Fatal Flaws

After the longest and most awkward car ride ever, we reached our destination. Hayden was silent most of the ride, keeping his eyes trained on the road ahead. Hope and Sky sat in the back, laughing and gossiping amongst themselves. Ben was smart, falling asleep after we left, leaving me alone with Jessica attempting to make small talk. I tried to avoid conversating by fake reading the book I had brought. 

After bickering about motels we finally decided on going with a cheaper one. Pulling in, I was surprised that it was on the smaller side. It didn't look big enough to be a motel, but it was. Looking at the reddish brick one-story building you can tell it's an older establishment. A single row of about twenty dusty-looking windows line the front of it.  A  large shabby white awning covers the archway that leads from the parking lot to the main doors. "Paiges" can be seen above the awning on a massive glowing sign in yellow neon lettering. The letters A and I are duller than the rest, probably getting ready to go out. The closer we get to the sign the more I begin feeling nausea, breaking out in cold chills. While the hairs on my arm raise, standing up straight. They had to have that sign. The universe is playing one of its many sick jokes on me. Before the flashbacks consume me, I force my eyes away, focusing straight ahead. The wind howls, whipping around us as we walk through the parking lot, heading toward the entrance. I can't believe how cold it is compared to earlier. Walking close together, we approach the shabby archway. Our bodies huddle together, attempting to create body heat, for warmth. None of us are dressed for this weather.

Approaching the main door, I get an eerie feeling. The harsh autumn wind picks up, adding another layer of creepiness. A few scattered leaves from the single tree beside the parking lot scurry across the pavement.

Upon closer inspection, the red bricks are severely damaged. Half of them are cracked or crumbling, an entire section is missing from above the entryway. Looking up I can see the solid concrete beams supporting the structure through the massive hole. Hayden reaches out, pushing the old raggedy glass door open. It creeks and moans the further it opens. Looking 

around at each other, Sky volunteers to walk in first, the crisp air from outside attempts to follow us in. Large gaps in the doorway allow bursts of cool air to seep in.

The inside doesn't look much better.  It hasn't been updated in years. The color scheme and decor must have been here since the eighties. The lower half of the walls are fake wooden slats painted red. An ugly green wallpaper with golden squiggles throughout it covers the top half. It's faded and peeling in different spots. 

There's a musty smell hanging in the air. It almost reminds me of when the pipes had burst in our bathroom. The moisture in the walls had caused mold to take over. My dad and a few of his buddies worked for weeks to get rid of it. After they finished there was still a faint stench that lingered for months. 

The main lobby looks like a scene from a low-budget movie. It's a little room, with the service desk on the far back wall. Two beat-up black love seats in the middle of the room. with end tables at each end. Fake plastic plants sit on them along with a few scattered magazines. Two long hallways are on either side of the main lobby. Each one is lined with dark beige doors. The doors all contain small green room numbers nailed to them. I can't decide if the carpets are a creamy tan with emerald swirls or if they're dirty. I don't want to know which one it is.

"Welcome to Paiges. It's a pleasure to have you folks staying with us. So how many rooms are you looking for? And how many nights do you plan on staying?" an elderly round man behind the counter greets us as we cautiously approach. From what I can see, he's a shorter, plump man with a balding head. He appears to be in his late fifties or early sixties. Thick circular black glasses adorn his face. Masking his steely grey eyes. A small but thick white mustache lies along his upper lip.