Skaydal - Runaway Luna

⁂Sierna I could no longer ignore the blinking red dot that indicated the small car was seriously low on petrol. I groaned aloud at my own stupidity. If I had just stopped at that petrol station, then this wouldn’t have been a problem. However, there was nothing I could do about it now, and the sign-up ahead showed that I was nearing a town. I could only hope that my car would make it. Since it was already dark outside, I did not want to sleep in the car. Soft whining caught my attention and I glanced in the review mirror to see Zoey. “I know, baby girl,” I said to her before I turned my attention back to the road. She needed to go and so did I. I didn’t spot a petrol station as I entered the town called Skaydal. I did, however, spot a motel and I quickly flicked on the indicator before turning into the parking lot. I spotted two other vehicles but I didn’t pay much attention to them as I parked the car. “Wait here,” I said to Zoey before I switched off the engine and got out – although I did make sure to leave the window open since it had been rather stuffy in the car. I couldn’t see much of the motel since it was so late already, but a light coming from the office was still burning, so I headed that way. As I entered the office area, I breathed out a sigh of relief. Maybe running out of petrol had been a blessing in disguise. The female sitting behind the counter paid no attention to me and her lack of professionalism made me glance around nervously. “Um…” “Can I help you?” she drawled out as she finally looked over at me. “Um…yes…can I get a room please?” I requested. I watched in irritation as the female went back to studying her painted bright pink fingernails. “Single?” she asked as she pointedly looked behind me. “Yes,” I answered. The office was small and neat. Aside from the female, there was no one else around, which wasn’t odd at all. The low lighting made the room feel somewhat warmer than outside. I could hear the wind howling and I once again breathed out a soft sigh of relief that I was finally indoors. I knew that a storm was coming and that I had minutes before the darkened clouds let loose. This whole thing had really been a blessing. “And how long will you be staying?” she shifted in her seat and I couldn’t help but take notice of her long platinum blonde hair that was perfectly styled on top of her head. The zebra-printed top she wore shimmered whenever she moved and I was tempted to reach out and touch the material to see if it was as soft as it looked. “How long?” “Oh, um…I think five days,” I said. Five days should be more than enough time for me to refuel the car and restock on supplies. The female stared at me and then nodded as she got up. The short black skirt showed off her tanned legs and my eyes went wide at the high-heeled shoes she had on. How on earth did she manage to walk in those kinds of heels? Her appearance made me look down at myself. The loose-fitting jeans were old but clean and the black combat boots were a size too big and looked huge on my feet. The charcoal sweater and navy-blue jacket kept me warm. I considered that she may be cold but then again, it was warmer in here than out there. I watched as she grabbed a key from one of the hooks on the beige-colored wall and set it down before me as well as the registering book. It was outdated but clearly, the whole motel was. It wasn’t uncommon for older motels not to have a computerized system in place, so I picked up the pen and quickly filled in the information that was required. When I was done, she glanced down at it and then nodded. “If you need anything, or if there is anything wrong with the room…you can let me know…Janet,” I flinched at the name and quickly took the key. After she told me how much it would cost, I was relieved to see she did have a card machine. “Room five,” she pointed in the direction as soon as I had finished paying and I politely smiled before I hurried out of the reception area. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see Zoey sitting by the entrance. Since I had left the window open, I should have known. Before I closed the door behind me, I leaned down to pat her head. “Come on girl,” I whispered to her as I straightened. “Oh! Excuse me!” I heard the clerk call out and instead of slamming the door closed as I wanted to, I peeked my head back inside. “Yes?” “Is it with you?” her question made me flinch with anger as she referred to my beloved dog as an ‘it’. “Yes, she is,” I all but snapped. “Well, that will be extra,” she looked at Zoey pointedly before she glanced over her shoulder and I once again patted Zoey’s head before I re-entered the office. I don’t know how I had missed the sign that hung on the wall. Pets didn’t get to stay for free. I knew this. I should have mentioned it. I blamed it on being tired. “Ok,” I muttered as I took out my card once again. The female ran through the transaction quickly, for which I was grateful, but this time I didn’t bother saying anything else as I then once again hurried out of the office. Zoey followed me as I headed back