Five Children and It

Television Chakra

            "I don't know why I didn't think of this before," said Wonka. "It's by far the easiest way of getting round the factory." Then he paused, his finger one centimetre away from the button to open the doors of the large, glass box seeming to float in space in front of them, walls lined with rows of buttons. "Oh, wait, I suppose I do know why I didn't think of this before," he said. He turned to the German mother. "Frau Gloop," he said, "Would you rather get into a large glass contraption that goes sideways, slantways, longways and any other ways you can think of, and not scream at me that it's a death trap? Or would you rather take the stairs?"

The German mother scowled. "I shall come with you in this glass contraption," she said. "I do not trust my Augustus on your stairs."

Wonka smiled. "We're in agreement, then," he said. "I too do not trust your Augustus on my stairs. He might get stuck halfway, and then what would we do? No, I think the elevator's best, despite the fact he might not fit in it."

The German mother puffed up in rage.

"He's right," said the boiler-suit, "he might not fit. How large actually is he?"

"He is a healthy weight!" snapped the German mother. "Get in Augustus!"

"But mother, they have a point!" said Augustus, as he was pushed, protesting, into the elevator. "There are too many of us! And I hate heights!"

"Ah, that was the other reason I used the boat," said Wonka. "That's right. I remember. There are too many of you, and there are still too many of you. We probably should take the stairs after all."

"Have you only got one elevator?" asked the comb-over father.

"Well there is only one of me," said Wonka. "The Oompa-Loompa tend to get around- Actually, I'm not sure how they get around. Perhaps tunnels."

"Daddy... can we get a glass elevator for our house?" asked the wart-girl.

Her father twitched and didn't speak. Wart-girl went silent and scuffed the floor with her foot.

"Well, we might as well try the elevator," said Wonka. He pushed the button. "Get in."

Gaara followed the others into the elevator and shoved himself into a corner near the door. The boiler-suit mother had been right: there was very little room for any of them. Baki looked slightly ill, shoved up into both the body of skinny boy and his grandfather, and also into the boiler-suit mother, and into Gaara's personal space, but he was a jounin, so to the others he probably just looked stoic.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," said Wonka, "I was planning on showing you more rooms in this elevator, but it might be prudent just to pick a button." He sounded distinctly squashed. "Would someone near the buttons like to push one? Any one they can reach."

I can smell her period blood, said Shukaku towards the boiler-suit mother, with such suddenness that it startled Gaara.

"Gaara?" asked Baki.

"Anytime today...?" said Wonka.

"Can I push one?" asked Teavee, despite being nowhere near the buttons.

"If you can reach," said Wonka.

There was a pause and then the glass elevator juddered to a start and shot off upwards, Teavee probably having looked at the buttons beforehand and then snaked his hand through legs.