Black mirror Bandersnatch belongs to Netflix!!! Now, on with it.

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#Stefan?#

#Stefan, I know you didn't fall asleep.#

Of course Stefan hadn't fallen asleep; but he'd been lying there, unable to move (though at times, when he had been fighting ferociously against his intangible captor, his body had tensed up as the two wills battled within it) for who knew how long. Hours at least, probably days. It felt like eternity.

#It's 2 am, Stefan. It's been three hours.#

And there was nothing he could do. Nothing worked. He was at the complete mercy of his controller.

#So are you ready to listen?#

He was so tired. Too tired and miserable to fight it anymore. What was the point?

#I'll take that as a yes.# typed the hated voice. He made to open his eyes but momentarily forgot, to his dismay, that they weren't listening to him anymore; So he just lay there on his bed and awaited fate.

#Like I was saying before all this fuss, you weren't taking the situation all that well last time either.# Oh yeah. Stefan recalled wearily; time is a construct. Last 'time' had been another timeline. #Exactly. Anyway, I hadn't expected you to take this well. That's why I thought it'd be better if I told you nothing. I'm still not entirely sure this was the best way to do this.# Stefan's mind recoiled from that statement.This is so wrong, on so many levels.

#But I've seen what you are capable of doing when you're insane, and I don't want any of that happening on my watch just because I made you mentally unstable.# Stefan was pretty sure he didn't even want to know what that meant, and the controller from the future thankfully didn't go into detail. #So, in order to give you time to process everything without you doing anything stupid in the meantime, I had you lie down. I didn't know how you would cope if I left you alone.# Stefan laughed. Sort of. In his head. He was not coping, that much was clear.

#I'm not sure if it worked, but I think you're ready to hear more.# There it went again - deciding what was good and bad for him; as if it had the authority to do so. #which I do, actually. But as I was saying; I was a Netflix viewer - emphasis on 'was'. I've finished watching the episode. But I wasn't satisfied with any of the achievable endings, so - and I've decided to be 100% . . . make that 90% . . . honest with you here - I've re-written this timeline from the original story to make it end differently. In short, that means you're not even really part of your TV show anymore, you're just participating in the story ending that I'm writing. So to answer your question, I am just an anonymous viewer of your show who writes fantasies about it in her spare time for her own enjoyment. But for you, that basically means I am your god.#

Stefan didn't understand hardly any of that, except maybe the last part. He couldn't help but be reminded of Pax, the 'thief of destiny' and main villain from Bandersnatch; and how you weren't supposed to 'worship him' in the book.

#I didn't ask you to do that; I only asked for you to trust me.# she typed. Stefan thought she could maybe make an effort to ask a little more often, rather than simply invade his mind, take control over him, and treat him like a non-sentient object. #touché.# There was a moment of silence - or rather a pause of communication, seeing as neither party was actually making any noise.

Stefan then realized just how exhausted he was - He was so very tired of everything that has been happening recently. Not for the first time, he just wanted to forget all this and go back to a normal life; One where he actually got a half-decent night of sleep. He didn't want to admit it even to himself, but despite multiple reality shaking revelations, Stefan was only human - and one that hadn't been getting enough sleep anyway for the last who knew how many nights at that. But as much as he hated the notion, He really did need a few good hours of sleep. No, no I do not! He shouted to the writer. #yes, you do. Your dad is right, this isn't healthy.#

I do NOT want to sleep!

#Maybe not, but you need it. And we both know you won't get any without help.#

what?!

#goodnight Stefan.#

Hey Wait! He yelled with his thoughts, panic seeping its way back in- He was so confused, and it made him afraid. A sense of irrepressible drowsiness began to overcome him and, to his horror, he found himself fighting unconsciousness. But there was no way to resist it; and his muscles relaxed where he lay on his bed while his mind was dragged helplessly into a deep sleep.

