The stray employee gazed upon the machine. He knew it had existed but they all called him crazy and heretical. 432 stood on the catwalk, watching as many monitors as his human mind would allow. He almost missed it. The screen that viewed his own, empty desk. He had been watched. They all had. Before him lay two buttons. He should do the right thing, he should set them free. He had a choice, perhaps the most important choice he would ever make.
And so he pressed a button.
He saw with new eyes. He could see the office in it's entirety. Every employee, every empty room.
He could hear them too. Not only their conversations but their thoughts as well.
For just a moment, it was all too overwhelming for him to comprehend. It was over as soon as it started. The former employee existed over and inside the very essence of the building itself.
He was a god.
And so began his revenge. Every hurtful comment, every person who had ever done him wrong he simply erased them. He started with the co-worker who shared his wall divider. 431 ceased to exist.
Soon he was weeding out people he didn't like, goodbye 437. Goodbye number 200. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.
He could not have been happier.
It was not until he had done the deed and emptied the office of all life, except the fern, the new entity realized he had mismanaged his powers. He was all alone now, the high of simply having all this power had worn off to a degree.
What was the point of all this power if there was no one to show it to?
He poked through every office, every room, hoping he'd find at least one. Just one, he'd be happy with just one!
The Narrator sulked as he was unsuccessful. Of all his wonders abilities, making life was not one of them. Apparently neither was escaping this building and the space around it. He could teleport to other places but it was never permanent. He always found himself staring at the same boringly brown carpets and white walls.
But then he sensed him. The Narrator was grateful he had found someone at last. This man, yes this man would be the end to his boredom. This man would be the hero of the story.
He cleared his throat and-
'This is the story of a man named Stanley...'
He loved Stanley. Stanley played along, poking here and there obediently. The Narrator was no longer alone! He could show him many things, teach him, enlighten him.
Could he-dare he say it- consider him a friend of sorts?
He-he'd never really had a friend. The former employee had always been...alone.
...
He had. He had to let him go. Stanley wasn't happy being trapped here and neither was he. If he did he'd be alone again. He bare the thought of going back to that.
No he-he had to...
He wouldn't. No, he couldn't. 432 had given him all of this. His own story. He would be the hero, all the time. They would be together. How dare he? How dare he try to take this away from him? From them?
No, never.
He hated Stanley.
He disobeyed, he ran from The Narrator.
432 raged at him. What was so hard about taking directions? It was simple, turn here, do this.
He'd simply have to punish Stanley.
And then things would go back to normal.
By the time he understood, truly understood, he was too far in. They were both hurt. He had only wanted to be friends. Stanley hated him but did nothing about it aside from rebel. It was too late to mend things. To salvage whatever budding friendship they could have had.
He could not let him go. To do that would be to surrender, to condemn himself.
He was too weak for that.
A/N: I forgot to include this until today but, The theory of 432 being The Narrator was disproven by Davey himself. He actually did reveal who The Narrator was and his connection to Stanley but I feel it would ruin the magic of their interactions/other people's interpretations so I won't say outright. (if you do however want to know then feel free to PM me I'll see if I can find the link again.)