Down The Hall

Prologue

I inhaled the sharp pungent air of the city. Embraced the change that was about to enter into my life as I opened the large, steel glass door. A wave of nausea hit me. The lobby was small. It consisted of a leather black couch, a standard sized TV on an old oak stand, a lamp with a yellowing shade, and a front desk that was just as old as the TV stand. The carpet was a nasty blue-green color with obvious dark stains and the walls were covered in peeling red wallpaper.
It's not like I could go anything else though. I'm stuck. There was not a soul in sight and I didn't blame them for not wanting to work in this run-down lobby. My burlap bag was slung over my shoulder containing what few items I could bring with me. I approached the desk and rang the silver bell.
My thoughts ran wild as I waited for the approaching receptionist. I could run. There's still time. If I really wanted to forget about my past, I could run farther. I still have five thousand dollars. I could buy a train ticket and make it to Chicago by sundown. The last thing I wanted was another city to feel lost in.
It took all of my will-power to keep my feet planted to the floor like growing roots. I just wanted some place to call home for a while. After recently losing the place I thought was home, I need another. I'm not one of those types to continuously run away from my problems. Nor am I the type to stay for very long. I'm indecisive.
An older lady in her sixties, I assume, teetered up to the desk with a scowl. Her gray hair was sticking up in places it shouldn't and her cheeks showed she had just been awoken from a nap. I averted my eyes from her unhappy gaze.
"Welcome to Super 8 Motel. How can I help you?" She let out a strong smokers cough.
I kept my voice low as I replied, "I need a room." I paused looking at my frail hands, "indefinitely."
She scoffed. "Alright, fill this out." She hacked. Her ragged, worn, and yellow-blue hands handed me a paper that looked to be an application. I filled it out with an Inky black pen and handed it back. She reviewed it and stamped a large green circle in the center of the page, it read "approved".
The worker disappeared into the door she emerged from. The application was basic. Asked my name, birthday, criminal record, and why I wanted to stay "indefinitely". I just said I was visiting a friend in the hospital for a few weeks. Lie. I am homeless. Truth.
Returning with a key card, the lady promptly handed it to me. "Down the hall, first left turn then take the second right, room 131."
I took the key but didn't say anything. I padded down the long halls. First left. A hallway of even more doors appeared into view. Walking straight on, I took the second right. This was a small hallway with only four rooms. My room, which had an oak door unlike the others which had steel, was at the end of the walkway on the right.
Upon opening the door, a wave of dust surrounded my nostrils. A rug was places on the floor containing a film of gray dust on the blue material. A single bed with sharp white sheets sat appropriately in the center of the room. A desk sat across from it and a TV was perched on the corner. It was a small basic TV that looked like it might be from early 2000's. I luckily got a recently updated version of a mini fridge with a microwave on top. If I'm going to be living here, I'm going to need to be able to store and heat up food.
I set the burlap sack on the bed and slumped down next to it like an empty sack. All my volition to live just escaped me. I felt all my strength and happiness just flow out of me. It was almost like I was being brutally stabbed and all my blood was oozing out of the wound. My blood spilled out and puddled up on the white sheets making me feel hopeless. I gasped for a breath.