Benjamin and Charlie's Chocolate Factory

Chapter 9

On the chocolate river, a big, purple sea horse-shaped boat floated by. There were fifty-two Oompa-Loompas in blue suits paddling the boat along, twenty-six on either foot, and one in the middle, banging on a big drum like a metronome. The boat came to a halt in front of the group.

"All aboard, everyone!" Mr. Bucket motioned everyone to enter the boat. Benjamin cautiously entered the boat and sat in the far back, the only seat available. Benjamin smiled to see Mr. Bucket approach him and sat next to him and Mr. Bucket returned Benjamin's smile, pleased to see him happy. He then motioned the Oompa-Loompas to go head.

"Onward!"

The Oompa Loompa with the drum started to bang the drum again and the other Oompa Loompas began to row. Mr. Bucket was taken aback by their sudden movement, and so was Benjamin since he's never been on a boat before. Benjamin slid closer to him, concerned that he might fall off. Mr. Bucket smiled when he saw him and motioned for him to come closer.  Benjamin smiled widely and scooted closer to him, inches away. Mr. Bucket looked down at him, seemingly thinking to himself. 

Mr. Bucket then reached down and pulled out a dark pink that looked like the seahorse boat, dipped it in the chocolate river, and handed it to Benjamin. "Here, try some of this." Benjamin cautiously sipped the chocolate from the ladle. "It's great!" Benjamin exclaimed with delight, and set the ladle down when it was empty.

"That's because it's mixed with the waterfall. The waterfall is the most important. Mixed the chocolate, churns it up, makes it light and frothy. But the way, no other factor in the world-"

"You already said that." Audrey interrupted uncaringly.

Mr. Bucket went silent, the atmosphere getting awkward again. Before Benjamin decided to intervene. "Well, I didn't hear him the first time anyway," Benjamin mentioned quietly. The four children gazed at him in a judging, confused, and annoyed manner before turning away. Mr. Bucket looked down at him before smiling, as if he realized Benjamin was defending him at the time, but he soon decided to add a remark of his own.

"You're all quiet smart, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, we're growing!" Kate said in a sassy tone. "Well, that's no excuse. I was never as smart as you as a child." Mr. Bucket retorted. "You were once." Tyler added.

"Charlie?" Benjamin asked looking up at him curiously.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember what it was like being a kid?"

"Oh, oh boy do I." He smiled and then gazed off into the distance. His face drooped as he became quiet. "Do I....?" He whispered. He said nothing after that, his brows was furrowed and looked very distraught. Benjamin was concerned and wondered what he was thinking. Benjamin wondered if he was thinking of the time Mr. Bucket first came to the factory, and meeting Willy, and possibly, after he had won and moved in his factory.

Maybe....

After a few minutes the boat began to reach a tunnel. Benjamin was getting more worried about Mr. Bucket, and tugged onto his sleeve hoping to get his attention. "Charlie? Charlie, there's a tunnel up ahead!" He pointed out with a cry, and that he snapped out of his daze and looked forward.

"Oh, that." He said, sounding slightly out of it still. "Full speed ahead." He ordered, seemingly unscathed by whatever had just happened to him. The Oompa-Loops ponding on the drum went faster, and do did the rowers.

"How can they see where they're going?" Kate questioned. "They can't. There's no knowing where they're going. Mr. Bucket answered quietly.

"Switch on the lights!" he ordered, his voice echoing.

The boat appeared to be heading straight as soon as the lights turned on, but instead it slid down a steep drop and moved significantly quicker. Benjamin yelped and clutched Mr. Bucket's arm tightly, his face hidden under his sleeve. Mr. Bucket wrapped an arm around Benjamin's small body to try to soothe and make him feel secure because of the wild movements of the boat and the sounds of melted chocolate crashing. The boat continued to rush along, rocking back and forth, sending everyone else in the group reeling in the same way.

When the boat finally reached the end of the slope and went slower, Benjamin was trembling like a leaf and was far to scared to let go, afraid they'd go to another steep.

He then felt a gloved hand rub his head comfortly and glanced up at Mr. Bucket. He had a reassuring smile and whispered. "It's alright, there won't be another one of those for a little bit, take a look around." Benjamin nodded and backed away, doing as he was told, when he saw he was surrounded in a dark blue light.

"Everyone, keep an eye out. We're passing some important rooms here." Mr. Bucket informed.

Benjamin saw a variety of different large, vault-like gates. Some of the ones he passed read: 'Clotted Cream', 'Coffee Cream', and 'Hair Cream'. "What do you use hair cream for?" Mr. Wilson asked turning to Mr. Bucket. "To lock the moisture." Mr. Bucket laughed a little, bouncing with one side of his curly hair.

They passed by an open gate and saw four Oompa-Loompasq whipping a cow that was hoisted in the air. "Whipped cream!" Benjamin spoke with a small giggle. "Precisely." Mr. Bucket laughed.

"That doesn't make sense." Piper said arrogantly.

Mr. Bucket turned and looked at her annoyed. "For your information, little girl, whipped cream isn't whipped cream at all unless it's been whipped into whips. Everyone knows that." He explained as he held back his irritation towards her, but still had a angry vibe.

The Oompa-Loompa drummer started to pick up the pace once more, and Mr. Bucket offered his arm to Benjamin, motioning it was going to get bumpy again. Benjamin practically raced to Mr. Bucket and immediately clinged onto him like before and the boat started to get carried off by rapids in the river, after a few moments the boat went down another steep drop and when it got to the bottom it spun in a circle then went it faced straight it again it went into another tunnel, finally drifting down to another steady current.

"Stop the boat! I wanna show you all something!" Mr. Bucket said excitedly.

When Benjamin looked over, he saw the boat was stopping at the 'Inventing Room'.