Madame Lunar is standing just inside the gates. She is a tall woman with bright green skin, and she wears a silver suit and top hat. I would hazard a guess that like Star, she is a part human humanoid. The crowd watch intently as she steps through the gates. She has a long face framed with fiery red hair, with a strong jaw and prominent nose. Her vibrant green skin and regal demeanour command attention.
Lunar opens her arms wide in a gesture of welcome and beams. “Welcome, my friends! Platinum ticket winners, welcome to my factory. Children, please step forward one at a time and bring your parents.”
The children at the front of the crowd look at each other, excited and a little nervous. They slowly start to move forward, holding their parents’ hands as they approach Lunar. Tabbie and I also step forward. Star is still clinging to me.
A chubby little girl with a pink face and blond pigtails steps up. “I’m Gretta.”
Lunar smiles warmly down at the little girl. “Hello Gretta,” she says in a friendly tone. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
“I love sweeties,” says Gretta.
Luna chuckles. “Oh really? Well you’ve come to the right place. This factory is full of all sorts of delicious sweets and candies. Would you like to see?”
“Lemme at the candies now,” squeaks Gretta.
Lunar laughs heartily. “We’ll get to them right away. But first I’m going to meet the other four ticket winners.”
The second ticket winner is a girl of about thirteen with red hair and a purple hoodie. “I’m Scarlett.” Scarlett’s chewing bubblegum and she blows and pops a pink bubble.
Lunar smiles. “Ah, hello there Scarlett,” she says. “It’s nice to meet someone with such a unique name. And I can see you’re quite the bubblegum expert.”
The third winner steps forward. She is wearing a pristine ermine coat. “My name,” she says, “is Vera.”
Lunar gazes at Vera, a hint of curiosity in her piercing blue eyes. “Ah, a young lady of elegance. It’s good to meet you, Vera.”
The fourth winner steps forward. She is a little girl with long black hair. “My name is Mica.”
Lunar smiles warmly at Mica. “Hello there, Mica,” she says. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
And now it’s Star’s turn to show her platinum ticket. My little green girl is still clinging to me.
“C’mon, Velcro-girlie,” says Tabbie, detaching Star from me.
Lunar chuckles at the sight of Star clinging to me. “Ah, it seems we have a little Velcro-girl here,” she says with a smile playing around her greyish lips. Lunar looks at Tabbie, then me and then back at Star. “And who might this adorable little one be?”
“Our daughter, Star,” says Tabbie.
Lunar gazes down at Star, a warm smile on her face. “Hello Star,” she says gently. “It’s lovely to meet you.” Luna reaches out a hand towards Star, beckoning her closer. Star smiles sweetly and runs over to Lunar, hugging her leg. “Well aren’t you just a sweetheart?” she says, patting Star gently on the head as the little green girl continues to hold onto her leg.
Now it’s time to start the tour.
“Everyone through the gates? Good.” Lunar claps her gloved hands together and the iron gazes swing shut and all sight of the crowd outside is lost.
“Follow me! Through the great purple doors,” says Lunar. She leads us all through the doors which swing shut behind us. We’re now in a long, wide corridor that stretches into the distance. The walls are deep blue. I’m holding Star’s hand. My daughter’s little green nose twitches. “Nice smells,” she says.
Lunar smiles at Star’s comment. “You have quite the keen sense of smell. Yes, there are many delicious aromas coming from the factory. I’m sure you’ll all find plenty of things to satisfy your sweet tooth.”
Lunar leads us all down a side corridor that slopes steeply downwards. We arrive at a metal door which Lunar opens with a bunch of keys. The door opens into a vast room with fields of deep blue grass and brightly coloured flowers. There’s a path leading from the door through the fields and between the fields runs a river of shimmering liquid that shines in all colours of the rainbow. Some way down the river, there’s a waterfall of the rainbow liquid, a steep cliff over which the iridescent river curls and rolls in a solid sheet and then goes crashing down into a whirlpool of rainbow spray.
It's amazing! I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. There are murmurs from the group and little Star is looking around with wide brown eyes.
“Everything in this room can be eaten,” says Lunar. “But please stay away from the rainbow river.”
