Remember

Chapter 4:

     Chapter 4:

     It's dark now, dinner long past as the castle lays dormant, asleep. The carpeted staircase is silent beneath my feet as I make my way downstairs, but I don't turn into the great hall, heading straight ahead to a door slightly hidden from eyesight.

     Is this a good idea...? I pause, unsure and nervous. He hasn't seen me since... I sigh, and carefully inch the door open. It groans, and I cringe from the noise. That was moderately loud. Quickly, I step down the first few steps and listen to the door as it closes by itself with a sputter and a click. It's so dark... Keeping my hand on the wall, I make my way down the 483 stairs in silence. I shouldn't do this... This is stupid- I'll get caught... Dust gets into my nose and my nostrils flare before I sneeze into my arm.

     I try to finish my descent quicker, but trip in the darkness and almost start tumbling the entire way down. It's hard to see anything at all, and my mind begins to wander as my feet fall into a steady rhythm. Will I be getting a new trainer? Will he be another ass? My hands brush along the wall, unfazed by the jagged stone bricks. Maybe I was being a bit over the top though... The sound of my feet is comforting, seeing as the only other thing I can hear is dripping water, the atmosphere around me moist the lower into the ground I get. I guess I'm quite a bit of an ass myself, now that I think about it... but he brought my mother into the argument. I begin to see a faint light as I continue spiraling downwards. That wasn't necessary.

     Stepping into the open archway, the waiting room is just as I remember it, only... smaller. I take a deep breath and move towards the storage closet, Frank not waiting for me like when I was younger. Of course he wouldn't be. When I enter, silent, I see the man bending over, collecting whatever he needs and tossing it into a basket as he quietly mumbles to himself. Not sure what else to do, I clear my throat, causing him to flinch.

     "Your Majesty, my apolo-." Frank spins around, but upon seeing me he sharply inhales, surprised. "Mitch?" I weakly smile.

     "Hi Frank."

     "Mitch, my boy!" Frank cheers, embracing me firmly as he laughs. "You were not who I was expecting to see! Not at all!" Frank continues to laugh.

     "Were you expecting my father?" I mumble, beginning to get nervous.

     "Well he's the only one to ever come down here, though he never tells me when, that bastard." Frank mutters the last few words, causing me to laugh myself. It feels so good to laugh again.

     "Yeah, he's not improved at all." I sigh, shaking my head with a smile and once again embracing Frank. "I missed you."

     "And I missed my tiny assistant, though he isn't so tiny anymore!" Frank punches me lightly in the shoulder, smirking to himself as he looks me over. "God, look at how you've grown! So tall and strong looking- and handsome too, you little devil!" I give Frank a light shove, chuckling as my face flushes lightly.

     "Shut up; now what can I do to help?"

     "Well how about you carry absolutely everything for me? These old bones aren't what they used to be!" Frank has a mischievous look in his eyes and smirks, shoving the basket into my arms. I roll my eyes.

     "Does that give me the right to call you an old man?" I ask, teasing, as Frank begins to toss in a bunch more food.

     "Hell no- but you can call me a lazy man if you please." I laugh at that. He always had a way to make me smile like everything was perfect. I blissfully sigh, content with well, everything. Soon Frank decides that enough is enough (after two baskets overstuffed with food) and leads me out into the waiting room, beginning to fiddle with his keys. "So tell me Mitch, how're things up there in the real world?"