Harvesting memories was all he could do in the shadow of the great mountain. Settled in his small, quiet cottage, he often thought of leaving. Sweet was a taste he had long forgotten, replaced by the bitterness of solitude. Person by person, he had watched everyone else in his generation leave the village for the city. Found among old classifieds was an advertisement for a used vehicle. Van was what they called it, a simple machine promising escape. Cheap was the price, and he paid it with the last of his savings. Lonely roads stretched before him as he finally drove away.
Shadows danced on the pavement as he drove toward the setting sun, seeking a new life.
Through valleys and plains he traveled, a man without a destination. Health began to return to his cheeks, flushed by the open road and a newfound sense of purpose. Smiles started to come more naturally whenever he met other travelers. Ten days later, he arrived at the coast, the vast ocean mirroring the endless possibilities before him.
