Terrain on The Horizon

Testing the Waters

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We only have today. Let us begin." Matt DeAlto read from a note he found on the ground while walking back home. He had been wanting to be a government official for a while. He knew times were rough as the 20th century was soon to end and the relations between some countries grew sourer every minute, but he had a plan.

"If I want to become president, I have to follow my instinct!" Matt said to himself in the mirror of his bedroom. The next Maddsolian election was coming up soon, and he decided that Maddsolia's entire government must be revamped in order for it to thrive. So, Matt got to work. He wanted to visit every place on T7Z90 to help gain knowledge and wisdom, qualities essential for leadership. His job didn't pay him enough, but that didn't stop him from following his dreams.

After a day spent having deep philosophical thoughts about the future and the state of the world, Matt decided he needed to investigate his soul. From the start of his life, he knew something was up. His calling and patriotism for Maddsolia wasn't entirely because of his dedication to citizenship, but for a reason he couldn't confirm. As night approached, he decided to visit Lia the Wise, Maddsolia's most prestigious spiritualist, for advice to follow on his endeavors.

There was only one problem: he was in Guardorign, in southern Maddsolia, and Lia was in Shandenova, in northern Maddsolia. "I don't have a bike or a car, how will I get there? I can't waste my money on nearly nonexistent public transportation!" The young adventurer shouted at himself. Matt was discouraged at first, as his legs didn't work too well, and he didn't want to walk. Reality hit him and he realized that if he keeps stagnating and procrastinating, he won't be able to achieve anything.

He searched for his backpack, and packed some of his most important belongings, plus some lucky rocks from his collection. Then, he went outside and grabbed a large branch to make a walking stick. He drilled a hole across the top, made a loop of rope to use as a handle, and decorated it. After locking his house's door and such, he was ready. It was time for him to discover himself through the means of spiritual connection, even if that meant days of trekking through the wilderness.

A few hours into his journey, he covered ground as the moon shined in the midnight sky. He was hungry, but there were no restaurants around in the forest he was passing through. He was cold, but there was no time to get a blanket out of his backpack. But his legs urged him to continue. Surprisingly, his phone still got reception in the forest, so he was able to keep using his GPS. He felt a sense of pride in every step he took. His long, brown hair swayed as he jogged through the rows and rows of trees, hoping morning would come soon.

After a short while of time spent searching, Matt found a place to sleep for the rest of the night. He was afraid sleeping would cost him a lot of time, but his body urged him to take a rest. He took his blanket out and set it on a bed of leaves. Using his backpack as a pillow, he placed it on his 'bed' and laid down. He wrapped himself in his blanket and fell asleep under the stars.

A few hours passed and he had awoken from a short slumber. It was 4:23 AM, and there was no time to be wasted. Matt changed clothes, packed up camp, and went on his way. After that work, he was obviously hungry. He had packed food, but it was only for emergencies, so he had to hunt down a restaurant or market if he wanted something of substance. On his GPS, he saw he was close to a town called Dirtinsk, so he started traversing the wilderness to get there. As the sun first peeked its eyes into the sky, a big sign entered Matt's vision. "Welcome to Dirtinsk! Hope you have a muddy time here!" It read.

"Finally, I have arrived." He whispered to himself as he entered civilization. After a few minutes of walking, he found a plaza with lots of people commuting. He kept strolling and saw a restaurant beside him. "Hmm... 'Tutor's Diner,' pretty generic name for a restaurant if I do say so myself, but I'm desperate and need nourishment." Matt said under his breath. Tired, he opened the door and walked to the counter.