Epilogue alternative (Comfort/sadness)

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Short summary : Narrator knows that Stanley isn't going to thrive in the parable so he decides to face his fears and let Stanley live for once - set him free. This is their goodbye to the Stanley parable.

(This has to be one of the most personally impactful things I have written.
It was made based off the song "PPP" by beach house which really radiates the same 'final goodbye' vibe in it.
This time, I literally beg you, please,
Listen to "PPP" while reading.
It's worth it, trust me.)

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"It was meant to last forever, but I suppose it had to end one day."

Years had past since the last time Stanley had cried about the outside world ; his inability to access it.
After all, he had started to be content with staying with the Narrator in the parable. They had gotten along so well, talked about so many different things, shared so many memories and shared so many experiences. Together.

Yet today, it hit him again. The parable no longer had much to offer. It felt as if the two were trapped constantly inside the limited space that used to feel infinite. They were confined inside their own imaginations, needing to think for themselves,
And sometimes, you needed other people's imaginations too. There's only so much you can do with your own mind.

The Narrator had started to think about Stanley's well being. It was the first time he'd even considered that perhaps, this wasn't the best for him. Even though the man looked happy with where he was, even though he seemed comfortable here in the parable, he worried that this wouldn't be enough for Stanley, and maybe that one day, without even knowing, he would mentally fade away. The constant repetition couldn't have been good for him.

The Narrator knew that one day, Stanley would need to go out and live for once, and feel alive. It hurt knowing that that future was slowly dawning on the both of them. The Narrator wanted Stanley to be free for once, and think for himself. Yet he didn't want to let him go.
Surely they'd find eachother again, but how different would it be? Would Stanley recognise him? Would they still share the same memories and the same experiences when they meet eachother - face to face, able to feel eachother's touch?

They both knew that one day, Stanley would leave, once and for all.
And today, was that day.

The Narrator had never let Stanley too far into the freedom ending field. Because it wasn't a field.
There was no real sky, or real fresh air, or real sunshine. It was a faked plain of grass and trees. Yet it was the closet Stanley would have been able to get to the outside world. The only thing preventing him was a wall of wood and paper behind bright white lights. Get through that, and he was free.

The Narrator was scared.
He was scared of Stanley leaving.
The only person he had felt such a connection to after all the hardships and the arguments. They found peace and comfort in eachother's presence,
And he couldn't afford to loose that.
So each time he got a bit too close, or a bit too far, a reset would be activated.
The Narrator never told Stanley this.
It was a bad thing, lying to someone he wanted nothing but to get close to. But he had to. He convinced himself he had to. He couldn't loose him. Not now, not then.

"Alright, Stanley."
They stood together in the tall grass, further away from the facility than Stanley had ever been.

"Reach forward for me."

A cold, smooth surface brushed against his fingertips, breaking the sense of infinity the field gave, shattering the optical illusion.
The blue sky was now in his hands, physical.
He could glide his fingers across what seemed to be a grass green field up towards the light blue sky.

"A-alright Stanley." The Narrator repeated, swallowing back the feeling of overwhelming longing already creeping up on him. He sighed a deep breath.
"This is it. How do you feel, Stanley?"

Stanley looked up at him, expression blank until a soft smile spread and eyes seemingly shining in the artificial light. This was it.
It was evident that tears were collecting inside him too.
For the last time in the parable, they shared their emotions together.

"That's not a problem though, of course. It's the end of the parable- your parable, a final goodbye if you will. You could call it a- um.. second epilogue, I suppose.

After all, that's what an epilogue is, isn't it?
A final goodbye, a conclusion.
This is the final goodbye of the Stanley parable for you and I, Stanley.
I hope you're ready.
I'll miss this. Won't you?"

A dent appeared where his hand was, and feeling a gap in the paper, he pulled it open- a door to his true freedom where he was now reluctant to walk.

The fresh air revived Stanley's lungs as he looked back on the parable. The mind control facility, the zen room, the office setting, the memory zone- it was all in the past now.
They were moving on.
Moving on to a new beginning.

"You'll go on for a bit without me nagging you, won't that be fun?" The Narrator forced a breathy laugh, "But don't you worry, Stanley. I'll come back for you, whether you like it or not. You won't be alone for too long, not at all. We'll always meet again, Stanley.

You're a part of me, after all. And I'm a part of you.
So however long it takes and however much we change,
As long as you're waiting for me,
I'll always be searching for you.

Until we're together again."

The Narrator was silent for a second before he took another deep inhale, and
for the last time, said one last line :

"Stanley stepped through the open door."

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(This was definitely inspired by the Truman show's ending because I really wanted that "this is it : the end " feel to it.
The words said by the Narrator were also thought of while listening to PPP lol.

Hope you enjoyed that because I am very happy about it.
Thank you for reading)

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