We didn’t ask for this journey. None of us were handed a map. My own story began somewhere along a detour, and I had to build the landmarks as I went.

That’s what this place is — a roadside stop for the biologically bewildered. Out there, the merch is either too polished, too quiet, or too nonexistent. So we stocked the shelves ourselves. Snarky? Sometimes. Truthful? Always. Triggering? Possibly. But at least it’s real.

This motel is more than a roadside stop. It’s a souvenir stand, a gathering place, and sometimes a protest sign in disguise. We made it because we needed it — and because if the universe hands you this kind of baggage, you might as well get a keychain.

That’s the why. That’s what the clerks at the desk are doing here: handing you the keys, pointing you toward the right hallway, and keeping the neon sign buzzing:

VACANCY, always.