“Open this door right now or I'm calling the cops!" The voice outside was accompanied by aggressive pounding that made the thin door rattle in its frame. I jolted awake, my heart hammering as I tried to remember where I was. The stained ceiling. The smell of mold. The Sunshine Inn.
Sunlight streamed through the torn curtains. I grabbed my phone and checked the time. 12:17 PM. I had meant to wake up back before 9 to figure out my next move. Instead I had slept through the only time I had paid for.
"Shit."
"I know what you're doing in there, trying to steal another night!" the voice continued. "Get out now before I drag you out!"
I threw my few belongings into the box and opened the door to face a red-faced man in a stained shirt. The desk clerk from last night, but angrier and more de
