Swear word warning on line with *
I let out a high pitched squeak before clamping a hand over my mouth and stumbling back from the door on wobbly legs. No. It can't be. He can't be here. He can't. I tremble where I stand a couple feet from the door, the thin line of moonlight falling directly on me and the fresh air of the night mocking me with its tranquility while a storm kicks up inside me. I hold my breath, waiting for the door to be opened after the men heard my squeal, but it never happens. They must not have heard me.
"Willy Wonka," a garbled voice declares.
Doubt courses through me. It can't be him. I don't remember what my dad sounds like, so I can't tell if that's really him or not. I'd have to see him to know for sure. I creep closer to the door once again and put a tentative hand on the doorframe, the other hand trapped in my sling.
I hear a hiccup and someone stumbles. Then that new voice, "I thought...you'd be taller."
"And I thought you'd at least be sober," Will retorts. Sober? Is he drunk? My opinion of my father sinks even more if that's possible. "Then again, only a drunk would be dense enough to try to break into my factory." I hear someone stumble again and then a heavy sigh as someone slumps against the wall. "You didn't honestly think a billion quid factory wouldn't have security cameras, did you?"
That's what he was looking at on the tablet! Before, I couldn't imagine something that could make Will so mad and put that look of pure hatred in his eyes. Now, I understand. Anger boils in my stomach, and it's all I can do not to throw open the door and punch him square in the face.
"Thosssecurity camerasss don't matter. None of 'is mattersss," he slurs. I hear the other man take a few unsteady steps forward. Will takes a step back, and I catch a glimpse of his shirt. He's almost within sight!
* "You think I'm going to let you off the hook just like that? If so, you are sorely mistaken. It'll be a cold day in Hell when I let your sorry ass anywhere near my factory let alone inside," Will practically spits, disgust evident.
"Then you better buy the Devil sssome mittensss b'causss I am walking into thisss factory t'night...and you're gonna open the door for me." That little... I cover my mouth to stifle the noise that wants to explode from my lungs. He shuffles forward, and Will takes a large step backward. I can now see most of Will except his face because he's facing away from me. That's it! Just a little closer.
Will scoffs and folds his arms across his chest as he shakes his head. "And why would I do that?"
"Because..." More shuffling. I can tell my father's trying to get closer to Will, but Will doesn't let him. Will matches his every step, countering with a measured retreat. "Because of what I'm about to tell you."
Will backs up even farther and gets closer to the door in order to shield it from the advancing man. Little does he know, he's also shielding me from the man. One more step and I see the corner of a blue coat on a moderately tall figure.
Will finally stops retreating and my father comes all the closer. My heart thumps loudly in my chest, it's a wonder they can't hear it. Just as I'm about to glimpse his face, Will turns a fraction, right into my field of vision. He's in my way! I try standing on tiptoe, then getting lower, but it doesn't work. All I can see is a figure wearing black trousers, muddied trainers, and the blue coat I saw before.
My father gets in Will's face, and I see Will wave a hand in front of his face to clear the rancid breath the drunken man is expelling. "You want to know why you're going to let me in?" His tone has dropped, suddenly more serious and very aware. He doesn't sound slurred anymore, he sounds as sober as Will now. That's scary. He gets real close and whispers this next part. "You're going to let me in because...I'm Charlie's father!"
He steps back, and Will leans away. My heart drops as my father finally moves into view. Yep, that's him alright. That's his midnight hair, his startling green eyes, his sharp facial features, his arrogant posture. A few things have changed though, he is now sporting a scraggly goatee that I've never seen, and his face is sunken to create horrific shadows on his cheeks. His body isn't gaunt though, it doesn't match his face, which makes his figure all the more gruesome. I nearly vomit thinking of him being my father. He's not Peter Bucket anymore, he's Oscar. Oscar Mitchell.
Will scoffs, unimpressed with the statement. Oscar had shown his hand, and Will couldn't be more indifferent. The haggled man wanted more of a reaction as he stands with a triumphant expression and his arms akimbo.
"Yes, I knew this. Your point?" Will drawls, entirely unfazed. He blinks slowly and Oscar frowns. He wasn't expecting that response.
"I heard that little speech you gave on TV today. You let Charlie's family live at the factory so the boy would be content." He raises his eyebrows and gestures to the factory, trying to insinuate something. Will merely shakes his head to show his uncomprehension, a belittling boredom on his face. "I'm Charlie's family too, so..." He gestures again, but Will only gives him a half-invested shrug. "So I get to live here too."
"No!" The word is out of my mouth before I can stop it. Echoes of my yelp reverberate down the hall behind me as I clap my hand over my mouth and stumble back from the door.
