𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 [𝙽𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛 𝚡 𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚕𝚎𝚢]

12-Stanley

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THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END

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Stanley sat in his living room, reading through the books that had been left on the table. The two ones that matched had turned out to be books on ASL! Stanley knew this would likely prove to be incredibly helpful; considering his current lack of ability to speak.

Stanley found the language fascinating; the ways to distinguish between signs in all the small ways. He knew it would take quite a while before he was anywhere near proficient, but he was an eager learner if it helped him regain his ability to communicate with others once he was ready for that.

There was a ringing coming from the bedroom, and a slight buzzing to accompany it.

The phone, Stanley absentmindedly thought. He finished the page he'd been reading, before grabbing a rouge paper scrap from the table. He placed the piece of paper between the two pages he'd been reading before standing up and walking toward the source of the noise.

The clock on top of the bedside table read 2:31.

He opened the drawer he'd sat the charging phone in, and its screen lit up with an icon of one of the people in that picture on his phone. This one had dyed teal hair in a wolf cut and some piercings with pale skin. The name under the icon read 'Rowen' with a couple of emojis after.

While trying to pick the phone up out of the drawer, Stanley's hand brushed over the green 'accept call' button.

The screen was filled with the image of the person, who was mid-argument with another one of the people from the group picture (That one was a lot taller; they had darker skin and short-cut neatly kept hair.

"He's been gone for two weeks. It's useless to keep calling him every day, Rowen! He's not going to-" The tall one said, cutting off as he noticed Stanley's face.

The one who Stanley had no choice but to assume was Rowen stared at Stanley, tears welling up in their eyes. "Stanley! Where have you been!"

Dammit. He'd have to respond, wouldn't he? On one hand, he could just hang up, but on the other, these people seemed to be his friends. They'd just get more worried. He'd have to try.

"Stanley... set the phone down and talk to us." Rowen instructed him.

He took the phone to the living room, propping the phone up on some books he wasn't reading.

Once the phone was properly in place and Stanley moved back, the one with the short hair spoke "Woah, Stan, what happened? You look horrible."

He opened back up the ASL book on the table, searching for what he needed to say. He signed slowly, having to flip through the book for every sign. The people were patiently waiting for him.

[Who Are You] He signed with confusion on his face.

Worry lines creased their faces. "Don't mess with us right now, Stanley." Rowen said again.

[I'm Not]

Rowen paused, the audio cutting out on their end from them hitting the mute button. Stanley could see them talking to the other guy.

They turned back to the phone, unmuting and saying "Stanley, we're going over to your apartment." Rowen said.

[No]

"Stanley- you- you can't just disappear for two weeks and act like you don't know us and expect us not to be worried! You're even acting as though you don't know how to sign! You've known how to sign longer than you've known us!" The Tall One yelled at the phone.

"We're coming over. Please, we're worried about you." Rowen whispered.

Stanley hung up. He didn't know these people! They were being quite forceful about this. He stood up and walked over to the front door, making sure it was locked. He had no plans on opening the door for these... these... strangers who claimed to know him.

He buried his face in his hands. He just wanted his actual friend back. There was no doubt in his mind that The Narrator was out there somewhere. He turned his back to the door and slid to the floor against it.

This whole situation was terrible. He watched minutes tick by on the microwave clock, a nauseous feeling in his stomach.

2:34.

2:35.

What was he even supposed to say to them?

He knew he'd have to deal with people eventually but he didn't expect it to be this soon!

2:37.

How was time moving so quickly yet crawling by so slowly at the same time?

2:39.

The well-anticipated and dreaded knock on the door came. His breaths were shallow and quick and painful. He was terrified. With trembling hands, he stumbled to get the pad of paper and pen.

In big, messy letters, he wrote the word "LEAVE" and slid it under the door.

He heard someone pick it up.

There was a voice outside the door. Stanley's brain was too muddled to comprehend the words, but he knew it sounded like Rowen.

He'd been alone for so long. He wasn't ready to be around people other than The Narrator yet.

He heard the sounds of a key being put into a lock (had his dumbass really given these people a key in the past?). He felt the door press against his back.

They kept pushing. He supposed it wasn't surprising, there were two of them and only one of him blocking the door. They'd opened the door about four inches before Stanley gave up and moved out of the way; staying behind where the door opened.

He shut his eyes tight as he heard the sounds of boots shuffling into the room.

"Stanley?!" Rowen called out. Stanley tried to stay as quiet as he could. His once rapid breathing turned to not breathing at all. Fear wracked every muscle in his feeble body.

He heard the footsteps stop in front of him.

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He tensed up, keeping his eyes closed. He wished for that black reset screen to come more than ever.

He heard people trying to talk to him.

He wouldn't open his eyes. He didn't want to see these people.

He felt tears streaming down his face.

"Stanley, please, it's just us, calm down." One of them said.

Please Leave, Stanley thought.

Tears still streamed down his face. He hoped if he just sat here, unresponsive, long enough they might leave.