The Motel

## The Hopeless Motel

The Hopeless Motel is a building that exists in a pocket dimension outside of reality itself. Passage to the dimension is often jarring, sudden with the soon to be residents, falling asleep in their vehicle and waking up with it driving itself. The sudden change of scenery can be quite alarming and often induces fear. The resident is unable to control the vehicle nor change its path and must stay at The Hopeless Motel until they are allowed to leave.

Departure is only granted once The Universe believes they are ready. Any attempt to outsmart The Universe is futile. Escape is impossible, unless the unspecified criteria is met, which is different for everyone. The Universe often sends The chosen to the motel to fix an issue within their lives.

Controlled by The Universe, The Motel frequently defies and breaks the laws of physics and reality. Time doesn't pass, it is constantly cold and items can be created from seemingly nothing. The Motel has this air of total control and omnipotence leaving the residents feeling helpless and clueless.

The Motel is the only building in the unnamed pocket dimension, however the temporary inhabitants of the pocket dimension call the dimension itself, The Hopeless Motel. The pocket dimension itself is quite small, only containing The Motel and the forests and road surrounding it. Any attempt to escape the dimension by trying to cross its borders, will have the escapee, pass out, only to be thrown back into the center of the parking lot by an unknown force.

Christian describes this place as "some weird dimension that’s got about sixty eight percent of everything right." as things are unnervingly off. Time doesn't pass. Items appear from thin air. The fact it's forever night. Despite being made to rehabilitate people its not particularly comforting, nor hospitable.

Note: Although cars are seen in the novel it is noted that bikes and motorcycles have been witnessed. For those living in a city, a train or bus line may occasionally appear, with the chosen awakening in the vehicle, unable to climb inside the cabin until their criteria has been fulfilled.

### Notable residents

* Trent, a depressed young man who learned to care about himself.
* An unnamed elderly lady who’d just lost her husband and found peace in her time there.
* A unnamed middle aged man found his passion for studying the stars despite being a mechanic for thirty years.
* A unnamed teenager that had run away from home and used The Motel and its resources to plot a way forward.
* Christian, a runaway with no future.
* Lorelai a burnt out personal assistant who needed to do something different with her life.

### Time

Time in The Hopeless Motel is seemingly stopped with all clocks, phones or any sort of chronal device registering the time to be 11:59pm constantly. This puts the motel in a state of forever night. Although time stands still, one can sleep, eat and exist within The motel. It is noted that one can go a significant while without eating with no ill effects. Time is significantly warped. Whilst inside The Hopeless Motel, time passes extremely slowly outside. A week inside only equates to a roughly a day in the real world.

### Weather

Weather and the atmosphere in The Motel is just as strange, it is forever night with the dark abyss giving way to strangely dull stars with a bright moon which is forever full. The moon is the main source of light. There are never any visible clouds, however there is a thick, bluish fog, surrounding the motel at all times obscuring the distance.

On top of all this, The Motel is consistently cold with temperatures consistently measuring -6 degrees Celsius, however wearing a coat or a thin jacket with long sleeves seems to negate the cold somewhat, with winter jackets negating it completely. It is pertinent that one wear warm clothing while walking outside as one may suffer frostbite.

### Technology

Modern technology does not function properly in The Motel. Phones will have no service. Cameras display static and pictures are unable to be taken. Televisions only display one channel which shows a ten second clip of a vintage creepy black and white clown cartoon on repeat. Clocks will display 11:59pm. Any attempt to physically alter the time by changing the time on a wrist watch will not work.

However electrical items such as guitar amps, cords and lamps, even things such as exercise equipment will function as usual.

### Supplies

The 'Mail Slot Door' is a door in The Motel. It is the only source of supplies in The Motel. With the pen and notepad in the residents room, one must write a request for supplies and post it through the mail slot in the door. Sometime later the item will appear on the requestor's doorstep in a wooden milk crate. But there are restrictions on what can be obtained as according to Christian, "they only give you things within reason. So no stacks of cash or gold bars."

Valuable items such as limited edition items can be obtained and an unlimited amount of items can be requested. There is no limits on how many requests one can make. The most common requests are food, clothing and items to pass the time. Once free, the residents are free to take the items back to the real world but there is no promise that all of their items will pass over.

### Time & Effects on health

As time is slowed aging does not occur and neither does death. It is noted that death is unable to occur in The Hopeless Motel. One may be injured or crippled but their injuries, no matter how severe will not kill them. Their body will slowly heal over time, healing that can be aided by medical treatment. Escape by suicide is impossible. In the event of such an attempt one will simply pass out, awaking with minor injuries. In the case of Christian his attempted suicide by hanging left him on the floor with a sore neck.

### Trivia

* It is unknown how long the motel has existed for, although its 21st century technology suggests it was built around the early 1980's-2000's
* It is unknown how many residents has stayed although Christian has witnessed at least 15.
* A week in the motel equals a day of real world time.
* It seems the motel has at least some sort of consciousness that can observe its residents.