Dreams are Hard to Follow (A Stanley Parable Story)

Chapter 6: We Can all be Happy

They had just made it to the Bosses Office, whatever sand that got stuck on them faded away as the door behind them closed. Stanley just wanted to rush though this and just get to the facility already, but what if the others suffered consequence due to his impatience? Like the Narrator said, if he went too fast then the area they could find themselves in could possibly become too warped and unstable. Narrator suggested that he continue with his lines, to keep Stanley's mind on track.

Was he now just waiting for the Narrator to continue with his usual scripted lines? Stanley couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration and annoyance, not even in his dreams could he escape the numbing predictability of the Story.

"Stanley and friends made it to the Bosses office, where they were astonished to see that no one was—-""

There was a distinct sound of a toilet flushing, a sink running, and then the door opening. Quickly stepping out was a young looking woman, her black hair held up in a bun by a pencil. Her beige suit and pencil skirt looked perfectly ironed, the sound of her heels clicking against the hardwood floor seemed to echo in the silence of the room.

"Oh, Hello! Sorry, were you here long? Didn't mean to keep you waiting. What are you here for today?"

She asked the group, sitting down behind a desk and positioning her hands on her computer's keyboard, looking at them expectantly.

"I'm sorry but, who are you??"

The Narrator put his hands on his hips, miffed that his Narration was so rudely and suddenly interrupted.

"I'm the Secretary. What are you here for today?"

Stanley gave a brief glance to the others, feeling lost. He didn't recognize this woman, and if he had ever met her in some previous life before the Parable, those memories were long gone. He couldn't read her name plate on the desk, the words blurred and seemed to be in a different shape everytime he blinked or averted his gaze from the letters for less than a second.

"Heya Terry! We're here to see the Boss, we've already got an appointment—-" Stanley can confirm that. Urgent matters so, we'll just head on in! Don't bother getting up, there's no need, we all know where we're going!"

Tim quickly answered before the Secretary could properly stop them, only managing a few sputters of sounds as the group had already let themselves in. Mariella looked at Tim, evidently confused.

"Terry?"

"Yeah! Terry—- or Teresa Wrighter. I vaguely remembered her name from when I was the Protagonist, and I still had all of my coworkers," Tim explained, closing the doors behind them once they were all inside, "She's ambidextrous! Did you know that? Wait no, don't answer that. I already know."

Stanley pulled a face behind Tim's back as Tim approached the number panel in the Bosses office. Confidently, he cracked his fingers and knuckles, and punched in the numbers. Stanley didn't want him to succeed, pushing buttons was his job! Speaking of jobs, where was the Boss?

"2-0-1-1, easy!"

Stanley's thoughts were interrupted. The keypad beeped, notifying that the number input was incorrect. Stanley felt his stomach drop and his heart race. Did he do that? Surely the Timekeeper knew the combination, didn't he? Was his desire for control or jealousy messing with the Timekeepers ability to input the correct code?

"What? That's not—- that should be right!"

Narrator cautiously approached, looking at Tim repeatedly inputting. Forgoing his narrations for now, he gripped the man's arm and tugged him away from the panel.