Chapter 6 New Town

I park my car in front of the office of a mostly vacant motel. I don’t care how busy they are as long as they have a room available for a night or two. I want to be able to check out the town and see if it is something I can live with. I don’t know the prices of things here and if I can afford to stay. But the area is pretty, even if it seems like an older town. Hopefully, that means the prices won’t kill me.

I know I still have money in my account, but I can’t live off that forever. I need to replenish my funds. I didn’t ask for half of everything Chris owns, even though John told me to put it down. I just wanted what was mine. I had about five grand saved up when I put it in the bank with Chris, and I knew if I was going to survive, I needed every single penny back.

It’s mid-afternoon, so I’m hoping they will have a room for me. It’s spring now, so the sun should be up for a few more hours, at least. I like that the sun is coming back. It’s helping with my dark mood. If I could just stay in the sun all day and think happy thoughts… maybe I could fly away like Peter Pan? Probably not, but at least I wouldn’t be spiraling into my dark depression that is in the process of choking the life out of me.

I knock on the door and hear a pleasant “Come in,” muffled from the other side. A middle-aged woman looks up from her computer and smiles at me. “How can I help you, dear?” Yes, this is a good sign. Smiles are much more pleasant than grumpy faces, which I got the last place I stayed at.

New town; new faces. Fresh start! This is what I need. I can start over again and find my own happiness.

So, with a deep fortifying breath, I plaster on a smile and say “I was wondering if I could book a room for a night or two?” That sounded normal, right? I can do this.

“Sure thing. How many will be in the room?” The older woman asks, adjusting her glasses on her nose and looking at her computer.

“Oh, it’s just me,” I blush. I don’t know why I’m embarrassed. People go out by themselves all the time, don’t they? They don’t need people hanging around them all the time. It’s like a mini-vacation… Sort of. Only this isn’t for fun, and it’s not quite a short-term thing… I’ll figure it out!

“No problem, that will be $50 for two nights and one bed,” she smiles at me, as if asking if this was acceptable for me.

I sigh with relief. I can afford that. The last motel I’d stayed at was costing me $45 a night. “That sounds perfect!” I agree.

I hand over my card, and she smiles as she takes it from me and types up my information on her computer. She hands me my card and grabs a key, “You are in room 206. If you need anything else, feel free to let me know.” She says with a professional smile and kind voice.

“Thanks,” I responded, taking my card and key and making my way out of the office. Thank goodness, I can finally rest now. I’d been so anxious about where I would go. I hadn’t realized it was causing stomach cramps until I took a deep breath in release. My muscles were sore and tight from the stress of the day.

I take a deep breath, and it's the first time I realize I can smell the ocean. I can honestly say I was not paying any attention to where I was driving, but I must have ended up on the East Coast. I didn’t even pay any attention to state signs, but I’ve been driving since early morning. I probably ended up in one of the Carolina's? I have no idea, but I’m positive I’ve not made it up to New Jersey. That would’ve taken days. I’m pretty sure I didn’t head south, so this can’t be Florida…

I really don’t care where I am as long as I am free. Well, and as long as I can find a decent place to stay and find a job… friends would be nice. I don’t want to be in the same situation where I was back home in Oklahoma. I want to have real friends, not backstabbing harpies.

I would love to explore the town, but I think I want to rest for a bit. I take my car and park down the row so I don’t have to walk very far. Thankfully about half of the parking lot is completely empty, and I can park right in front of a staircase, hiding a vending machine and an ice machine.

I grab my bag and haul it over my shoulder before locking my car and climbing the stairs. My body aches from the drive. I have no idea how many hours I’ve spent in the car, but I left before the sun came up… Maybe around 5-ish… And it’s now close to 6, according to my phone. Is there a time difference? I have no idea…

I am happy to report that my room does not look like a crime scene from a slasher movie. It is quaint and cozy. I have a small twin bed with a blue comforter. There are a couple of pictures on the walls depicting the ocean. I even have a small fridge. There is a lamp by the table and chair. The bathroom is much nicer than my previous one.

Yes, this will do nicely. If I need to, I can extend my stay until I find someplace else to make my home. But I’d rather find a place of my own sooner rather than later. I don’t have a lot of money to play around with. I need to put it toward my own place.

I sigh, feeling the weight of my decision pressing down on me. I want to go out and explore, but I think it would be best if I rest for the time being. I don’t think I could walk down those stairs even if I wanted to, to be honest. My body is just too stiff and sore! And the bed looks so inviting… I just need to rest my eyes for just a few minutes.

I remove my shoes and crawl into the nice fresh sheets and close my eyes. And everything else disappears.