The Hotel at the End of Time

Chapter 14 - Emma does not learn anything important about Sweden.

At dawn, Emma turned off the highway and drove them to a run-down, two-story motel beside a pawn shop with bars on the windows. The counter was sticky with some substance Emma didn't want to think about. A single fluorescent light flickered in the spotty, water-damaged ceiling. Vain paid, pushing cash across the counter with the tip of her finger, trying not to touch anything. Emma had nothing to contribute. She was lucky enough to have her phone. Her wallet hadn't been on her when the Wyatts came.

"Single room, huh?" Behind the checkout counter, the clerk waggled his eyebrows, eying Emma up and down. Of course. Two women checking into a single room. Hilarious.

"You remind me of Andy Griffith," Vain said.

"Why, because of my good looks?" The guy snorted, impressed at his joke.

"No, because you're a fucking asshole."

Both the clerk and Emma glanced at Vain, waiting for further explanation of the punchline. But, no. That was it. Andy Griffith was an asshole, apparently. Vain stared back at the clerk, unblinking, until he stopped smirking and dropped his eyes. He muttered under his breath and handed over the keys. Emma shook her head.

Vain hadn't wanted to stop, but she was fading and struggled to keep her eyes open. They needed a break. Emma also needed time to ingest everything that had happened. This sudden rush of power, the near-kidnapping, the frantic flight with this insane woman— she needed to work through it all.

The room was as miserable as she expected, two single beds separated by a scratched and battered nightstand. More water stains covered the ceiling, and she swore she saw mouse droppings along the edge of the baseboards. The thought of lying down on those beds turned her stomach, but Vain didn't seem to share her disgust.

"I call closest to the window," Vain said. She threw herself onto the nearest bed and burrowed under the covers.

Emma gagged a little.

The moment Vain's head hit the pillow, her breathing slowed, and small snoring sounds followed soon after. Emma huddled up on top of the covers and closed her eyes, but the acrid odor of cleaning supplies and damp mold gave her a headache. Every individual spring in the mattress pushed against her back and she threw her arm over her eyes, hoping to at least settle her nerves. Vain was a distracting hot pulse of power. It was like trying to sleep beside a furnace, albeit one powered by rage and bad hair choices.

Emma tossed and turned, and after about an hour of fidgeting, settled into a light doze. It only lasted a few minutes before she woke up again, restless and brimming with stolen energy.

She got out of bed, being careful not to wake Vain, and went into the bathroom. One look at the tub discouraged her from a bath, but she took a long, hot shower and let herself relax as the water washed over her. The marks from the Wyatts had faded to almost nothing. It was creepy. She had been punched and roughed up. Bruises should cover her face, but nothing showed. Did she heal faster now too? She wished she had some makeup. Such a stupid thing, but a normal thing. She needed normal right now.

She pulled out her phone from the sweatpants that lay crumpled on the floor and sat on the toilet. A harried, fifteen-minute texting binge ensued, first to her mom, followed by her friends, letting them know she would be offline for a while. A 'study bender', she called it. Doreen joked she was the only person who made the word "bender" sound dull. Regardless, it bought Emma some space while she tried to figure out her next steps; and more importantly, investigate these strange new powers she had gained.

She opened the notes app on her phone and got to typing.

One: She could absorb energy from everyone. This gave her limitless stamina, and while getting punched still hurt, she healed faster now.