Road Trip From Hell

CW: This story contains mature themes, including sexual content and strong language.

Road Trip from Hell

I never fly anywhere I go because I am scared of flying and being up high. If I can’t drive, I don’t go. My cousin Brenna is getting married, and I was invited to the wedding in California. My grandmother, Luna, and my mother, Charlotte, told me I could fly with them, but I turned them down. I told them I would leave a week early and drive up to California to meet them. My mother laughed at me and told me I was crazy for not wanting to fly out with them and drive from New York to California. I ignored my mother and packed up my car for the trip of a lifetime. I didn’t know what I would see, who I would meet, and what I would experience on my forty-three-hour car ride. 

I rented a Mustang in the morning and headed to California. I mapped out all the rest stops that allowed people to sleep in their cars since it was cheaper than getting rooms at different hotels throughout my journey. My first stop was Chicago; I drove for about twelve hours but stopped a couple of times to get food and bathroom breaks. I finally made it to my first overnight stop. The stop was a truck stop right outside the city. When I got there, I went inside and grabbed some dinner and a couple of drinks to bring back to the car before I left the store. The man behind the counter asked, “Are you sleeping here?” 

“Yes, just overnight. Why?” I asked as I grabbed all my snacks to head back to my car. 

“Well, if I were you, I would buy a windshield cover. You might see things you don’t want to see while you are staying here.” The guy behind the counter as he finished my transaction. 

“No, I think I will be alright. Have a good night,” I said as I left the store. 

I walked back to my car and noticed a couple of working girls hitting on the truckers, trying to find their date for the night. I finally made it back to my car and settled in for the night. I ate my dinner and watched a couple of videos online. I was about to fall asleep when I heard moaning from my car's front. I picked my head up and saw one of the working girls and her date doing the naughty on the hood of my car. I thought the two were finally finished, but they moved onto the side of my car and he pressed the working girl up to my window and I saw two bare boobs staring at me. I couldn’t believe what I saw, but I needed to make it stop. I crawled into the front seat and leaned on the horn. The couple moved on, and I settled in for the night. 

When morning came, I returned to the store to grab some breakfast and a windshield cover for the rest of my journey. The clerk from the night before smiled at me as I paid for my goods. “What did you see last night?” He asked with a smile on his face. 

“Boobs,” I said as I threw the cash on the counter. 

I walked back to my car and headed on with my trip. I mapped out my journey, but my GPS decided to take me another way. My GPS decided it was going to take me on Historic Route 66. While I was driving, I saw signs that didn’t match my route, but I thought it would be fun to explore the United States a little. When it became dark, I stopped in Oklahoma City. After my experience staying at a truck stop, I stayed in a Motel 6. I felt it would be safer than another truck stop and won’t see boobs pressed against my window. I checked into the motel. The clerk behind the desk handed me my key and said, “We only have one room left, and well, it's haunted. A lady killed herself there, and her ghost haunts it. You might not have any issues because you're a woman, and she doesn’t bother with women. Or wait, it might be the opposite. She might harass women. I can’t remember, but you’ll be fine.” 

I grabbed the key and headed to my room. The night went on without an issue until 3 in the morning. I heard thumping around the room. I lifted my head, but no one was there. I went back to sleep, but a couple of minutes later, I heard a crashing noise coming from the bathroom. I went into the bathroom, and the towel rack was on the ground. I picked it up and put it back on the wall. I finally went back to sleep but kept hearing noises while I slept. My alarm went off at 8 am. I quickly got dressed and left the room. I checked out of the motel and continued with my trip. I passed through Texas and then went through New Mexico. As I was driving, I saw signs for Rosewell and different places that promoted aliens and the crash that happened there in the 1950s. I just shook my head and said, “Nope. I have too much strange shit on this trip.”

I drove into Flagstaff, Arizona, and figured this would be a good place to stop. I felt nothing could go wrong there, but I was wrong. I found a nice hotel that was right on my route. I walked in and got a room. Before I walked up to the room, I asked the clerk, “Is there anything strange about the hotel or the room?”

The woman behind the counter laughed at me and said, “No. Don’t worry; there is nothing strange here.” 

I smiled and headed to my room for the night. I took a warm shower, climbed into my pajamas, and crawled under the covers. I fell right to sleep until I heard loud music and screaming. 

I peeked out of the balcony and saw a large group of college students chugging beer and doing shots of all different types of alcohol. There were naked girls and people having sex in the pool. I walked out of my room and found a staff member. “What's going on outside?” I asked the cleaning lady. 

“Ohh, spring break party. A bunch of college students rented the pool and outside bar for the night. I would stay in your room if I were you. I hope you have a good evening,” the worker said as she checked on the room next to me. I went back into my room and closed the shades to the balcony. Put my head under my pillow and finally drifted off to sleep. 

The next morning, I woke up with a headache. I grabbed breakfast from the buffet and left to finish my journey. As I walked out to my car, I noticed a bunch of drunken college students passed out on the patio near the pool. I rolled my eyes and kept walking to my car. I hopped in and sped off towards California. I drove as fast as I could so I could get to my cousin's wedding with two days to hang out in Los Angeles. 

I pulled up to the hotel that my cousin had booked. I exited the car and called her to let her know I had arrived. She laughed at me and said, “Rachel, didn’t grandma tell you? I canceled the wedding this morning. My boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend. I guess they went to a party in Flagstaff and had sex by the pool. He stupidly sent me the photos. I’m sorry. I hope you didn’t drive too far?” Brenna said as I hung up the phone. 

I got back in the car and stared out the window. I thought of how horrible this trip was and what I would encounter on my way home. I think I might take a detour into Rosewell, New Mexico, where maybe I would be abducted by aliens; that trip would be better than the trip I just went on.