The Roach Motel

This is an untouched digital photograph of the carpet in The Continental Inn (a.k.a. Roach Motel) that I stayed in for 5 nights (even though I paid for a week) upon arriving in San Antonio. What color do you think it is?? I honestly couldn't tell - blue? green? grey? brown? This motel was 100% nasty. It smelled like dog. I was one second from blowing out of this shit hole and finding the nearest Hilton.

Of course there was a roach, hanging out under the alarm clock of all places. So I couldn't sleep the first night, afraid the south Texan roaches were going to crawl all over my bed. The next night, I tap the alarm clock - just in case - and guess who is there again! What a dumbass! So I murdered that roach, and his friends must have gotten the message.

I slept with the dead bolt, the chain and the chair against the door so that the dead bolt wouldn't move. But no one really bothered me - it was just so depressing in there. It would be 80 degrees and sunny outside and just dank and dark and smelly inside. There was no fridge or microwave as advertised, so I ate nuts and dried fruit out of a paper bag (along with plenty of take-out). Thankfully there was cable and internet service, albeit slow/spotty. And I adapted to my surroundings, like a good little shape-shifter.



Now I am writing from the comfort of my new home,
my repugnance acquiesced by time and distance, but the scars the Roach Motel left on my soul may ne'er heal.