“Everything here can be eaten?” I ask incredulously.
Lunar nods. “Everything can be eaten or drunk, except for the rainbow river. Please stay away from the rainbow river.”
“Right,” I reply. “No touching the rainbow river.”
Star looks at the sparkling liquid with curiosity but seems to understand that it’s off limits.
“Be back here in an hour,” says Lunar.
I glance around quickly. The grass is made of blue sugar and the plants and bushes are made of different candies. There are fountains of soda and toadstools with plates of cream. Tabbie sees a tree with chocolate cherries a short distance away. “Chocolate cherries? Cool!” She makes straight down the path for the tree.
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I hold Star’s hand. “Where shall we go, Star? The peppermint tree? The candyfloss bush? The lemonade stream? The soda fountain?”
Star looks around at all the different options and can’t seem to decide. She glances up at me with wide eyes. “Can we go everywhere?” she asks excitedly.
“We’ll try out best, sweetpea. Let’s start with the peppermint tree.”
I scoop Star up in my arms and she giggles. I race along the path to the peppermint tree and pick a striped peppermint cream for Star who happily takes it and begins to nibble on it with a big smile on her face.
Next stop, the lemonade stream.
I take Star by the hand. “Alright, little one. Let’s go get some lemonade.”
We walk the path through the candy-filled fields until we reach the sparkling lemonade stream. There are flower shaped cups by the stream. “Would you like a cup of lemonade, Star?”
Star nods excitedly. “Yes, please.”
I grab two cups from a nearby stream and fill them both with refreshing lemonade. I hand one to Star which she happily accepts. She takes a sip and smiles widely. “Yummy!”
We take a trip to the sherbet fountain next. I laugh as Star drinks from the frothy fountain and gets all over her face.
“Watch out. You’re getting sherbet all over you.”
Star giggles, smears of sherbet adorn her green nose and cheeks. I wipe her clean as best I can and then we traipse through a meadow of huge fluffy marshmallows. We pick a few, and then follow the path to a cottage made of gingerbread and candy. It’s a sight to behold. I take Star’s hand and lead her to the front door. “Alright, let’s see what’s inside.”
I twist open the gumdrop door and we step into the sweet smelling interior. The gingerbread house is full of all sorts of delicious treats. There are giant candy canes stuck into the floor like pillars, gumdrop walls and tables lined with cookies and cakes. Star giggles as squeaking blue and pink sugar mice dash across the floor. There’s a variety of fresh pastries. I gather some cream cakes on a plate for her which she happily accepts. “Thank you,” she says with a grin. The little ogre-girl takes a bite of a cake and then holds it out to me. “Sharing is caring,” she says solemnly.
“That’s right darling,” I take the half eaten cake and stroke her hair.
Soon enough it’s time to go back to the banks of the Rainbow River.
“Alright, time to head back.” I gather Star up in my arms. She smiles at me, her little green face is adorned with cream. Oops, she wants to kiss me even though her face is covered in cream. She rubs her shiny green face adorned with cream against mine, so I’m a mess too once we get to the rainbow river. I try to get us cleaned up while Star gazes at the river which is still flowing with its sparkling colours.
The entire group of parents and kids gather around Lunar at the banks of the rainbow river. Tabbie comes over, swaying slightly. She leans close to me and Star and I can smell cherry liqueur on her breath. The chocolate cherries she ate must have been liqueurs and she didn’t realise!
“Heyy, you pair of cuties.” Tabbie hiccups.
Star giggles. “Mummy, your breath smells funny.”
“No it doesn’t, darling,” says Tabbie, trying to hide her drunkenness. “Now let’s get you cleaned up.” I set Star on the riverbank so that Tabbie can wipe her green face with a hanky and then puts her inked face close to mine and licks the traces of cream off my face.
Lunar glances around. “Are we all here? Good.”
Vera cries out and points towards the opposite bank. “Look! I can see little creatures.”
And indeed there are little green creatures on the far bank.
The other kids and parents turn to look where Vera is pointing. “Where?” asks one of the mothers.
“There,” says another child, pointing at the little green humanoids on the far bank.
