Finding happiness in the Parable || The Narrator x Stanley

Chapter 1: it only repeats.

"This was the story of a man named Stan-"

As usual, Stanley had cut the Narrator off in the middle of his prologue. The Narrator had grown used to that.

Stanley stood up, and exited his office door with a blank face.

"All of his co-workers were gone. What could it mean? Stanley decided to go to-"

The Narrator was cut off yet again, by Stanley already reaching the two doors.

"When Stanley got to a set of two open doors, he entered the one on his left."

By the time the Narrator had finished, Stanley had already entered the left door. He got to the meeting room, and walked straight through it, cutting the Narrator off during his description yet again. He headed to the stairs.

"Stanley, could you at least let me finish my sentences? If you're not going to let me narrate, then there's no point in me being here!"

Stanley walked up the stairs without responding in any way. He beelined through the bosses office, having memorised the code on the door. Yet the secret passage way did not open.

Stanley was confused, he noticed the Narrator had stopped talking since the staircase. He looked up at a camera pointed towards him from the corner of the ceiling.

A few years ago, when he was still curious about the nature of the Parable, when he was still discovering new endings, he had figured out that the Narrator sees him through the cameras.

He looked confused. This was the first hint of emotion he had shown in a long time. He was actually curious. The Narrator had known that Stanley had practically become a robot, and so he was slightly happy to see Stanley curious again. To see him somewhat interested in.. well in anything really, would always give the Narrator a slight glimpse of hope.

"Stanley, could you let me talk.. please? Stanley if I don't narrate, then I'm no Narrator! And that's my name, so I have to be the Narrator! I'm not going to continue the story, if you don't let me narrate it."

Stanley's face returned to a blank stare. He just stood by the fireplace, where the secret passage usually appears, and waited for it to open. He looked away from the camera, and just stared at the fireplace.

The Narrator sighed.

"Stanley.. are you going to let me narrate?"

Stanley nodded. Finally! A response!

"Good! But by shear luck, Stanley input the correct code."

The Narrator continued his talking, as Stanley walked towards the elevator. Instead of getting straight in, he waited for the Narrator to stop talking. Then he entered and pressed down.

Once Stanley had reached his destination, the doors... Did not open?

Stanley once again seemed rather confused.

"Thank you, Stanley. For letting me talk. its been a while since you've done that. Even if I did have to ask, thank you."

Stanley looked at the camera in the corner of the elevator, and nodded with a faint smile.

The Narrator had a huge grin on his face. Stanley had smiled! He was happy again! Right? In his game, his player had smiled! That means he's happy, right?

The elevator doors opened, and Stanley continued the story.

---

Stanley had gotten to the power facility, and let the Narrator finish talking, before he pushed the big button that said "off".

The big doors began to open. The Narrator was doing his thing, Narrating the situation, when he had finally finished. Stanley stepped through the doors, and the Narrator started talking again. Stanley just walked through the grass, feeling the breeze on his face.. this was always his favourite part of being stuck in the parable. Every time he repeated this god forsaken ending, he at least got to feel the brief sweetness of freedom.

"And Stanley.. was happy."

Then everything went black.

The end is never the end is never...

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Words: 645