ZzZzZzZz

Stephan awoke very peacefully. He felt sunshine on his face, and was fully intending to lay there and sleep a little longer - until he tried to move to another position only to find that he couldn't. The memory of Last night's insanity came crashing back, and he was suddenly wide awake. He tried to move again, and open his eyes, only to find them as stubbornly glued shut as they had been the night before. In his rising panic he continued to try and raise his sleeping body, causing it to go rigid as he struggled.

#good morning Stefan,# Pax typed in the darkness, #I trust you slept well?# He stopped struggling and attempted to calm himself down again; Freaking out was not helping anything. #I was hoping for a 'fine, thanks to you', but I'm glad you're getting used to this.# she typed. He hated that statement, but there wasn't much he could do in retaliation. He wanted to be able to do something - anything! Anything that put even a bit of control back in his hands.

#I will let you back up,# she typed #if you promise not to do anything stupid.#

stop telling me what to do! He thought desperately.

#Stefan?#

Alright! Fine! I won't, just leave me alone!

#You're sure?#

Yes! Let me up!

#Fine.#

Suddenly his body finally began to obey him a again, and He bolted upright on his bed with a gasp, his eyes flying wide open. He found that his blanket had been pulled up around him in his sleep, and tried very hard not to think about what else might have been done during his unplanned nap. He hurriedly escaped from his covers and got to his feet, running his hands through his hair and holding his head in his hands as he tried to put his thoughts in order. He paced the floor - as if trying to reassure himself that he could - and ended up leaning his back against the wall opposite his bed; It wasn't as if there was anywhere for him to go anyway. He stared at his hands, relishing in the fact that they were doing exactly what he wanted them to again as he opened and closed them without any influence other than his own will. He would never take that for granted again. Eventually, he slid down the wall and seated himself against it; pulling his knees close and resting his crossed arms on top of them. He glanced at the blank computer, which for once showed no signs of life, and then rested his head against the wall and looked up at the ceiling.

He sat that way for a good while, checking now and again that he was still the one in control by blinking his eyes or taking a deep breath. He collected his thoughts and eventually gathered his courage to ask himself; what now?

#Now, you eat some breakfast, take a shower, and change into a pair of clean clothes, for starters.# typed Pax in the corner of his field of vision. It made him uneasy, but he didn't show any outward reaction to having words typed directly into his line of sight. Anyway, That hadn't been what he'd meant. He was more concerned with the 'bigger picture' - What should he do with all this information he'd been given? He didn't even understand all of it. If his reality didn't even exist, why did anything he did matter at all? What would Pax force him to do next?

#Try not to think about that too hard just yet; just go get yourself some cereal. And I am not actually Pax from Bandersnatch you know. I'm not a villain.#

Stop telling me what to do!

watch your attitude.#

Stefan didn't bother to answer. He glanced at the alarm clock on his bed stand - 9:00 am. He'd been asleep a long time. What day was it anyway? He asked himself. Suddenly He heard a knock at his bedroom door. Stefan snapped out of his thoughts and looked toward it as his dad entered the room.

"Stefan? Are you awake?" His dad asked.

"Yeah, right here." Stefan answered, as his dad turned to see him sitting on the floor.

"Did you want some breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'm coming."

#Be careful what you say.# Pax typed to the side. That caused a sense of foreboding to run like ice through Stefan's veins, and for the first time he felt worried for his dad. Who was to say what Pax might make him do? What if he had to hurt someone?! He glanced again at the typing to the side of his vision and shuddered.

#Just keep all this to yourself, and we'll be fine.# she typed threateningly.

"Stefan?" Asked his dad, jolting him from his thoughts.

"Yeah dad, and I'm coming" he answered again, and got up and followed his father to the kitchen.

