Outlaws (g!p)

15

Three Days Later — Missouri

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"You know, I thought those kids were trouble when they arrived. They even dissed my five star accommodations!" —Paradise Motel Owner.

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..LISA..

"I'm getting tired." Jennie yawns, stretching in the seat beside me. We've been driving all day, it's all we've been doing is driving, sleeping, and then driving some more. We still have no destination at this point, the plan is just to get far enough away from our parents as we can get.

"Yeah, let's pull over and get some sleep," I agree.

I take the next exit and we both try and scope out a nearby hotel. There's a couple closed fast food joints, and it looks like one hotel at the end of the street. It's dodgy as shit in this area, and the hotel doesn't look like anything I want to take Jennie to.

"Maybe we should try the next exit..." I suggest.

"It said there wasn't another rest stop for miles," Jennie mutters, looking at the same motel I am. "It's fine, we'll just get a couple hours of sleep and get out of there." She shakes her head, throwing her sketchpad into her duffel bag. She's exhausted, we both are. Who knew just driving would take it out of you.

Turning the wheel, I do as she says and drive to the dilapidated hotel.

Upon getting closer, the sign doesn't even have a name on it. It just has a ring of lights outlining a diamond-shaped sign. It reads Paradise Motel. Ha, more like Bates Motel. There looks to be maybe seven rooms with all the doors scratched like a lion tried to get into each one. Parking in the cracked parking lot covered in potholes, we both get out. Jennie puts Kuma in her bag and I tuck her close to my side, not liking the looks of this place at all. On our way to the front office, we pass a pool that is full of grass and weeds - it looks like a swamp.

Once inside, the smell of cigarettes is so strong it takes my breath away. There's an old man in overalls and no shirt behind the counter playing cards. It's muggy in here with no air conditioning. Walking across the lobby, my feet stick to the floor as if they pulled the flooring up and said fuck the leftover glue that's stuck to the concrete.

"Do you have a room?" Jennie asks in a cute voice. That innocent charm slipping into place.

The man doesn't look up, her cuteness lost on him. "One room. One hundred dollars," the man says with a raspy voice.

Jennie shuffles in her bag and gives the man the money. He glances at her hand, then through his smudged glasses.

Taking the money, he shoves it in his pocket and grabs something under the counter. "Enjoy your stay, pretty flower," he chuckles, his teeth stained yellow and making me grimace.

My shoulders lift not liking the way he's looking my woman over. Jennie just stands there as if she's frozen, little hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Sidestepping her, I notice what has her in a daze.

The guy is holding a key attached to a rotten rabbit foot. It's an off-white color and I'm pretty sure that's bone on the end. Some people collect them for good luck, but this one looks like this man just hacked it off a rabbit and put it on there yesterday.

I snatch it from him, so Jennie doesn't have to touch it.

"Thanks." My tone as dry as the decaying rabbit foot. Wrapping my arm around Jennie, I take her out of the lobby and to our room, which is three doors down.

"Ooooh my God," Jennie draws out under breath. "Is that a real foot?" she asks softly. I just shake my head, not wanting her to look at it. Quickly I open our door, shut it and lock it behind us. We should have taken our chances at the next exit. This place is a fucking horror movie waiting to happen.