Once upon a sunny morn, young Charlie woke with yawns & stretch, his muscles worn. In his bed, so cozy and nice, Charlie frowned feeling something not quite right. His legs felt heavy like two bags of sand, after yesterday's game, where he played so grand.
With a basketball game that lasted quite late, Charlie had shot hoops with his mates. They jumped, they ran, they scored, they cheered, but now all that fun had something to be feared. Charlie's arms and legs felt strange and tight, from all the dribbling and dunking in the moon's soft light.
He rolled out of bed, a soft rug under his toes, pictures of basketball stars in poses heroes pose. He tried to stand tall, but oh what a shock, his body felt stiff as a very old clock. He stumbled and bumbled and with each little step, he wished for a magic to swoosh and reset.
Charlie squinted and thought, 'Is this a spell? Did I turn into a robot? Hard to tell!' He wiggled his fingers and wobbled his knees, sounds like a creek came with each little squeeze. He giggled at the noises, so odd and so funny, a symphony played by a bunny who's runny.
Then from the kitchen, the smell of pancakes arose, tickling Charlie's nose, guiding him as he chose. He moved like a turtle, slow and unsure, but the thought of sweet syrup gave him strength to endure. The hall seemed so long, an adventure untold, his tummy growled louder, brave and so bold.
As Charlie plodded, he started to sing, 'I'm a knight on a quest, for pancakes my king!' He made each step a gallant stride, thinking of toppings, his eyes open wide. At last, he arrived, the table in sight, his chair like a throne, all shiny and bright.
He sat down to eat, his family around, sharing stories and laughs, love that abounds. Charlie forgot about his aches, now so small, for the joy of the morning made him feel tall. 'Next time I'll stretch both before and after, to wake up again to a day full of laughter.'