Will whips around, and Oscar's head turns to look at the opening in the doorway. I didn't mean to say that out loud! I didn't mean to! My heart flutters and my stomach turns with fear nausea. Will steps closer to the door and pushes it open, anger flicking across his face when he sees me. I shrink back and wince as he runs a hand through is hair in agitation. He purses his lips as he realizes that I followed him. Guilt racks my body as I wrap my arms around my middle and try to make myself smaller. Tears well up in my eyes as I whisper, "I'm sorry."
My gaze shifts to the wan face over Will's shoulder. Oscar stares at me and his mouth falls open, momentarily surprised. The shock dissipates and is quickly replaced with a predatory grin. My lower lip trembles, a tear slips down my cheek, and Will turns to see what he's done. I step forward and grab Will's arm, hiding behind him, peeking around his shoulder to keep an eye on Oscar.
He paces forward with a grisly smile. A few of his teeth are missing, but the ones he does have are yellowed, and his lips are dry and cracking. "Dawn, my daughter!"
"Don't even think about it!" Will exclaims fiercly, eyes blazing. He pushes me further behind him, and I clutch his arm tighter. I'm no longer in the safety of the doorway, my bare feet freezing on the cobblestone.
Oscar reaches out a hand toward me. "No, she'll tell you! She remembers me! Tell him, Dawn, tell him I'm your family. Tell him to let me in!"
Panic roils in my core and my head rushes with thoughts, but none of them make sense. He doesn't honestly think I'd want him in the factory, does he? There's no way I'm going to tell Will to step aside, not after what he's done. His hand remains outstretched, but all I can do is shrink even closer to Will and cling to him. I can feel my mind slipping into a dissasosiated state as I clutch Will's arm, trying to keep myself present.
"Don't talk to her," Will commands. I see his upper lip twitch in that sneer I saw when he first discovered Oscar on the security camera. There's no doubt in my mind that his eyes are that same matte with hatred and danger that I saw before. "You know what, don't even look at her! You don't deserve that, you dog."
He lets out a guttural chuff that I realize is laughter. "You're crazy. He...he's crazy!" Oscar sets his sights on me and outstretches his hands again, begging me with his eyes to believe him, looking very much like the crazy one. "He's crazy! But you're not, no. No, you're a smart little thing. You know what's best. Let me in, Dawn."
"Did I stutter?" Will asks through gritted teeth, his whole body taking on an aggressive stance. His fists clench, and I feel his muscles ripple underneath my hand. "You don't get to talk to Dawn. You are not coming inside our factory. You need to leave right now."
Oscar takes another step closer, completely ignoring Will now. "I'm your dad! We're family! You can't turn me away!" He's screaming at me now, his hot breath condensing into clouds in the air. He comes closer, now no more than two feet between us. I tremble, frozen in my place, tears streaming down my face and blurring my vision. My hair is blown about my face by the wintry air, but I hardly notice. He comes even closer. "Come on, Dawn! Tell him!"
"Hey!" Will shouts, matching his volume. He puts an arm against Oscar's chest, to stop his advance. Will dips his head and his hair falls over his forehead. His voice drops an octave, and he practically growls, "This is your first and last warning. Leave, before I turn your insides into your outsides and make it look like an accident."
* "Come 'ere, you bitch!" Oscar strains against Will's arm and grabs at me wildly. I yelp and let go of Will's arm, backing up to the doorway.
I hear a violent slap, and, all of a sudden, Oscar's in the gutter. He's choking on muddy snow and slush as he lays on the road, thoroughly stunned at what Will did, but Will's attention is no longer on him. Instead, Will whips around and grips my shoulders, gazing into my teary eyes.
"Are you alright?" he asks, speaking to me for the first time tonight. I nod slightly in response and scrub a hand across my eyes. He goes soft and bends down to be on my level. Will lifts my chin with a gentle finger, and I finally meet his eyes. They don't have any lingering hatred in them, only fierce protectiveness and deep tenderness. He draws back a bit and reaches behind his neck. He takes off the chain with the key to his room on it, only now I see the key isn't alone. Will slips it over my head and the charms clink together musically as they hit my stomach. "Listen to me." I look back up. "I want you to go inside and find an Oompa Loompa."
I can't just leave him! "But-"
"Once you are inside, close this door and whatever you do, don't look back. Have the Oompa Loompa take you to my room, use this to get in." He lifts the bottom of the chain in reference to the key. "Go directly to my room and stay there until I come to get you. Do not, and I can't stress this enough, do not go to your family. There will be time enough to tell them about Oscar once he's dealt with. Am I clear?"
