Page 101 of The Hitchhikers
“It broke down. They sent me ahead.” Jenny pulled bills out of her pocket. “I can pay in cash.”
“It’s ten a night.”
Jenny set down a ten-dollar bill. “Can we get one in a quiet area?”
“They’re all quiet. We don’t have many guests tonight.” The woman turned, grabbed a key from a hook on the wall, and slid it across the counter. The orange plastic tag was in the shape of an arrow with the name of the motel on it. Their teepee was number 4.
“It’s a blue one. There’s only two beds. Extra blankets in the closet.”
Jenny nodded. “Thank you.”
“Have a nice stay.” The woman was already disappearing around the corner, back to her TV. Jenny breathed a small sigh of relief. She wouldn’t see them walking to their teepee with their pillowcase bags. Hopefully the woman didn’t watch the late-night news.
Jenny headed out into the dark to find Simon.
Moths floated around the light over the door to their teepee as Simon fit the key into the lock. Alice waited across from Jenny, on the other side of Simon. Before they’d left the train tracks, Simon had untied Alice’s wrists. Now that she was in the light, Jenny could see that Alice’s chin was scraped and bleeding. Her knees looked puffy and bruised.
Alice frowned at her. Jenny wanted to frown back, but she turned her head.
There were only a couple of other vehicles in the parking lot. A bronze-colored car was in front of a pink teepee on the other side, and at the end of the row, a little red Toyota truck was parked in front of a yellow teepee. The truck was pulling a wood-paneled trailer that looked homemade. Lawn chairs and a red cooler were strapped to the roof.
There were ten teepees in total. Five on each side, with a paved lane running up the center, and parking spots in front of each teepee. The teepees were made from a hard material like cement, and sculpted around the door to look like the flaps were rolled back. Jenny thought the pastel shades were pretty. They reminded her of marshmallow ice-cream cone candies.
Simon held the door and motioned Alice inside, then Jenny, who dropped her backpack on one of the beds and looked around. She’d never stayed in a motel before. From the outside the teepees were round, but inside the walls were angled to make flat sections and corners.
The air was thankfully cooler, with an air-conditioning unit under the window. The carpet was orange, matching the plaid coverlets, and the headboards were in the shape of wagon wheels. Each bed had a night table and lamp. They were separated by the door to the bathroom.
Jenny peeked inside. It was narrow, with the bathtub and shower on one side, the sink in the middle, and the toilet at the other end. But it looked clean and there were towels.
The TV was on a rolling cart, beside a chair and desk with a phone, telephone book, plastic ice bucket, and water glasses. A book of matches with the motel name was in the ashtray.
Alice sat on the other bed with slumped shoulders. She was watching Simon, who was moving around the room and checking things out.
“You could call the police now and tell them there are people in the basement,” Alice said. “We’re a few towns away.”
“I want more distance first.” Simon yanked the phone cord out of the wall and turned to show Alice that the end had broken off.
Alice crossed her arms over her chest. Simon was rummaging in one of the pillowcase bags. He pulled out a chocolate bar for Jenny. He tossed one to Alice too, but she didn’t catch it, andit bounced onto the mattress by her leg. He took out the saltine crackers and cheese, and using the phone book as a cutting board, he sliced the cheese with the hunting knife.
“I need to use the bathroom,” Alice said.
“Go for it.” He stabbed a piece of cheese with the knife and brought it to his mouth. Alice walked past him and closed the door. Soon there was the sound of water running.
Simon made a pile of cheese and crackers and brought them over to Jenny. She was so hungry that it didn’t matter that it was her third meal of crackers that day.
After a few moments, Alice emerged from the bathroom. Her cheeks were pink, and her hair damp, like she had splashed water on her face. They hadn’t brought any of Alice’s things. No toothbrush or hairbrush. No clean clothes. She must have been so uncomfortable.
Simon was sitting at the desk, eating his own stack of crackers and cheese. Jenny looked at him. He met her gaze, made a frustrated sound, and took the rest over to Alice.
Jenny took the glasses and got them water from the bathroom. She wished they had ice. The food hadn’t been enough, but it would hold them until morning, when Jenny hoped they could buy a real meal somewhere. She took a shower, happy to be washing off the dirt and sweat, while feeling guilty that Alice couldn’t do the same. Jenny changed into her sleep clothes—pink satin shorts and a faded Snoopy T-shirt—before she left the bathroom.
Simon was still at the desk. The package of crackers was mostly gone. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. Smoke quickly filled the motel room. Alice coughed.
“Your cigarette stinks.”
“Stop complaining.”
“It does smell,” Jenny said. “It makes my eyes sting.”
