The Spirit of Woe

1 - Introduction

 Hello everybody, I am your narrator for this story.
I'll be unknown for now, but imagine my voice averagely pitched, kinda hoarse and as masculine as you can make it!
Let me hear it... hmm, that'll work.
Enough about me, you were interested in this book, so let me read it to you.

 You've heard about multiverses?
This is one of them, another reality, another ending and another path taken.
Let's see how much different it is.
Also, do you even know what 'woe' means? In the title? You probably don't..
It stands for major grief, sorrow and pain. It might be hyperbole, but in his story, I think that word fits.

 Did you notice I was dragging this out? Wasting your time, haha!
Apologies, madam... or sir. Or whatever you might be.
Am I getting to you? If it was a yes, no worries!

  We're starting now.

 Once upon a time lived a boy Martin..
That is pretty boring, let's go to the main part.

It was moving day, 2027.

"Alright, Martha this is yours! Thomas this is.. eugh!" Mazzy lost her breath, feeling sudden weight. "The fuck? Why are your boxes so heavy?"
"I couldn't leave anything behind. We're across the ocean now." Thomas spoke across the living room. 
"Still as attached to everything, classic Thomas." Martha noted.
Thomas sent a glare to Martha, both of them grabbing their boxes and occupying their rooms upstairs.
"NAFAA! This is yours! And the lightest of all..." The boy lazily walked over and got his box. "Thank you, madam." Nafaa said and occupied the biggest room on the first floor.
"Keith and Martin! These are yours!" Mazzy shouted, calling out to the two last guys. 
"Coming." Martin responded.
As the both got their boxes, Mazzy eyed them and sighed: "I am sorry, but most of the rooms are occupied and I am getting the last room for one. You'll have to sleep in one room."
Keith's eyes glistened, growing excited: "Oh my god! Roomies?!"
Martin smiled awkwardly: "Eh, I don't think I mind."
"Excellent!" Mazzy clapped, grabbing her own box. "Have fun then!"

Everyone was already in their own rooms, Keith and Martin were unpacking themselves.
"Can you imagine, we'll be spending most of our lifetime in this house, this exact room... together!" Keith swayed happily.
"It'll be fine." Martin tried to sound enthusiastic.
"Fine?! Are you not excited at all?" Keith laid on his bed, moving around.
Martin thought to himself a little bit, it was a huge change, yet he couldn't feel anything precise.
"I guess I am." he responded.

Keith left his messy bed and rushed downstairs to get a snack. Martin already was left alone.
He moved in with his friend group, getting a mansion together. Mostly Mazzy pays for it, but... it was still somewhat fair.
This is a part of adulthood, the biggest changes, yet he couldn't feel like it was new. It felt just like all the other years.
Sighing, he folded his box and looked around noticing that his side seemed to lack color and organisation, while on the other hand Keith's side was messy and thrown around.

Not having anything else to do, he checked for others.
"Mazzy?" He put his head in her room, seeing her run around and type something in her computer.
"Not now, I am busy." She spoke out loud, seeming too focused on something.
Martin mentally noted that.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Thomas' voice rung through the hallway.
The man went after the sound and checked the younger boys room.
He noticed feathers flying around and a girl hitting something.
"HELP!" A hand reached out to Martin from the blanket on the bed, immediately getting hit by a pillow.
"Martin~ Good to see you here.." Martha sneakily spoke, reaching for something.
"Martin, RUN!" Thomas yelled out from the blanket, but Martin was quick to grab a pillow to protect himself with as Martha hit him with two.
"This is WAR, Martha!" he declared, making the girl grin widely, her pupils dilating.

The group kept fighting until they all became breathless, laying on the bed.
"Truce?" Martha breathed, looking at Martin.
"Truce." The boy responded, finally resting.
"I think not!" Suddenly a smaller boy was flying with an elbow towards them.
All of them prepared for impact as Nafaa landed and laughed at their pained faces.
"You dimwits, dinners ready." Those words made Martin and Martha get up, sprinting downstairs immediately.
Thomas and Nafaa walked right after them, sitting down last at the dinner table.
"In the matter of fact, I was first here." Nafaa told.
"Wrong, the cook is always first." Mazzy replied, putting down dishes of noodles.

It was all excellent, first day all together.
It couldn't go wrong.
This is what people call a happy life.
Martin thought to himself, I should be happy.
But... why do I feel like not everything is gonna be as perfect as now.
Eating a noodle after another, til the plate was empty, Martin still felt hunger, hunger for something more than food.
He looked up at everyone, laughing and talking, yet he was silent.
What's wrong? Isn't this all that life has to offer?
Am I ungrateful?
That is not true, just... something is incomplete.
Feels like I shouldn't accept that this is perfect.

Where is the catch?
He kept questioning.

Days after days, everything went smoothly.
His suspicions slowly went away and grew to accept the happiness life has to give.
Maybe, life is supposed to be this bright.
He never knew.

Tho, perhaps his suspicions were right?
It didn't matter anymore, cause he was happy now.

The future is his future selves problem.
He sighed on the sofa.
"I am happy."