Chapter 1: How It Started

I was a fairly normal girl in a fairly normal town. I lived in a small apartment with my older brother Nathan. Our parents had died when we were young, leaving us alone to fend for ourselves. We were both heartbroken, but Nate was strong and helped me cope and move on.

We worked odd jobs every once in a while and I had a paper route that made me a little money. Unfortunately, the rent on our tiny apartment was being raised and it didn't look like we'd have enough money by the end of the month. We were going to be kicked out of our home and there was nothing we could do.

Earlier when I said I live in a fairly normal town, I forgot to mention the one exception. Our town was home to the Wendy Wilco Chocolate Factory. I'm sure you've heard of it. It's the biggest candy distributor in the world. But it is a very mysterious place. The owner, Ms. Wilco, hadn't made a public appearance in years. Some say it's due to an injury that crippled her for life. Others say it was because she was paranoid about people stealing her ingredients. Whatever happened, it was enough to make her close the gates to the factory for good, never allowing anyone to set foot there. That was, until the contest was announced.

The news reported that Wendy Wilco had hidden five golden tickets in five different Wilco Bar wrappers. Those who found the tickets would win a lifetime supply of Wilco brand candy and would get a tour of the factory. Everyone was talking about the contest, hoping they'd be the ones to find a ticket.

It was only a day after the contest was announced that the first winner was revealed. It was a German girl by the name of Augustine Glorp. She was interviewed by a reporter, but wouldn't stop eating enough to answer any questions.

The second winner, announced about a week later, was an American boy by the name of Matt Veetee. He too was interviewed and seemed like he was more excited to be on television than winning the contest.

The third winner was a rich English girl by the name of Virana Pepper. When she was interviewed, she kept talking about how she knew she would win and showed off some of her possessions. The report was cut off when she refused to talk to the reporter and instead took two of her naked female Barbie dolls and positioned one behind the other, forcing it to make thrusting motions towards the other. She seemed like a very odd girl.

The fourth winner was another American by the name of Laitia Maitoon. She boasted that she held the record for longest amount of time chewing a single piece of gum, which she was still chewing. She seemed very proud of herself.

There was only one ticket left. I knew I couldn't afford to buy any chocolate because of our money problems, but near the end of the month, my birthday came and my brother bought me a Wilco Bar. I told him how much I appreciate it and eagerly opened it, hoping to see that golden gleam. If I got the ticket, I could sell it and get us both a proper-sized house. But there was just chocolate. I hid my slight disappointment and shared my chocolate bar with him, thankful for the gift regardless of its lack of a golden ticket.

It was announced the next day that the fifth and final ticket had been found by someone in South America. I didn't even bother watching the news report.

It was only a matter of days before we would be homeless and if it weren't for Nate's strong optimism, I'd have been a wreck. Sure, I was pretty sad, but Nate was great at lifting my spirits.

Two days before our rent was due, we counted what little money we had. We were about one hundred dollars short. Nate smiled at me and handed me a few dollars. "Here, Charlotte," he said as my eyes started watering. "Take this and go get yourself a chocolate bar."

I protested, but he assured me that it was alright. I wiped my tears and mustered up a smile, then left the house and headed out.

After about ten minutes of walking, I reached the corner with the candy store. "One Wilco Bar, please," I said, handing the money to the cashier.