Shelter in the rain
The room was small, dim lit and smelled faintly of old soap. I stood in the doorway for a moment, scanning my surroundings. A creaky wooden chair sat crookedly beside a round table. A dusty television hung on the wall, its screen blank. The bathroom door was slightly open, revealing chipped tiles and a sink that dripped. A single bed, the sheets stiff and faded, took up most of the space.
I dropped my bag on the floor and collapsed onto the mattress, the springs creaking under me. My clothes clung to my skin, soaked through from the weather I had just escaped. The rain still tapped lightly against the window, as if trying to follow me in.
“He won’t find me here,” I whispered to no one, letting the words echo softly in the room.
With a sigh, I reached for my phone. The screen flickered to life, lighting up my face in the dark. One message waited.
Riley:Are you okay?
My fingers hesitated before tapping out a simple reply.
Me:Yeah. Just needed to get away.
He responded immediately, like he’d been waiting. Our conversation stretched out for the next hour—brief exchanges, careful questions, quiet reassurances. It was the most human I’d felt all day.
Eventually, my eyes grew heavy.
Me:I’m gonna try to get some sleep. Talk later?
Riley:Of course. Stay safe, okay?
I placed my phone face down on the table and pulled the scratchy motel blanket over myself. The silence was too loud. My thoughts churned, anxiety crawling beneath my skin. I turned onto one side. Then the other. Sleep didn’t come easy. It never did anymore.
Three hours passed in restless agony before exhaustion finally claimed me. The knock jolted me awake. I blinked at the light seeping through the closed curtains. My body ached, still wrapped in the damp clothes from last night. The digital clock beside the bed read 10:02 AM. Another knock—louder this time.
I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. My heart thudded as I approached the door and looked through the peephole. It was Riley. I hesitated only a moment before unlocking the door and opening it. He stood there in the hallway, concern written all over his face. Without a word I stepped aside and let him in