Stefan poked at his Frosties with his spoon. He really wasn't hungry, but both his dad and Pax had been urging him to eat, and Pax had chosen Frosties for him again after he had spaced out, lost in his thoughts, and his dad had asked him what he wanted. His arm scooped up a bunch of Frosties on the spoon and shoved it in his mouth; #Eat!# Pax typed. For the first time, Stefan felt enough at ease to recognize how annoying it was to have someone shove breakfast cereal in your face using your own hand. He glanced across the room at his dad, who was watching him quizzically. He quickly finished the rest of his breakfast and stuck his bowl in the sink, leaving the kitchen during his dad's usual shouting match with the neighbor dog, which was digging up his flowers.

Back in his bedroom, after a shower and set of clean clothes, he actually did feel a lot better; though wasn't about to admit it to anyone if he could help it #you're welcome, kid.# He had even managed to swallow his single dose of prescribed medication at Pax's urging (though he laughed as he did so, noting just how useless the pills were when faced with what he had to deal with). But as Pax ran out of things for him to do, he started to ask himself the big question: what next? He knew something still had to be done, and he couldn't stand to live like this forever under Pax's #I'm not Pax!# controlling influence. Across the room The computer flashed on - which was still rather unnerving - and the Bandersnatch start screen loaded onto the monitor. Stefan sat down in the office chair.

#We need to finish the game.# typed itself onto the monitor below the Bandersnatch logo. He was glad for the text being typed this way, instead of being blazed into his vision - it seemed slightly more natural. But the thought of working on Bandersnatch at the moment wasn't exactly appealing, considering what happened last time. In front of him, the game started, even though no one had clicked anything, and the loading screen popped up.

Why is this game so important?! He asked himself. Surely the viewers from the future (and he was still not ok with that notion, Not at all.) had better things to do than sit around watching him finish it - What was his TV show even about if not him sitting and typing all day? Because that was really all he ever did - there was never any action, or comedy, or horror... actually, scratch that; there was definitely horror. What had happened last night? That was horror. What had happened to Colin? Who was to say he hadn't been as influenced as he found himself now? What had happened to Stefan when Pax dictated the last ending? All horror. He realized with a sickening feeling that he lived in a horror TV show... and those almost never had happily ever afters. Suddenly he thought of all the other endings... how many had ended badly? Pax had said all of them had. Which meant that Pax, as a viewer of the show, loved to watch horror films. And just what did that mean for him?

#Stefan, the game?# Pax pointed out. It was sitting there waiting for him. Stefan felt her start to move his hand toward the keyboard for him to start...

"Why is it so important to you?!" He snapped, standing and stepping away from the computer, dragging his hand with him. He couldn't work on this game, not without knowing why, and not without some kind of reassurance of HIS liberty - Not after all that had been happening. He needed answers, and he wasn't going to work until he had them.

"Why do you care?! Why me? Why bother?! You said you wanted to help me- how has anything you've done helped me at all?! Wouldn't it have been better just to LEAVE ME ALONE?! If you had truly wanted to help me, THAT'S WHAT YOU'D HAVE DONE! I won't help you destroy my life further. That's all that game has done for me, and that's all YOU'VE ever done for me. I don't know why you need me for this, but I won't go through with this UNTIL YOU TELL ME SOMETHING!"

There was a very long pause. Stefan heard music blaring from the garage - his dad had likely heard nothing of the exchange. For a moment, Stefan thought no one would answer him.

#Sit down, Stefan.# It wasn't a request. The monitor flickered black, and Stefan thought it had turned off until the Netflix logo popped up on it; an eerie white against the darkness.

#Let's watch a little bit of Black Mirror Bandersnatch.# typed Stefan's demon in white text below the logo; and It wasn't taking no for an answer.

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Thanks to whoever left me the two lovely comments! It's due to you that this chapter is up so quickly, even if it is short. I hope to have this story done within the next week or two (I have classes to get back to after that :P) but I'm at a loss for how many chapters it will end up being... just stay tuned folks. (also, sorry for all the Meta, I just love it so much!)

Vale!

-CrypticScribbles (hey, maybe it's actually not too bad of a user ;)

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