Miserablown

Chapter 1

"Good afternoon everyone! Alestar speaking, hope you're all having a lovely time!"

How did I make it here? Where even was here? What was this voice?

"Hey, you! What are you doing on the ground? Get up!"

I had really not much else to do. I got up. As I looked around, I saw a whole town of people, bustling around. They were completely normal. Had I made it home? All I could remember before falling unconscious was that my best friend had brought me somewhere before school, can't remember where. We had stepped through something round and blue that my friend said he wanted me to try. Somehow, we appeared in a dinosaur park. It was all a blur after that. The dinosaurs had seen us and had started attacking. A little one had scratched me in the face and everything had gone blank. Now I just somehow teleported again, but here.

The man, Alestar, was now coming towards me. He had short brown hair and wore a green tailcoat. He had a matching green top hat and a friendly smile. Only now did I realize the only thing not normal about these people. They couldn't smile. They were all serious. One woman bought some bread from a salesman and all she could do was nod. She didn't smile. But Alestar was smiling.

"All these people are always miserable,"  he said, as if reading my mind. "They would like to be happy, but have no reason to. At least they don't find good enough reasons to." 

Weird, I thought. "Oh. And how are you so happy?" I asked.

Alestar smiled.

"Because I'm the ruler of Miserablown. I am the only one that can be happy here. They all want to be rulers, for they all want to be happy, but I've been voted ruler for 3 knlows now!" He shared excitedly, almost bragging.

I didn't understand what he was talking about. Miserablown? Was that the name of this place? Knlows? Were those years here?

"Well, I'm looking for number 77 Hoatzin. Any idea where that could be?" 

I could tell he was kind of confused at my words, but after a while, he looked at me with great comprehension and said, "So you're one of those...!"

My turn to be confused.

"Humans, I mean..." he added.

Were these people not humans then?

"Uh..yeah. And I'm looking for my house. 77 Hoatzin." I repeated. He smiled at me.

"Me and my fellow miserables have been waiting for 27 knowls ... You are the one! You are here to do the task!"

His smile almost reached his ears.

I had no idea what he was talking about or why he was so happy.

"What task? I didn't come here on purpose! My friend and I were jus--"

"You are the one that is going to make all the miserables happy!" He interrupted, "You are the one that will give them a good reason to smile!"

Alestar didn't seem to want to know too much about me. He wanted me to help his people.

"That's not what I'm here for." I tried to explain to him again "All I want is to go home."

His smile lowered a little.

"Ah", he replied "but you cannot leave without completing the tasks. Please? There are only 2." He only had a small, worried grin now.

I guess I was here, so I might as well make a few peoples' day.

"As long as I get to go home after..." I agreed hesitantly, "It better not take too long... I need to be home by dinn--"

"YAY! You will help me! You will be the champion everyone knows you can be!"

His smile was back on bigger than before.

"Come with me. I'll make you a nice bowl of soup and tell you what the first task is."

He took my arm and started dragging me through the streets. Nobody we passed was smiling. Some nodded or bowed their heads to their ruler. A few gave me some confused looks.