to the car to grab my duffle bag from the boot. This time I made sure to lock up the car before I headed to the room. Once we were safely inside, I felt like I could breathe easier. The room was simple and I tried not to cringe as I looked around. The carpet looked to be mahogany brown but I had a feeling it hadn’t been cleaned in a long time. The small TV stand looked like it would fall over if you even touched it and the old-looking TV made me shudder. The dirt and grease – probably from previous tenants touching it – against the TV screen made me realize that I would have to find other ways to entertain myself, since I wouldn’t be touching it. Not even with a stick. The single-style bed looked relatively clean but I knew better. The reddish bedding matched the two sets of curtains in the room. One small window is next to the door and another across the room. A shabby-looking cupboard stood alongside the window and the side table next to the bed looked to be in just as bad shape as the TV stand. The lamp had come on when I had flipped the light switch and it cast an eerie glow in that corner. Zoey made a beeline for the bed while I dropped my bag next to her. “It’s a bit cold in here, isn’t it?” I said aloud before I went over to the only other door and pushed it open to find the bathroom. Although the tiles on the wall and floor looked old, it was at least clean. The toilet, basin, and shower were much in the same condition and at least it was clean. I quickly used the toilet and was relieved when it flushed without any issues. When I washed my hands, I was also grateful that the water was hot. This motel was certainly better than the last one I had stayed in. I went back into the room and sighed loudly as I looked at Zoey. “Well…this is home for the next few days,” I muttered and her tail thumped at the sound of my voice. I considered taking a shower just to warm up, but I was admittedly a lot more tired than I had originally thought. I dug through the bag and threw the soft t-shirt and sweatpants onto the bed before I stripped down. Once I was dressed, I pulled back the covers and eyed the sheet. It was a soft shade of pink that somehow fit in with the reddish bedding. It looked clean and I decided it would just have to do. I had forgotten my own set of bedding in the car. I climbed into bed and pulled the covers over me. As I snuggled down, I breathed in the clear scent of laundry detergent. That made me feel a lot better. I reached out to flip the switch on the lamp and when the room fell into complete darkness, I sighed with comfort as I settled in to get some much-needed sleep. ⁂ I jerked awake and sat up straight in bed as I looked around the room. It was still fairly dark but the soft light from the moon sneaked through the gap between the curtains. I could hear the pitter-patter of the rainfall and I was oddly surprised that I had probably slept through most of the storm. My breathing was heavy and I reached out for Zoey. She had been the one to wake me and I took comfort in her soft coat beneath my fingertips. “I’m alright,” I told her softly. She whined in response but settled down as my heart rate slowed and breathing evened out. I must have had a nightmare or something. I settled back down intending to go back to sleep, but as I closed my eyes, memories of my past came rushing to the forefront of my mind like a horror movie. Zoey whined and nudged my arm with her snout. “I’m fine,” I managed to reassure her as I forced the images from my mind. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to get any more sleep, so I sat up and switched on the lamp. Making myself comfortable against the headboard, I wondered what I was doing. I couldn’t keep running. I knew that. At some point, I had to settle down and make someplace my home. The image of my Uncle flashed through my mind and I shuddered. No, I could never settle down. The itch to run was strong and I had to force myself from getting out of bed and doing exactly that. He couldn’t find me. Hell, for all I knew, he wasn’t even looking for me. That thought alone made me feel better and I yawned. I snuggled back under the covers and silently hoped that I could fall back asleep. ⁂ The next time I woke up, it was thankfully morning and the sunlight shone through the curtains and warmed up the room. “Do you need to go?” I asked Zoey as I slipped out of bed. Her tail thumped against the floor and I glanced over my shoulder to see her sitting by the door. “I guess so,” I murmured as I hurriedly unlocked the door for her. Although the sun was shining, the ground was still wet and I watched as Zoey wandered around the parking lot, looking for a spot. I shivered as the morning breeze tickled my arms. I decided that while she was doing her business, I would do mine. I left the door slightly ajar and hurried to the bathroom. After using the toilet, I turned on the shower and while I waited for the water to heat up, I went to check on Zoey. Instead, a large man stood at the door and I couldn’t see Zoey anywhere. Our eyes locked and my mouth opened, ready to scream.