Meant 2 Be

Chapter.1 - Opening Up

Norma sat on the floor with her head resting on her knee.. Her eyes weary, her perfect golden locks all messy, her face pale and lifeless.. She kept staring at the wooden flights of stairs blankly.. Flashes of her fight with Norman earlier that night came barging in..

She didn't know what to do with him anymore.. He was no longer her sweet innocent boy.. He'd been broken, probably a long time back but she never had the guts to admit it.. A wave of guilt swept over her heart and soul.. She knew she was partly responsible for this; only if there was someone to help her out.. every decision she'd ever taken in her life was all by her own.. There wasn't a single person to stand by her side.. to suggest her what was right and what was wrong.. not her parents, not a friend, not even her husband.. and now this son who was her only chance of survival had rather become a threat to her existence..

Norma duck her face into her palms and started sobbing hopelessly.. she'd failed; as a mother she was a big failure.. soon the little sobs turned into frantic howls of anger, depression and frustration.. she repeatedly banged her head within the palms of her hand searching for a release..

A couple of sudden loud thudding on the door brought her back to sanity.. she peeled herself off of the floor hoping that it was Dylan back with Norman.. with one quick twist on the knob Norma opened the door.. to her surprise and disappointment it was Alex..

"what is it Alex??" she asked pushing back a huge lump down her throat.. she tried to keep her facial muscles as calm as possible.. the last thing she wanted was to get him involved in all of these all over again but Alex could read through it.. he had been doing this for 23 god damn years.. he knew very well how to read people's face and was rather an expert when it came to Norma Bates..

"what happened??" he demanded back.

"that's not the answer to my question!!" Norma snapped.

"huh!!" Alex let out a huge sigh of disappointment.. She would never let him pass through that invisible fencing that she'd built around her.. "I need to talk to Norman.." he answered.

"about what??" Norma inquired.

"well you can hear that yourself when I talk to him." Alex stated a bit annoyed by her interrogation.

"he's not here.." was her plainly careless reply.

Alex was a bit baffled.. "what do you mean he's not here??"

"it means what it means Alex.. he is not at home.." saying that she left the door open and walked inside leaving Alex to decide whether to come inside or not.

He followed her closing the door behind him.. "but Norma, it's 2:30 in the morning..!" he exclaimed.

"yeah I'm aware of that!! Are you??" she shot back at him.

"okay Norma you gotta cut that out.. what is going on?? Where is Norman??" he demanded an answer.

"I don't know.." she replied.

"what do you mean by you don't know?? Your son is away from home at 2:30 in the morning and you don't know?? Stop lying to me Norma!" he yelled back.

"I am not lying alright!! You believe me or not I am telling you the truth.. I don't know where he is.. I don't know what he is up to.. I don't even know whether he's ever coming back.. so think whatever you have to Alex just spare me the interrogation.."

It was the truth.. she had no idea where Norman was, whether he'd harmed anyone or was he ever gonna come back.. she was tired of lying.. tired of lying to Alex.. tired of lying to herself.. her voice became hitched.. she felt weak n exposed.. but she couldn't lie anymore.. not to him at least.. "I don't have the strength Alex.. I donno what to do anymore.. I am exhausted of fighting every single day..!!!" saying that she plopped on the couch.

Alex's eyes were wide in shock.. Norma Bates was a kick-ass fighter.. he'd never seen her so defeated.. he took a silent seat beside her.. to his surprise and delight she dropped her head on his shoulder just seconds later.. he followed her shallow breathing right next to him.. he felt a sharp pain in the bottom of his heart and he cursed himself mentally to have fallen for her so badly that even her slightest discomfort shook him to the core.. Alex decided to take a terse pause to let her calm down.. the next few minutes, an eerie silence persisted between the two..

After a while Alex cleared his voice and started speaking.. "Norma, you need to tell me what happened.. I.. I want to help you Norma but for that I need to know the truth.. the ENTIRE truth.."

Norma finally lifted her head off of his shoulder and locked eyes with him.. still uncertain as to how to tell him the truth..

It was like he could read her mind.. "and this I don't ask as the Sheriff, I am asking you as Alex, your friend.." he gave her a tight ensuring smile.

Norma heaved in a mouthful of air and began to talk.. "Norman's condition has gotten a lot worse lately.. he's been talking to himself, dressing up like me.. pretending that he was me.." she took a pause.. as if trying to arrange the words together..

"seeing all these I decided to put him in an institution.. I visited the place myself, just to make sure it was comfortable enough for him.. but when I tried to explain him that it'd be good for him.. he got all furious and agitated.. somehow he felt I was giving up on him.. which is not true.. which is not true Alex.. I could never give up on him.." she insisted.

"I know.. I know Norma.. you can never give up on him..!" he assured her that he believed every word she said..

Norma felt at ease and started depicting the rest of the scenario.. "Norman started packing his bags and ran down the stairs to leave the house.. I..I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen.." she stammered.

Alex rubbed her back gently in order to relax her nerves..

"He-H—He said he was going with Bradley Martin"

Alex was confused.. "Bradley Martin?? she's dead.. what are you talking about??"

"yeah..I had the exact same reaction.. until I spoke to Dylan about her.. she was never dead Alex.. she faked her suicide to get away from some-bloody-murder-thing.. I have no idea what was that about"

Alex started joining the dots about the mysterious murder of Gill Turner and Bradley disappearing right after that.. they'd never found her body anyway, so it made sense.. but he chose to keep it quiet and listen to her.. Gill or Bradley wasn't his main concern right now.

"I-I tried to stop him Alex.. God knows I tried by best.. I hit him with an iron.. when he passed out I dragged him down to the basement and tied him up so that he couldn't escape.." as she illustrated the dreadful episode tears started streaming down her pale cheeks.. "but he fled.. he fled with her.. God knows where.. I donno what is gonna happen to him.. I can't take it anymore.... I want him back.. I want my child back Alex!" she began to wail.

It was ripping him apart seeing her so broken.. so vulnerable.. he pulled her in within his masculine frame..

"ssshh.. sshh.. calm down.. calm down Norma.. we're gonna get him back.. It's okay.. just calm down.. trust me alright?? I'm gonna get your Norman back to you.. I promise..!" he said caressing her hair softly.

She whimpered within his broad chest, trying to steady her breathing.. he could feel her warm tears streaming through his shirt, drenching it all the way.. he patted her head more lovingly.. all he wanted was for her to feel secure with him.. he was amazed by the way she'd opened up to him.. now he was obliged to protect her and Norman with every ounce of his life and he would do so.

Soon enough Norma's exhausted structure had given up and fallen into deep slumber, cozily in his arms.. He thought she looked angelic even with her disheveled hair, deep dark circles and worn out face.. Alex pushed back a string of hair that was hanging lose over her face disturbing his view, carefully tucking it behind her ear.. He gazed at her peacefully sleeping face.. He knew he was in love with her.. deeply.. madly.. unconditionally!!

TO BE CONTINUED. . .