AN: Inspired by this comic TW: death, blood and impalement post/111681223507/bonus-its-just-another-mind-trick-right-j-just
While Bill has Stanley trapped in the Dreamscape he creates fake realities where he makes it seem that Stanford or Fiddleford have come to save him. However, the fantasies always end with Stanley having to watch them die. When an elderly Stanford comes crashing into the Dreamscape to rescue him, Stanley knows better than to believe that it's really his brother.
Stanley didn't know how long he'd been trapped in the Dreamscape. It could have been a day or it could have been a thousand years. Time was funny here.
What he did know was that he didn't want his brother or Fiddleford to try and rescue him anymore. He preferred it when Bill told him that they don't care enough to try. He didn't want to watch another one of the fantasist Bill conjured up where he made it seem as if Stanford or Fiddleford had come for him. They always ended the same way with Stanford or Fiddleford or both of them dying horribly.
He'd believed it the first few times and watching them die had almost driven him mad. However, each time that he'd been on the precipice of losing his mind, Bill had let the illusion fade away and laughed at him. Then he'd go back to telling him that he needn't worry about them dying because they weren't coming.
Sometimes Bill told him that his brother was old now and still trying to rebuild the portal to save him. He'd say that Stanford was doing it alone because Fiddleford hadn't been able to cope with what had happen and had driven himself mad in an attempt to forget.
Stanley didn't listen or look any more. Bill lied all the time and nothing Stanley could touch or taste or see could be trusted.
The demon had started to complain that Stanley was becoming boring but he didn't respond. He sat there looking at the Dreamscape with dead eyes. He wondered why Bill didn't just kill him. Death would have been a kindness by this point and maybe that was why Bill kept him alive.
When an elderly 'Stanford' came crashing into the Dreamscape one day, while Bill was away, Stanley didn't even look at him. He knew this fake version of his brother would appear to die horrible soon enough. However, knowing it wasn't real didn't make him want to watch it again.
He didn't answer when 'Stanford' tried to talk to him but he also didn't fight when the dream of his brother dragged him towards the 'exit.' Once they were on the other side he simply stood there waiting for the inevitable.
'Fiddleford' was at the control desk. He looked old. A small part of Stanley was impressed at Bill's ingenuity. He'd never made his brother or Fiddleford look like this before.
Soon enough the portal was switched off and 'Fiddleford' and 'Stanford' were talking to him. He didn't listen or look at them. They'd both be dead soon so what was the point?
"What's wrong with him?" 'Stanford' eventually asked 'Fiddleford.'
"I don't know," 'Fiddleford' said worriedly, "we have no idea what being in the Dreamscape that long does to the human psyche."
"Stop this Bill," Stanley said in a tired voice, "I know it's you. I know this isn't real. I don't want to watch them die again. Just stop this."
Fiddleford and Stanford shared a worried and horror filled look.
"Lee, Lee," Stanford said putting a hand on his shoulder, Stanley didn't react at all, "I don't know what happen to you in there but it real is us."
"Take it away. I don't want to see."
"Stanley," Fiddleford tried, "we're sorry it took so long but your safe now."
"Stop this."
The world shimmered and he was back in the Dreamscape or more accurately he'd never left.
"Oh you're no fun anymore," Bill complained petulantly.