Bates Motel: Gone.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bates Motel or the characters involved in the show. I do own new created characters in this story.
Author notes – Timeframe = Season 4, a few days after Dylan informed Norma he's moving out of state.
*This fiction features Norman occasionally as Norma which is indicated by conversation in ITALICS. Nomero and Dylemma romantic relationships are involved in this story. Norma is still alive*
I welcome reviews and messages as feedback to help me continue. I'm hoping for this fiction to be a multi-chapter story, but it depends on readers. If people are not interested in reading this, then I will delete it or turn it into a one-shot.
I appreciate all of you and your input. Thank you in advance and I hope you enjoy!
***This story is also available on Archive of Our Own (AO3)***
Chapter 1: No One Will Hear You
Day 1
Emma wakes up with a loud gasp, slowly lifting her head. With blurry vision she tries to scan the room for some sort of familiarity, but she can't recognize her surroundings. In a panic, her new lungs start failing as her breathing becomes increasingly more difficult.
Pain radiates up Emma's arms as she struggles to move, quickly realizing her wrists are restrained by some sort of metal. It's no use, her wrists won't budge and all she's accomplishing is creating new bruises and slashes from the sharp edges of what she now believes are handcuffs. With the noise the restraints make when banging against the chair she seems to be secured to, there is no other conclusion.
How could this happen? None of this makes sense and even with her mind becoming less clouded as time is continuing, no amount of reasoning is helping her understand what put her in this situation.
All of a sudden a noticeable noise penetrates the quiet atmosphere. The noise is both frightening and reassuring. Frightening due to the uncertainty of the person on the other side of the door and what danger they are about to inflict on her. Reassuring only because her confusion can have an explanation and the questions encircling her mind can be answered.
In the dim environment she hears the screech of a heavy door gradually opening, causing a pinch of light to sneak through the slight crack of the door frame. Narrowing her eyes in hopes of seeing more clearly, Emma observes a tall shadow slowly approaching her. She strains her neck to look upwards to see her mysterious abductor, but they swiftly change positions to instead kneel in front of her.
Blinking a few times, her vision becomes clearer when she meets a pair of ocean blue eyes staring so intensely she has to look away. Pausing for a moment with a hitch in her breath, Emma realizes those piercing eyes are familiar. She quickly returns to the eyesight of her apparent kidnapper in confusion.
"Norman?" Emma whispers, slightly tipping her head to the right. The movement sends a sharp sting to travel up the side of her neck, causing her head to suddenly throb fiercely.
"I'm here to help you Emma." Norman responds calmly with a small, nervous smile.
Emma clears her dry throat in order to regain her full voice. "What am I doing here? What is happening?" She continues to struggle against the cuffs, only triggering more pain to vibrate throughout her body. "The person who kidnapped me could be coming back any minute. Help me find a way to get these off before whoever did this returns."
Stillness takes ahold of the room for a chilling amount of time before Norman finally breaks his silence. "I'm sorry Emma, but I can't do that."
After finally registering her friend's response, she widens her eyes in bewilderment and whispers. "What?"
"We can't let you go."
"We? I don't understand."
"You've upset mother, Emma."
Tears gradually begin to roll down her cheeks in utter disbelief. "Norma?" She whimpers. "You're not making any sense Norman. I have never done anything to hurt your mother. I would never hurt any of you."
"You're taking her son from her. That can't happen, mother won't allow it." He states sternly, clenching his jaw and forming his hands into tight fists. "I can't bear to see mother like this. She's been crying for days and it's simply killing me. You're the one responsible for her misery Emma."
Norman takes a moment to calm himself, shaking his hands loose. He then reaches toward her with his right hand, gently placing his palm to her damp left cheek. "I don't want to do this Emma, but I have no choice. Mother needs my help."
All of a sudden, Norman drops his hand from her face and rises up from his knees. He begins to leisurely pace back and forth in front of Emma with his hands clasped behind his back. "Personally, I don't understand why mother cares so much anyway. We don't need Dylan here."
Emma quietly sniffles to herself as she struggles to listen, noting Norman's unexpected change in demeanor and tone.
Norman stops abruptly in front of an emotional Emma and flashes a sinister smile. "I'm back now to protect mother after this silly Pine View nonsense. I know she only sent me there because the Sheriff manipulated her." Norman snickers eerily. "He actually thought he could take her away from me, well, that will never happen. Mother and I belong together, no one will be able to break our bond. The Sheriff doesn't understand this, but he will." The sound of cracking knuckles adds to the tension in the air. "She'll leave him now, especially after she sees the devotion I have to her."
Emma remains motionless while attempting to comprehend everything that is happening.
Norman reaches his right arm above his head, pulling the single chain hanging from the ceiling wall. The space now becomes illuminated, causing Emma to squint her eyes in an automatic reaction. She quickly glances around the room taking note of a tattered sleeping bag with pillow lying on the hard cement, the suitcase from the trunk of her car and a tiny restroom area hidden behind a thin wooden door.
Norman sighs, meeting her eye line. "This won't be forever, Emma. Everything will be over once Dylan decides to stay here with us and you agree to leave without him." He steps closer and gently sweeps the hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear with his right hand. "As I said, I'm here to help you. I convinced mother to allow you some comforts. I will also be bringing you food consistently and will continually check on you." Stepping away from her, Norman's voice becomes softer. "She doesn't want to hurt you Emma, she only wants to keep her sons. Even though I don't agree with her need to have Dylan stay with us or with her method of keeping him here, I will not disappoint her."
"Please take these off." Emma pleads, tugging at the handcuffs attached through the back of the chair.
"Not yet." Norman coldly responds. "And, don't bother screaming. No one knows about this place and no one will hear you."
Realizing any rebellion at this point is useless, Emma drops her head in defeat when she hears the sound of a hefty door slam shut.
Only the sound of Emma weeping breaks the silence of her new surroundings.
*Author's Notes: What did you think? Should I continue? Let me know by leaving a review, sending me a message, follow and/or favorite this fiction. Thank you!