Rising Dawn (Willy Wonka X OC)

Violent Beauregarde

My family was disappointed when I said I wouldn't be home the next day, and I was slightly annoyed with Mr. Goldsmith, the man who owns the shop and who I dealt with yesterday, until he told me he'd pay me to work the whole day. Of course I agreed, and I have been working here for a few hours now. It's pretty simple work, give people candy, take their money, and restock shelves when they get low. I've worked out a system and am quite efficient with my interactions.

"You're pretty good at this, Miss Dawn. Have you worked in a place like this before?" Mr. Goldsmith asks after I convinced a woman to buy two candy bars instead of one and ring her up in record time. I'm pretty good with math despite being my own teacher. Mum helped some, but I mostly figured it out for myself. I haven't been to school since I was seven, so unlike Charlie, I was homeschooled for most of my education. Charlie is fairly happy in the public school system, and I'm going to keep it that way.

"No, but I've always wanted to. It's so easy, anyone could do it," I explain. I'm not good at this, maybe more competent than his regular employees, but I'm nothing special.

"Yes, but you've got some type of way that makes folks want to listen to you. You've got one of them honest faces and an assuring voice. I'll bet you could convince a bald man to buy shampoo." He smiles and I shrug. "You don't smile much though. I'll bet you could sell even more if you'd smile."

"There's just nothing to be happy about." The world is a dark place and I'm navigating for seven.

Mr. Goldsmith opens his mouth to respond, but before he can, a horde of people come rushing into the store, all demanding Wonka bars. We deal with them in as orderly a fashion as we can manage. After the last Wonka bar has been sold and the last complaint met and the last person ushered out, we plop down on stools behind the now empty display.

"What was that about?" I ask, still frazzled by it all. It's a wonder that there are this many people who just have money laying around for this sort of thing.

"I'd say another Golden Ticket was found. There's a surge after each one, so I'll bet the third ticket was discovered moments before they came in." The second ticket was found not twenty-four hours before though, they're going faster than I thought. I gape slightly as he disappears into the backroom, he reappears seconds later holding a small wavelength radio. He turns a few dials and we start to hear a reporter talking to a Miss Violet Beauregarde.

It's not until I finish work, collect my money, and hurry home that I am able to watch the extended interview with picture. She's another awful child who doesn't deserve the ticket. It opens showing her beating up a few grown men, for Heaven's sake. She's a violent little monster of a girl. She has dozens of trophies and medals and she's snapping a piece of gum the whole time. She believes she's the best, and her mother isn't too different. Arrogant and pompous, the lot. Mum hands me my soup and bread and I eat with relish. There's normally breakfast to somewhat fill me in the morning, but with paying for Grandma Josephine's medication and Charlie's chocolate, Mum couldn't afford breakfast today. There are chunks of chicken in the soup and a little butter on the bread though.

"What a beastly girl!" Grandma Josephine exclaims as soon as the program's over. I can't help but agree as I stand to wash the dishes in our dingy sink. I was a little later today than I normally am, so there's already a pile of dirty dishes in the sink waiting for me.

"Basketball?" Grandma Georgina, bless her heart, asks. She's a mite hard of hearing and usually never knows what's going on. Charlie gives a soft laugh and joins me at the sink to dry the dishes.

"You don't know what we're talking about," Grandpa George responds affectionately.

"Dragonflies?" she guesses. I nearly crack a smile at the ridiculousness of her words, but I don't. Instead, I grab another bowl and put it under the stream of water. A second later, the water ebbs to a trickle, then stops altogether.

"Mum, did you pay the water bill?" Panic rises in my throat. My body stiffens as I set down the bowl I'm holding and turn to my mother. She looks up with a guilty expression on her face.

"I had to take that money and put it towards Grandma Josephine's medication. I'm sorry, I'll pay it next week," she promises. My breathing quickens. That's all fine and good, except for the fact that we need water now! I feel my face flush dramatically. We need water everyday to survive. My hands curl into fists. We can't just wait until next week to survive. A snarl rises to my lip and I curtly spin on my heel. I don't want Charlie to see me like this, or anyone else for that matter. I grab my aviator goggles, fingerless gloves, and thick scarf before stomping out into the frigid night air.

Thank you so much for reading! You're awesome!
xoxo, Tilly