“They are my goblin workers,” says Lunar. “They serve me. I am their chieftain. A hobgoblin.”
We all gaze at her in surprise. “Goblins?” says one of the fathers, “In a candy factory?”
The kids look intrigued, their eyes fixed on the little green creatures across the river.
Lunar grins at him. “We live and work underground, Sir. Isn’t that a giveaway that we’re goblins? I am queen of this underground realm. We work day and night making different sweets. The most skilful goblins make my special sugar crystals. I can’t make them all myself. I’ve only got one pair of hands.” She lifts up her gloved hands.
Suddenly I notice Gretta, the pink faced chubby girl with blond pigtails, is lying on her belly by the rainbow river and lapping up the iridescent liquid.
Lunar’s eyes widen in shock as she sees Gretta lapping at the rainbow river. “Stop!” she cries out. “That’s not for drinking!”
But Gretta is leaning over too far… with a splash, she falls into the rainbow river. A couple of the girls and mums give little cries, but I step forward and pull a giant lollipop out of the ground near the bank and hold it out to the chubby girl who’s floundering and splashing in the vibrant river. She grabs the lollipop and I pull her out onto the bank. She’s covered in the rainbow liquid. “Oh my little one, are you OK?” asks her mother, wide eyed. Gretta splutters then nods her head.
We all let out a collective sigh of relief that Gretta is okay. “It’s alright,” says her father. “Just be more careful next time.”
The mother, a pale larger framed lady, touches my arm, her cheeks flushing pink. “Thank you, Sir. You’re a real hero.”
“My daddy’s a hero!” says Star, her little green face wreathed in smiles. “He saved Gretta’s life.”
“A handsome superhero,” says Tabbie and she sniffs, her drunkenness making her more emotional.
Lunar glares at Gretta. “You disobeyed me. You cannot continue this tour. You must go home now.”
We give Gretta commiserating looks. A group of green goblins appears and approaches Gretta and her parents. “Come with us,” says one of the goblins in a squeaky voice. Gretta looks disappointed as she is led away from the tour, followed by her embarrassed looking mum and dad.
Lunar claps her gloved hands together. “We’ve got a long way to go. But we have transport. A private yacht!”
Out of the shimmering mist that rises from the rainbow river, a beautiful blue boat appears. It’s made of blue crystal, like sparkling blue glass. It’s being rowed by goblins. The gleaming crystal boat comes gliding up to the riverbank. All of us, parents and children alike, gaze at it in awe.
“Get on board, everyone. Please be quick,” says Lunar.
We all climb on board. The kids’ eyes are wide with wonder at the unique yacht. We clamber on to the boat. I’m carrying Star, and her little thin arms are wrapped around me. We all sit on the benches on the yacht which are not occupied by goblin rowers. It’s pretty cramped. Star snuggles on my lap, nuzzling my cheek and making a soft cry of delight. Then she rubs her shiny green nose against my nose. I hug her close, feeling her little body snuggled against me. Tabbie leans against me as well, looking a bit more relaxed now.
Lunar is sitting next to me and observing us. The myriad lights around us glint off the factory owner’s red hair and shine off her long green nose. Her gaze gives me the feeling that I’m being scrutinised. “You are a close-knit family,” she says out loud.
Star grins at Lunar. “I love my daddy.”
Scarlett, the teenage girl on the tour, glances over at us. “I would snuggle with my dad if he looked like yours,” she says loudly. “Talk about man-candy.”
There are some sniggers from the group and some murmuring. Tabbie shifts on the bench and glares at Scarlett. Star is undeterred by Scarlett’s off-colour remark and nuzzles her shiny green nose against my nose again, making little cries of joy. I hold my daughter in my arms and feel my heart swell with love for her. Part of the reason I love her so much is because her affection for me is pure and genuine and it’s impossible to resist her adoration.
The boat enters a brick tunnel lit up by lamps in the ceiling.
Lunar claps her hands together. “Stop the boat!”
The goblin rowers start to paddle against the current of the rainbow river, keeping the boat steady alongside a large metal door.
“This is out destination!” Says Lunar.
We all look at the door curiously, wondering what lies beyond it.