You wake up in the morning and decide that you want to go for a spin in the country today. You have your breakfast, load up the car and hit the road. After a few minutes, you notice that the traffic is getting heavier and you start to feel a bit nervous. You have driven for a while and the road starts to wind. You see a signpost and make a turn. Soon you are in a completely different country, with different people and customs. You feel happy and at ease, but you don’t know where you are. You pull into a gas station to ask for directions. The garage is closed but there is a truck driver working on a car nearby.
This is your typical day in the country. Every day is pretty much the same, but it’s such a joy to drive that you never get bored. You want to try something new though, something more adventurous. That’s when you realize that you need to make some changes to continue driving in this direction.
You want to see new things. You want to drive past unfamiliar landscapes and meet new people. You want to find new places that you can explore. Suddenly your goal in life becomes getting to drive as much as possible. You want to explore as much of the country as possible. This is the start of a new journey for you. One that takes you to new places, introduces you to new people and allows you to grow as a driver.
Turning Point
One day, you are driving along and you see a big hill ahead of you. There is no indication of how high the hill is or if it is even a hill. You are not sure how to tackle it, so you apply a bit of gas and roll down the window. As you go down the hill, you start to hear something strange. It sounds like people are shouting at you. You look at the road ahead and it seems blocked by a crowd of people. You continue driving and finally the mass of humanity parts and you realize that you are now driving through a small village. There are people on both sides of the road waving at you and trying to catch your attention. You wave back and continue driving. You look in the rearview mirror and notice that some of the villagers have started following you. You feel a bit worried and stop the car to ask them if they are going to steal it or attack you. After a short while, the people disperse and you continue driving. You are a little shaken by the experience but also fascinated by what happened. This is your turning point in life. You decide that you want to explore other types of driving and see what else this fascinating machine can do.
Open Gate
You have found a large gate that is standing open. There is no indication of who left it open, or for how long. You walk up to the gate and peek inside. There is a huge green field with many trees and green bushes all around. There are no houses in sight, just some grazing cows that seem to be enjoying the verdant scenery. You walk through the gate and continue your exploration. You discover that there is a small path that leads up to a hill. On top of the hill is a large wooden house with white flashing lights around the perimeter. You make your way to the house and ring the doorbell. There is no answer, so you walk up to the window and look inside. There is a lady in there, looking out at you. She asks you what you want and why you are there. You tell her that you want to enjoy the view of the village below and maybe ask questions about the land. She tells you that she will be back soon and invites you in. You are a little nervous, but also excited about what is to come. This is your first meeting with a girl, not just any girl, a lady of quality and breeding. You are not sure how to act around such a superior being, so you bow your head and remain quiet. She laughs and tells you to have a seat. A few minutes later, she returns with a tray holding a cup of tea and some biscuits. You sit down and begin to feel relaxed. She brings you up to date with the current affairs and gives you a short history of the area. You learn that the village recently celebrated the 400th anniversary of its founding. You ask how long it has been since your arrival and she tells you that it has only been a few months. You decide to call her Madam as you would call a queen, and she corrects you by calling you “sir”. You are relieved when her husband, a tall, silver-haired man with a bushy mustache walks in. You notice that he seems a little upset about something and ask what is wrong. He answers that people are accusing him of being a Russian spy. You ask if this is because he is Russian and his wife interrupts and tells you that no, he is French. You laugh and say that you are not sure if this is a joke or not. They tell you that it is no joke and that they are tired of everybody making conspiracies. You decide to leave as you came, through the gate. On the way out, you notice that it is raining heavily and you decide to stop by the village shop to see if they have any raincoats. As you walk in the shop, a bell rings and you turn to see three masked men behind you. Two of the men have guns in their hands, the other one has a knife. The bell rings again and the man with the guns sneaks behind you and knocks you out. When you regain consciousness, you discover that you have been bound, gagged and thrown in the boot of a car. Your captors drive you for hours and you are sure that you will be killed. You ask if you should call for help and your captors tell you that there is no help for you, nor anyone that will save you. They stop the car and make you get out. The other two men stay with the car while the man with the knife walks up to you. He unties you and helps you to your feet. You decide to run but discover that your legs have somehow dried out. You run anyway and manage to stumble into the nearby forest. You are sure that you will be found and killed. You hide in the undergrowth but soon learn that this is not a safe place to be. Two men on horseback search the area and you try to hide again, but this is no match for the horses. They discover you and you are dragged back to the village. One of the men with guns shoots the horse of one of the men and you think that you will be killed too. The other horseman runs off and you are led to the house. You keep looking back for the second horseman, hoping that he will return for the other horse. When you reach the house, your hope is dashed as the wife of the tall, mustached man comes out and says that everything is fine. You are in for some tea and biscuits and are invited to stay for a while. This is your second turning point. You have just survived an attempted murder and are now an honored guest in this house. You decide to make the most of the opportunity and enjoy yourself. This is the start of a new era in your life.