I scrunched up my nose the moment I stepped into the run-down motel that reeked of mildew, stale sweat, and decades-old cigarette smoke. The air was thick and hard to breathe through. This place was a condemned pitstop off the highway, the kind of place I wouldn’t be caught dead in under normal circumstances. But tonight, it served a purpose.The rusted back door groaned shut behind me like it, too, wanted out of this place. My boots sank slightly into the water stained carpet, and the fluorescent lights overhead flickered like they were barely hanging on to life.I moved to the bar, keeping my pace loose, casual. Just another traveler looking for a warm cup of caffeine and a little anonymity. I ordered black coffee—no sugar, no cream, and scanned the room while waiting, cataloguing exits, blind spots, and the energy of every soul present. In my world, paranoia was just a different name for survival.The server handed it to me with a bored glance and I took the seat facing the far wind
Last Updated : 2025-05-02 Read more