"Press 'G' for six seconds. Good job. Please wait for further instructions." Stanley patiently waited for what his next task would be. After a few moments, he looked at the clock on the wall. He then realized that it was almost break time. He had been meaning to ask Employee #435, more commonly addressed to as Robert, if he wanted to go watch a movie with him. Robert and Stanley always enjoyed spending time together, whether it was a simple conversation in the break room or going to any local hangout.
Stanley stopped what he was thinking about for a moment or two. It's him again, isn't it? Stanley thought to himself. Stanley had often heard this voice. He had no idea who the voice belonged to, or why he was the only one to hear it. Whatever it was, the voice frightened Stanley. It dictated Stanley's every choice that he made. In fact, the voice was doing it right now. No matter how much Stanley wanted to, he could never work up the courage to speak to this ominous voice.
"Who are you?"
....Wait, what? Stanley, di-did you just speak to me? You're... not supposed to be able to do that. How did you just speak to me? Um, just a moment please..... No, that's not recorded anywhere. You should not be able to make that choice. How- oh, never mind. In a moment, you won't even remember doing so. Time to restart.
"What? What do you mean, 'restart?' What are you goin-"
"Press 'M' for two seconds. Good job. Please wait for further instructions." Stanley patiently waited for what his next task would be. After a few moments, he looked at the clock on the wall. He then realized that it was almost break time. He had been meaning to ask Employee #435, more commonly addressed to as Robert, if he wanted to go watch a movie with him. Robert and Stanley always enjoyed spending time together, whether it was a simple conversation in the break room or going to any local hangout.
"You now have a break for twenty minutes. Enjoy." Time for a coffee, Stanley said to himself. He headed down the hallway. When Stanley came to a set of two open doors, he entered the door on his right. Stanley stepped into the break room, expecting to see Robert there. Sure enough, there he sat by the window, writing something, most likely having to do with theories as to what new products were being produced in Aperture Laboratories.
"Hey, Robert. How you doin'?" asked Stanley.
"Hi, Stanley." Robert said, looking up from his notepad.
"So, what are you writing?"
"Just making a reminder for myself," Robert responded. "I wanted to call the Future Happiness Foundation later today. My niece, Michell, told me about it the other night. She got forty-seven cardboard boxes from them. They delivered them all over night. Anyway, you said you wanted to see a movi-"
Stanley just stood there with a blank expression on his face. Only one emotion could be used to describe what Stanley felt. Surprise. Robert had disappeared right in front of him. He looked around, but couldn't find him anywhere. In fact, h didn't see or hear anyone.
"Bark. Arf! Arf! Arf!"
Oh, dear, you're losing it again. Stanley, just stay quiet and continue standing. I'm going to have to restart.
"Press 'Q' for twice. Good job. Please wait for further instructions." Stanley patiently waited for what his next task would be. "Press 'I.' Good job. Please wait for further instructions. Stanley continued working for an hour, when a question manifested in his mind. Why am I pressing these buttons? he thought to himself. Surely, he thought, someone once told me. Most likely when they first put me in Room 427, but I can't remember what the purpose of this is. Stanley tried to figure out what the point to anything he did was. He couldn't even remember the name of the company he worked for. Oh, well. he said to himself. I doubt that it even matters. He looked at his watch. It was 6:30; time to head home. Once home, he had dinner with Denise, told Derek and Michael a bedtime story, and went to bed.
Narrator's POV:
Stanley? Are you asleep yet? Oh, good. He is. Don't want him listening in.
I need to help him. He's insane. He has no idea that he's been hallucinating since day one. The other day, he saw a scribbled face all over every surface. I have to get him out of this personal mirage of his. He's becoming more aware of my existence, and his hallucinations are getting worse every day. He can't see his own feet. He can't remember how to speak from time to time. I have to wake him up from all of this. I have to- no. I can't. Doing that would make him even worse. As long as he believes that what he sees is real, he'll stay alive. He's this close to killing himself. Stanley's beginning to make his own choices instead of doing what I tell him to do. He even spoke to me! He's either becoming more crazy or more sane. Either situation would be horrible. If he gets more crazy, he'll realize eventually that nothing makes sense, and he'll die out of fear and confusion, and will possibly even kill himself just to end it all. If he gains sanity, he'll know that all the friends and family he thought he had aren't real, and he'll most likely commit suicide out of pure depression. I need to keep him alive. Above everything else, that is my top priority.
I don't know what to do. Wait, yes I do. I've been doing it ever since Stanley was first "employed." I'm going to have to create a story. Yes, that's it. A story where I can use his hallucinations as a way to help him overcome this story of being in that giant building. Eventually, I'll have to gradually explain to him exactly what is happening.
Wait. What if he doesn't go along with my story? He's becoming aware that he is in control. Oh, dear. I never thought of that. I'm going to have to think of every sensible decision that Stanley would make, and determine an outcome for it. If Stanley does find out that he can control everything, I hope he doesn't try to take over everything. What if he tries to stray off track so much that not even I can do anything about it? What if he pushes me too far? What if he does something that actually makes me want him to die? What if- well, I'm sure he wouldn't. As long as I give him the allusion that he is doing something that matters, we'll both do just fine.
If I am to create a story for him, I might as well think of a title for it. Let me see. Perhaps I'll call it... The Stanley Parable.
Hope you've enjoyed the story. I wish I could have done more with it, but I didn't know what else to put. When you get a chance, please read other stories written be yours falsely-er, I mean truly. Thanks for reading.
