By the time you get to the body of the story, your pleasure in the story and your audience's pleasure will probably take over and carry you to the end. If you suddenly can't remember what comes next, remember that you have spent a lot of time inside your story, making it something like a memory to be recounted. Drop back into that inner memory, find your place and you will be able to go on. When someone simply tells a story, a direct connection is made between the teller and the listeners. Nothing comes between them.
Eye contact is constant.
The story comes straight from the teller's head and is told especially for the listeners. But the process is not one-way. The listeners' response feeds the teller who may well alter the story or how she is telling it accordingly. This experience is personal, direct and vital. It tends to engage even the most reluctant listeners and strengthen the relationship between the teller and the listeners.