I look over his shoulder to see Oscar stumbling to his feet, revenge burning in his eyes. He's going to kill Will! That is, if Will doesn't kill him first. "Yes, but-"
"Am I clear?" Will glances behind him, urgency rising in his voice. I nod hesitantly and grab his chin before he pulls away. He furrows his brows in confusion until I push my lips against his for a split second. I feel him smile against my mouth before he wrenches away from me and punches Oscar square in the face.
I back away slowly, still trembling as I watch Oscar wipe blood from his nose. He launches himself at Will, grappling for his eyes, but Will catches his hands and twists them downward. I back up more until I'm in the doorway, reluctant to leave Will. It's not that I don't have faith in him, it's just hard not to stay and watch.
Oscar manages to land a punch right on Will's mouth, and I gasp, clutching at the key on the necklace. I should go. I really should. But I don't. Instead, I stare with a morbid fascination as Will lands a kick to Oscar's shin causing him to double over. On his way down, Will slams Oscar's head onto his knee and throws him to the ground.
Will whips around to see me, frozen in the doorway. Irritation crosses his face as he shouts, "Go!"
Oscar is quickly on his feet again, though with a bit of a limp. He takes advantage if Will's distraction and grabs the back of his coat. He slams Will up against the wall, and I throw a hand out, not that it's of any help to Will. Oscar pushes Will into the wall again, and I hear the crack of his skull hitting the stone, making me wince hard.
"You're nothing, chocolate boy!" He slaps Will hard across the face. "A deranged imbecile, too scared to interact with normal people." He knees Will hard in the stomach, forcing the breath out of him. "A coward."
Will struggles to fight back, but Oscar has greater leverage and is holding him firmly against the wall. Will's like a child's ragdoll being thrown about negligently. Despondency takes over, I had thought Will could beat Oscar, but it turns out the fifty-six year old had a lot of fight still in him. Will deflates and turns from aggressive to defensive. Oscar spits on Will's face and whispers something nasty to Will as he slams him into the wall again. I force myself to take a step backward, but I'm still fixated on the brawling men.
Whatever Oscar said to Will had an immense effect on him. I can practically see flames ignite in his half-closed eyes and smoke come out of his ears. His jaw clenches and there's a second of limbo where Oscar appears to be moving in slow motion, about to push Will into the wall again. Will's eyes shoot open as he takes ahold of the hands gripping his lapels and squeezes them until the older man cries out.
He swings Oscar in an arc and slams him into the wall. "Don't you ever say that about my Dove!"
There was a sharp pop from his midriff when the older man hit the wall, but I feel no sympathy as I had for Will. Will drags Oscar away from the wall only to lift him almost effortlessly from the ground and throw him into the wall again. Oscar falls into a crumpled heap with a yell, trying to block his face. Will stands in the pale moonlight, glaring down at the form below him. He snarls and rolls up his already blood spattered sleeves before advancing on Oscar.
That's when I run. It's like a spell's been broken and my feet are finally unfrozen from the cold stone beneath me. I've already seen more of dangerous Will than I would have liked. It's scary to see someone who I know as a calm, loving man turn into a beast. Sure, it's kind of hot that he's doing it for me, but still...
In my haste to get away from the situation, I forgot to close the door like Will had told me to. It doesn't matter though, nothing does as I run on light feet, flying down the hallway as light as a feather. My hair flows out behind me and a grin spreads across my face as an overwhelming feeling of freedom takes over me. I run and run and run through dark halls, my eyes now a smidge more accustomed to the darkness.
As I'm rounding another turn, I don't see the squad of Oompa Loompas until it's too late. I stop short and skitter sideways, nearly falling down in my attempt not to run into the little guys. They stumble back, having an easier time stopping themselves because they were merely walking, and stare at me with wide eyes.
Once I catch my breath and have steadied myself, I'm able to say, "Hello, you a'right?" They nod disjointedly, and there's an awkward silence before I remember were I'm supposed to be going. "Could you help me get to Will's room?" I hold up the necklace with the key. "I'm supposed to meet him there, but I'm afraid I don't know the way."
Their eyes widen at the sight of the key, and they begin hopping up and down, muttering and pointing to the key. One steps forward from the rest and takes my hand carefully. The rest bow to me unnecessarily and carry on their way. The Oompa Loompa who had taken my hand tugs me towards a door and we walk together. His hand is small and warm, not unlike Charlie's hands, but it's much calmer than Charlie's hands. Charlie fidgets a lot, it's just all that energy he has.
The Oompa Loompa lets go of my hand in order to open the door and I see a large staircase. He starts up and I follow, the charms on the necklace making a beautiful clinking sound as they hit one another. What are these other charms? I cup my free hand under the pendants and bring them closer to my face. The staircase we're climbing has dim lights, and the small objects in my hands reflect the light, showing that they're all made out of metal.
