Chapter 10
Stephanie snuggled up against his chest. Oddly it felt right to do that, though she didn't know why. Sportacus didn't seem to mind.
They soon arrived at Mayor Meanswell's. Sportacus gently set Stephanie down and knocked on the door. Milford opened the door quickly and hugged Stephanie.
"You must be Uncle Milford." Stephanie smiled as she put her arms around him.
"Oh Stephanie come in. I hope this helps to bring some of your memory." Uncle Milford handed her a little pink book. It had a big pink heart on it and the rest was covered fuzzy pink fabric. Stephanie ran her hands over it and something seemed to click. She opened it to the first page and read it.
"I think that you should try and rest, Stephanie. You've had a very trying day." Sportacus interrupted her reading.
"Good idea, Sportacus. Come on Stephanie I'll show you to your room." Uncle Milford said as he took Stephanie's hand and led her up the stairs. He showed her to her room and told her the bathroom was across the hall. Then he went back downstairs to talk to Sportacus.
Stephanie looked around her room. It seemed familiar but she didn't really know why. She went over to her dresser and opened the first drawer. Inside was her undergarments and something else. Stephanie lifted the pink metal frame out of the drawer. She stared at it and the picture inside of it. Carefully she traced the frame with her fingertips. Then it hit her. The picture and the frame seemed to jump out at her. She was standing next to Sportacus and he was "standing" on his hands. Around the outside of the frame were the words, "There's Always a Way". Stephanie started to hum the song and soon she was singing.
"…There is always a way,
You gotta know you can make it,
There is always a way,
You gotta believe in yourself,
Soon you'll be shining because you never stopped trying,
Really believe there is always a way…"
Then there was a knock on the door. Stephanie opened the door and saw Sportacus standing there.
"I heard someone singing who was supposed to be resting." Sportacus smiled. Then he noticed the frame in her hand. For a second Stephanie thought she saw tears welling up in Sportacus' eyes.
"Are you ok?" She asked.
"I'm fine. You know I gave that to you for your…" Sportacus didn't get a chance to finish.
"For my ninth birthday. I remember you made it and joked about all the cuts on your fingers." Stephanie chimed in.
"Yeah, well I think you should get some sleep." Sportacus said changing the subject.
"I don't want to go to sleep. After this, I want to see what else I remember." She said, excitedly.
"I promise tomorrow we'll try to get you to remember more. Now why don't you get into bed?" Sportacus told her.
"I haven't brushed my teeth yet." Stephanie said. Sportacus nodded and said, "Twenty Times Time." Then he went back downstairs. Those words seemed familiar to her but she couldn't place them. Then Stephanie walked across the hall and started to brush her teeth. In the middle of brushing her teeth she began to hum another song. Stopping to spit she said, "Twenty Times Time is all you need." Smiling at remembering something else she rinsed her mouth out and turned to leave the bathroom.
Sportacus and Mayor Meanswell were discussing what to do the next day when they heard a scream from upstairs. Quickly, Sportacus leaped up the stairs taking them two at a time. The Mayor did his best to follow behind him.
To Be Continued…
