pays up. Once it was over, Daphne snaps out of watching the whole thing from Willy, and she finally leaves.