1. Aeri

F uck!

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Stupid car, and its stupid busted wipers.

Stopping at the gas station, I climb out of the car, slamming the door shut before making my way around to the pump. I didn't want to stop, but any further, and I'll be stuck for sure. I'm damn near running on fumes at this point. I've been racing the storm all day, hoping to get far enough, fast enough. Clearly, Mother Nature didn't get the memo and doesn't give a shit, no matter how much I beg.

I knew I should've got the wipers fixed last month when they stopped working, but I just hadn't had the time. With everything else going on, it wasn't important.

Of course, now it's coming back to bite me.

Everything always does.

I stop the pump at exactly twenty dollars, something I've gotten good at doing now that every penny counts.

The rain's just starting to fall, but I can feel the storm coming. If I'm quick, I might make it to one of the motels in town before I end up stranded.

Slipping back into my car, I pull out my phone to look up what's nearby and cheap. Both are necessary right now. I'd originally planned to make it out of Utah by tomorrow, but apparently, I'll be here in Brigham City, according to Google. At least for the night, maybe longer, depending on the weather and my funds.

Gas is, in fact, not cheaper outside of Seattle.

It doesn't take long to find a motel. The reviews are iffy at best, but I'm happy if they don't have bed bugs or roaches.

My skin crawls just thinking about them. I can't stand bugs, but those two are my biggest fuck no.

Gross.

Thankfully, this town isn't very big, and it's less than a five-minute drive, so if I leave now, I should make it.

The girl at the desk hardly even glances up as she passes me my room key, flipping through her book. Not the best customer service, but given the fact that I'm hoping to blend in, I'm okay with it. The less she pays attention to me, the better my chances of not being found.

I pay her in cash, grab my overnight bag, and head to my room. The rain is picking up now, still nothing too bad, but I quicken my pace in hopes of not getting soaked before I make it to my room.

Five, seven, nine, eleven, thirteen—yup, that's me.

I stand outside the door and count to five before I unlock it, trying to prepare myself for anything I might find.

Alright, now or never.

Pushing the door open, I find myself pleasantly surprised.

The room smells clean, not stale like I expected, and while everything seems pretty outdated, it's not dirty. No bugs crawling away as I flick on the lights.

Small mercies.

I toss my overnight bag on the bed, pulling out my pajama shorts and shirt before I strip down. It's only half past eight, but I've been driving for the last ten hours. Over the last two weeks, I've been lucky to get four or five hours of rest a night, sometimes in my car, hoping nobody followed me.

I might not have wanted to stop, but now that I have, I won't waste this perfectly good chance to catch up on some sleep.

After changing, I pull back all the bedding, one layer at a time. I carefully search for anything that might have legs, but again, I come up empty. I check once more just to be safe before I collapse, pulling the blankets over my head. I'm not sure if this bed is super comfortable or if I'm just exhausted, but right now, I don't care. It feels like a damn cloud.