The Familiar Place In An Unfamiliar Place

Keeping my eyes open, feet softly padding over the soft carpeted hallways that were deserted at this hour of the night.  I yawned, feeling my shoulders ache under the weight of my heavily loaded backpack. Finally reaching my destination after walking the seemingly endless airport hallways, I took a deep breath and walked up to the bored looking desk tenant.  Giving her my most sympathetic smile, trying my best not to bite my lip from nervousness.  "Hey, I, umm.., I need a room please." I said with the slightest stutter tucking my hair behind my ear.  She responded with the slightest raise of her left eyebrow and violent typing that should have been labeled as keyboard abuse at the length she kept her nails.  I smiled and thanked her as she handed me the key card then walked quickly to the elevator, pressing the button.  I stood impatiently, feeling the growing ache in my shoulders under the weight of my backpack.  After an eternity the elevator door slid open and I stepped in.  My luck, never failing, caused the door to open one floor later to produce a young man dressed in a purple pair of footed pajamas with a monster in hand. I gave a slight smile then proceeded to slowly sway from standing on my heels to toes then back again, avoiding eye-contact.  I clenched my teeth trying my hardest not to yawn as we passed floor 10 in complete silence with only the elevator dings at each floor to let us know time hadn't suddenly paused without our knowing. The moment the doors opened on floor 13 I made a break for it and left with a small "Night" before heading down the hall.  As I walked I was completely caught up in the hypnotizing carpet patterns that always seem to line the floors of hotel halls, sadly forgotten and under appreciated  that I only just realized I was going the wrong way when I reached the end of the absurdly long hallway.  Backtracking, Careful not to get caught again by the intriguing carpet again I found my door and slid my key feeling like an agent and slipped into the room.  Honestly wiped out, I dropped my bags and fell onto the end of the bed slipping off my shoes before I curled up, letting out my breath.  Eventually I made my way to the top of the bed where I pulled open the stale feeling covers like a sardine tin and slid my feet in feeling the cool but soft sheets.  I laid my head down on the pillow and sank into it, smelling the familiar scent of hotels that I never could quite explain, except that it was that of hotel. Mildly like plastered walls and fresh linen, but also something else that will most probably always remain a mystery to me.  I laid there in the dark room with the lights from outside seeping through the edges of the thick curtains, trapping the room in prison bars of light. Letting out my breath trying to sink into the soft bed and relax my still complaining shoulders I said a silent prayer then passed out in moments to face the next day.