There's the key, silver and cool on my palm with an elaborate W on the bow and a jagged bit. Beside the key, there's a small, gold bird charm. I flip it over and nearly start crying when I see it's a dove. It's pretty but not dainty, the indentations are darker than the shiny gold to reveal the inset details that make the charm look a little worn and old. It can't be that old though because it wasn't there when Will showed me his room for the first time, and I saw his key. I blink away tears as the Oompa Loompa finally stops our ascent by going through a door, holding it open for me. I slip through to see a room about the size of a broom closet, and I'm very confused until I look up and see that there are several stories above us. There's a ladder to my right which the Oompa Loompa starts to climb.
I've never seen this part of the factory before, but I could've guessed there'd be at least one ladder here instead of stairs. I start climbing, but I have to drop the pendants in order to do so because I only have one hand and this space is too dim to see the small objects very well anyway.
We must have climbed three stories, and my shoulder is just starting to ache when the Oompa Loompa above me stops and opens a hatch to his left. He climbs through and I follow, being very careful not to misstep and fall down the great height. The Oompa Loompa stands by the hatch while I stand to see the same hallway that Will first took me to when he showed me his room. Bright light comes from candelabras with electric bulbs that line the walls, illuminating the space and making me blink, unused to such light. I turn my head, and there, at the end of the hallway, is the pentagon door in all it's unusualness.
"Thank you," I say, turning to the Oompa Loompa. He nods, salutes, and climbs back through the hatch, closing it behind him.
I pace slowly towards the door, picking up the bottom of the chain again to take a look at the remaining unidenitified two charms as I do so. One is a thin, dark brown square with a date on one side, I can only assume that's the day he left his home to become a chocolatier. I vaguely remember this one already on the chain when I saw the key for the first time. The second pendant is a maroon, rotund heart with a catch on the side. My brow furrows, and I rub my thumb over the small knob lightly. It springs open!
The two sides of the heart lie flat on my palm, and I see a picture of me when I was very young. The young girl is smiling, a dimple on her left cheek, right eye squinted, not a care in the world. On the other side of the heart, there's a recent picture of me, smiling the same exact way, the same dimple on my left cheek, the same squint of my right eye. Not carefree as I was in the other picture, but still happy. This picture must have been taken in the factory one day without me noticing. I smile quietly and feel my heart swell. This could be taken as creepy and weird, but I think it's cute.
Guilt washes over me as I start to feel like I'm intruding. This is a small part of Will that he keeps for himself. He always wears this chain around his neck, tucked just under his shirt, out of sight. There must be a reason for that, and I don't think he'd want me seeing these pretty little charms. I click the heart shut and unlock the door carefully.
Will's room is dark, the light from the hallway spilling in eerily. I slide my hand along the wall until I find a switch. I flick it and hear a toilet flushing somewhere in the distance... Sighing heavily, I slide my hand farther along the wall and hit the second switch I find. This one brings the room to life.
There's a subtle hum in the air as lights turn on and the heater starts up. The stove in the kitchen corner ignites and a robotic claw places a tea kettle over the flame after filling it with water. A cabinet immediately to my left springs open, making me jump. A horizontal pole shoots out with a cream colored blanket draped over it, almost beckoning me to take it. I do and wrap it around my shoulders, still a little cold from outside.
I suppose there's nothing for me to do but wait for Will, so I look around for a place to settle myself. For the first time, I notice a narrow spiral staircase in the bedroom section of the room. I wonder where that goes.
For some reason, I get the feeling that I shouldn't have this necklace with me anymore. I feel like I've already seen more than Will was ready for me to see. I carefully remove the chain from around my neck and hang it on the end of the railing of the spiral staircase. This way, Will will know where I've gone when he comes back. When I reach the top of the steps, I see the largest library I've ever seen in my life. There are eight walls, lined with books from floor to ceiling. The staircase put me out directly in the center of the room, and there are no doors or windows. There are nine chandeliers that provide light, one directly above me, and one for every wall, making a perfect circle.
There's a large, red velvet arm chair to my side that looks a little out of place with a side table that holds a lamp and a book. I shuffle closer and see that the book is Julius Caesar by Shakespeare. Here looks like as good a place as any to wait for Will, so I curl up in the chair with my blanket. I pick up the book and start reading, but I've barely made it through the first page when sleep takes me.
This is officially the longest chapter thus far in this book. Thank you so much for struggling to the end! Don't forget to vote and share this story with your friends! Thank you all for getting this story close to 30k reads, almost there! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for all the reads and votes! You are valid and perfect, I love you all!
xoxo, Tilly