Road Trip USA part 4.5 - A Creepy Night’s Drive to a Creepy Motel

I attempted to find a hotel in Boston, but everything was booked. Every - Single - Hotel. I called a half dozen chains even, who kindly told me that all of their locations were booked for the night. Who knew a Tuesday in Boston was so hopping!! Apparently a lot of people go there on vacation this time of year.

Finally, one lady told me that they had a room for over $200 plus taxes and fees; I said no thank you.

At this point I was thinking, well I’m not too tired, maybe I’ll knock out a few hours of tomorrow’s drive and I can sleep in or get to NYC early. It was only 9:30pm and I was also feeling like I had ventured out of the nicer area of Boston and just wanted to get out of the city. 

Boston during the day, nice, beautiful - NOT scary

But - I needed gas. So I used my GPS to find one, because gas stations are extremely difficult to find in densely populated cities, and I located the nearest two to me. They were across the street from one another, but I chose the one on the right, which ironically was not the right one to chose. I chose this particular gas station because there was construction on the road and I didn’t think it mattered. Apparently I chose the one on the ghetto side of the street, because after getting gas I asked a man through glass if they had a restroom and he said “no”, sliding his little box you pay through shut. I’m from Kansas City and I know not a good place for young little white girls when I see one.

Boston during the day again - A GREAT place for little white girls to be

At this point, I see the gas station through the construction - it is 10x’s nicer and there are more people over there. So, I start walking back to my car as a beggar asks if I have any spare change. I shook my head and said sorry. Got into my car and drove across the street through the construction. 

Boston during the day - Obviously the gas station was NOT on this beautiful street

I went inside, used the restroom, felt like maybe I should see if I wanted anything and my eyes landed on the Twizlers. THIS WAS A BAD DECISION! I purchased the Twizlers, giving the beggar across the street more than plenty of time to cross the street, through the construction and approach me. This time he seemed agitated. Saying something to the effect of “come on man, any loose change, you remember me from across the street? come on.” I, terrified of beggars due to many bad incidents in Madrid (see Spit- a new welcoming tradition for the very first one), and even more horrified because this man FOLLOWED ME across the street! 

Boston during the day- People NOT approaching my car creepily

I quickly got into my rental car, attempted to lock all the doors - but instead unlocked them all (luckily not knowing that’s what I did) and the man kept walking towards me!! This time his arms stretched out wide open as if he was planning to jump on my car! I backed out hurriedly, trying my best to pay attention as if not to kill anyone or wreck my car giving this crazy man more time to figure out what he was going to do next.

I went back to the intersection where I really just wanted to turn as soon as possible. The-traffic-never-seemed-to-stop and I thought this man was going to follow me again. I turned and right as I did the officer at the construction site yelled directly next to my window - TURN YOUR LIGHTS ON! This made my heart race even faster, because I was already on edge, expecting the beggar to do something crazy and really just wanting to get the fuck out of this miserable, now scary looking, place.  

Boston at Night.

My heart pounded and I left the city as fast as possible, or as fast as the construction let me.

Needless to say, this is only the beginning of the night. I decided that I was going to drive about two hours to where the first road change split heading to NYC; also the place where it appeared many hotels were located, and far enough away from the beaches and main cities that I figured they couldn’t all be booked. 

Boston at Night.

I was wrong again. The hotels, microtels, and motels were packed. Luckily a Super 8 Motel had a room for around $150. I decided that I was not going to find better, and that this was my only chance, so I took it.

The lady at the front desk thought it would be smart to put me on the FAR END ROOM - the second to LAST room at the end of the motel next to a dark grouping of trees that led into the abyss behind the motel. 

What the room was going to look like after the murderer was done with me

I think to myself, at least it’s not on the bottom floor. I put the room keycards in my pocket and get in my car to drive across the lot and hope for a parking spot, as the entire lot is packed with cars, trucks, campers and more. I find a parking spot, put my phone in my pocket, get my bags out of the trunk and head up the stairs.

What the woods looked like at half past midnight

As I begin climbing the wood stairs, my phone rings. Kanichiwah! KANICHIWAH! I shift the weight, pull out my phone, almost losing the keycards with it, and answered. It’s Matt. *sigh of relief* Thank God. He can tell I am struggling and asks if I want to call him back later, I said  “no, I would actually feel a lot better if you just stayed on the phone until I get settled, because this place is fucking creepy.” He chuckled and agreed, thinking I was just being funny as usual. 

The Super 8, as it looked at half past midnight

I stepped up to the door. The-key-doesn’t-work. FUCK! I had put my phone in the pocket with the magnetized keycards and DEACTIVATED them. And I was so close to home free! I took all my stuff back down stairs and began to walk across the parking lot, still talking to Matt, when a white van with blacked out windows pulled into the lot. 

This is it, I’m going to die. The uncomfortable laughter started as I explained to Matt that if I died I was off of I-84 in Massachusetts at a Super 8 Motel; I even gave him the license plate number of the van. To make matters worse, the van parked NEXT to my car. Fuck, fuck, fuck my life. I needed to put my shit back in my car before walking down three buildings to the lady at the desk. 

What the van looked like pulling into the lot at half past midnight

The man hopped out of the van, looked at me, got something out of his car and walked in the opposite direction of me. He was about my age and looked completely harmless. I dropped my bags off, went to the front desk, got my keycards re-activated, and this time put them far away from everything electronic.

This time the door opened on the third try. I entered the room and checked behind and under everything. Why you ask, well, as Guillaume said as I told him the story the next day - the movies tell you that you never leave a motel alive. 

What the van looked like up close, and conveniently with the driver posing with his buddy - Pedo Bear!

Matt was kind enough to stay on the line with me as I shut, locked, bolted and barred the door shut. I looked out the window. Bad, Bad, Bad idea. It was pitch black and all I could think of was the creepy forest behind the motel. I sat down on the bed, exhausted. Matt told me that everything was going to be okay and that I would be fine, but then the lamp in the mirror started swaying back and forth. Logic would tell you that the air conditioner was moving the mirror and that the lamp wasn’t moving, but I immediately looked over at the lamp to find it stationary. 

I mean creepy people and blood are what come out of mirrors!!!

Next search began immediately. This time I looked behind all the mirrors and pictures in the motel, making sure there wasn’t a hole cut out in the wall. Matt was still on the line. I was still thinking “I’m going to die”, but at that point I was a little less paranoid. 

The thought that finally calmed me down enough to say goodnight to Matt and fall asleep was - if they were going to kidnap or kill me, they would have done it by now. 

The room I woke up to - magically it became normal with daylight

The next morning I woke up to birds chirping, a bright lit room that was cleaner than the previous Microtel Audrey and I stayed in during part 1 of my road trip, and I looked out the window. 

View in the morning... Not so abysmal

The black abyss was a little lake where there were ducks swimming, the creepy forest was a beautiful tree line circling said lake, the hotel parking lot was half empty (I’d slept ‘til 9am) and there was a sign for a pool.

The pool I didn't even know the motel had

I walked down to the pool to find a sparkling blue L shaped pool that I would swim some laps in before leaving. I asked for a late checkout of noon and that day began the glorious trip NYC for the George Watsky concert of a lifetime!

Hotel during the day... Not so scary... and the woods look nice too...

Hopefully I won’t have too many more incidents like this one, or maybe I won't spook myself out!

Until next time,

Raelynne