“You want to stay the night, or … ?”
I recalled the motel-manager’s question. What else than staying?
There was a mirror above the king size bed, and there were cobwebs in the bathroom. The stains on the carpet, were probably not the result of sloppy breakfast manners.
You were silent, but your eyes held curses. Outside an SUV left. Who would leave a room a rainy night at 1 AM?
The black matchbox had only a local phone-number, nothing else.
A car arrived; another one left.
We didn’t sleep a lot that night, and left at break of dawn.
This is partly based on a true experience of checking into the wrong type of Motel.
Friday Fictioneers is a blogging community run by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, one picture, 100 words. What do you see in the picture?
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October 14, 2015
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Oh my, there’s not much sleep that could possibly happen there! I think driving tired would be the only real option 🙂
I clearly sleeping very little.. and leaving very early….
This is elegantly simple and subtle. Great writing.
Thank you.. some things could only be grasped gradually.
My favorite part is the subtlety in the bathroom cobwebs. And the silent curses in your wife’s eyes; I know that look quite well and am an expert at giving it.
Indeed, I doubt the bathroom had seen a lot of use.
Hey, Bjorn, I have stayed there.
More than once, in more than one country.
Excellent portrayal of the bottom end of the market.
You always make the mistake.. the hourly rate is what should be a big no no..
Not sure what this says about me, but afraid this is very funny – the hapless tourist. Many of us have been there in some form or other, few will admit to it.
It is very funny afterwards.. and we actually kept the matchbook as a reminder.
I expect they left with bedbug bites too… Sounds like a place to avoid. Nice one Bjorn.
Bedbugs is a clear possibility…
Did you remember to post on Trip Advisor? Lol. Good one.
Ha.. this was a long time before tripadvisor…
Dear Björn,
Like CEAyr, I’ve stayed in that hotel in more than one place. Those are the kind of experiences that make great anecdotes later on. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Much better afterwards than during the stay,
A bit more research next time? Pay by the hour isn’t likely four-star accommodations! 🙂
I think that might be correct… Hmm.
I think I stayed in that “no tell motel” once. Alone I should add. 😉
I think I would prefer to have stayed alone…
Although there was no one around to blame it on since the husband was at home in a comfy bed. 😉
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Not the nicest place for tourists to spend the night. 😉
For no-one I think.. 🙂
it looks one of those motels where folks don’t stay the night. they just rent a room for a hour or so. they are usually located in a seedy neighborhood.
Sometimes it’s not that easy to see how seedy it really is..
A very unpleasant night and a fear an even worse morning if the wife has anything to do with it.
I think as soon as you leave it’s OK..
I was going to go the same route as your story when i saw the picture because it reminded me of a motel i was put up when I first came to the US and it was exactly was you described. Didn’t sleep a wink.
Nice piece of writing.
It seems we have all been unlucky at least once…
Bravo, you had made it through the night anyway 🙂
🙂 no real danger… but unpleasant.
(The black matchbox had only local a local phone-number- Too many “locals” in this sentence?)
A bleak story. I think I stayed in this room once and recently, too!
Thank you.. I have corrected. So sorry for you that you had to stay in such a place.
Cobwebs in the bathroom will give one cobwebs under the eyes 🙂
Ha.. I think the carpet spots make sleeping spotty.
🙂
Not the right place to stay. Surprised anyone slept at all.
Sleeping was a not deep 😉
Interesting story.
😉
Creepy spot, you really capture the vibe.
It’s never yoghurt …
*Shudder*! It appears more than one of us has stayed in this type of “establishment” – not a wink did I have either! Well done.
I have never seen them here, so it came as surprise.
Nicely described. I don’t think I’d sleep much either. And I’d probably wedge a chair under the door handle (though the place is probably a fire trap as well!).
Ha, never thought of that.
This was great, you gave me the “shivi jivvies” without telling a gruesom thing, just by the description and the coming and going of cars late at night. What would you call that a thriller? Anyways, nicely done.
Maybe that’s setting a scene.
Setting a scene, got it. Well then very well done in setting the scene.
Bjorn, I clicked on the link below to dverse poets (sites you liked) and it redirected to an unsafe site.
That’s very strange.. I just checked it and it’s a normal wordpress site..
http://dversepoets.com
Must be this side. Oh dear.
Ok.. try http://dversepoets.wordpress.com
I got McAfee antivirus guard to do a site report and all’s clear.
Clicked this link in your comment (without the wordpress bit) and it worked normally. The other one still redirects. I’ve had hassles before with another site when no one else has. Back to the technician then!
Not a nice place to stay but when travelling one does not always know. I have friends whose parents owned that motel;) no really, the stories one told us as teens!! Part of my education on life 🙂
Ha, sometimes I think misunderstandings run the other way.
Been in such rooms. Gives me shudders still.
Lily
Yes, if you don’t know the codes you easily get it wrong,
That has happened to me, too! Very frustrating.
SO and I came across such motels, but preferred to sleep in the car. I love the line about the curses in your wife’s eyes. Great story.
I think I have stayed at that place once in my life.
DJ
I stayed in a place like this once. Slept with my clothes on. Horrible experience!!
What?! You didn’t stay for the complimentary breakfast?
Oh, this sounds like a dicey place, Bjorn. The stains aren’t because of sloppy breakfast manners. I don’t want to know. This is my favorite line, “You were silent, but your eyes held curses.” So well written!
Ewwww! (lol)
Ewww… That’s the type of travel experience we all want to forget, yet we can’t help but remember!
They did say travel and see. 🙂
What a vivid scene of an unpleasant night’s stay. Sometimes circumstances force us to stay somewhere we regret
That wold be the kind of motel where you’d stay in an emergency-only basis. I loved the way you listed the clues to what it was. Well done, Bjorn. 😀 — Suzanne
I am so glad that I have not “been there… done that” !!!