Vol. 2b - THE LONG STAY #1: Checking In

A STATION DARK hidden signal

Welcome to the signal.

Vol. 2a - BETWEEN STATIONS # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Vol. 2b - THE LONG STAY # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Vol. 1 - STATION DARK # 1 (of 18)

---

Checking In

The wagon rolled to a stop with a familiar shudder. Daniel killed the engine with a turn of his key.

They’d arrived later than planned, the sky already drained of color and the parking lot cast in sodium light that flattened everything it touched, giving the crumbling curbs and painted lines a tired look. Maggie was crying in the back before the wheels finished settling, issuing the long, worn-down whine of a six-year-old who had been strapped into a vinyl seat for too many hours.

“Stop,” June snapped, already tired of being the reasonable middle child. She freed herself of the seatbelt edge biting into her neck, equally irritated, then reached over to help her sister.

Owen brooded in the third row, his eyes fixed out the rear window in his reverse-facing seat. With a single bored glance, he succeeded in telling both of them to shut up. He returned his gaze to the neon sign flicking at the roadside.

The children were spent.

Daniel kept his hands on the steering wheel for a beat longer than necessary. The wheel was warm, slightly slick from the long drive. The quiet after the engine cut out felt thin and brittle, like it might crack if anyone spoke too loudly. Somewhere beneath it all, the metal of the hood ticked and cooled, counting down the final notes of the trip.

“Okay,” said Laura, unbuckling beside him. “Everybody out. Get your shoes on. Leave the bags.”

Daniel had done the driving, but Laura had gotten them here.

Owen slammed his door harder than he needed to. June climbed out more carefully, automatically reaching back to steady Maggie as she hopped down, nearly tripping over her own feet. Maggie pressed her palms against the cold car door, fascinated by the cloud of her breath.

The hotel sat just far enough off the road to feel forgotten. Two stories and a flat roof, with beige siding gone slightly gray with age. The neon sign buzzed weakly, one letter flickering in and out. It wasn’t abandoned, just underused, slowly slipping away to atrophy.

A gentle hand pressed on Daniel’s shoulder, and he caught Laura’s gentle smile. “You okay?” she said.

Daniel pressed a smile to match hers. “Yeah, I’m good.” He led the way inside.