BATES MOTEL - ALEX ROMERO - DARKNESS (One Shot)
So after last episode I just felt the need to write this and I just threw ideas on my phone which led me to this fic. This is a one shot from Alex POV, with his inner thoughts from the episode to what I imagined could happen next. Enjoy this and brace yourself for the last two episodes of BM!
It's been a while I didn't feel at peace like this. I was in her bed, our bed. And for a moment I forgot all about Norman, my personal vendetta or the fact that I was a fugitive. For a moment I forgot the pain in my stomach that maybe was accentuated by the shot I received but that in fact never left me since the day she did. I clutched the covers into my fists, dug my head into the pillow and right at this time I could just feel her warmth against me, her brightness lighting up my dark world, and I could fall asleep dreaming of nicer things that what I dreamt of for two years now. I dreamt of those mornings we spent together, laying in this bed, talking about anything or just staring in each other's eyes. And god what her eyes did to me, every time I lost myself in her gaze, I wondered why I didn't marry her the first second I met her under that porch.
But of course this small peace of mind was rapidly interrupted. Just like our marriage only last two weeks. Every damn good thing in my life is taken from me and this sleep was no exception.
It was a voice, coming from downstairs. Norman's voice. My first instinct was to grab my gun and think about how I would enjoy putting a bullet in that son of a bitch. Well, not literally of course.
At first I just said to myself that I wanted him arrested, and punished for his crime but my time in prison building up anger made me realize that I wanted him dead. And I was going to be the one taking life from him just like he took it from the love of my life. After that I don't care if I have to spend the eternity in prison, I wouldn't have any purpose to live anyway.
People often say that killing isn't a solution, that it actually makes you feel worse, or at best not better. Well I think that's wrong, and I don't care anymore if that makes me sound like my father.
I think that Norma would have hated the man I became, angry at the whole world and who's only purpose is to make justice for himself. In fact that's how I was before I met her. And then she changed me, made me realize I could care, and I could love, and that there were beautiful thins out there.
And hate isn't even strong enough to describe what I feel about Norman for taking that away from me.
But then I rapidly became aware that the voice I was hearing sounded strange, like if it was recorded. I had to check that to be sure. It was definitely coming from the basement. So I carefully went downstairs, hearing sounds of a tapping machine adding to Norman's voice. What the hell was going on down there.
A man was here, with some animal skin on his head, and this might have been the weirdest scene I ever assisted in my life. I pointed my gun at him and when he became aware of my presence, he looked up at me. Wait. I knew the guy…
« Hands up, hands up. Get up. Up! »
I could see my sheriff reflexes were still in place.
« Wow, hey… »
God I hated this guy. He was so nonchalant. Besides I knew that Norma didn't particularly liked him and that was enough for me to hate him.
« You want me to turn off the tape recorder first? »
That was actually something I wanted, since I started feeling slightly sick at the sound of his voice, but I didn't say anything. I knew he was going to do it anyway. And of course he did.
« I don't have to put my hands up it's… stupid. » Chick said while removing his weird head cover.
« What the hell are you doing here? »
« Well… it's kind of difficult to explain… »
« Well why don't you try? »
He just had to open his mouth twice for me to already begin to loose my temper. Of course one can say I have troubles standing anyone these times but he was even more irritating than the more irritating prisoner I could have met during my time in prison.
« Alright, well where to begin? This looks weird… »
Yeah you tell me.
« Alright, starting simple. After Norma died, Norman felt lonely. And I felt lonely after my wife and my kid took off so we became friends. »
That didn't even surprised me. He was probably as crazy as Norman. But that didn't explain me why he was in his basement when the boy wasn't even here. If he took advantage of Norma's death to find a shelter and bring his crap all over her house I swore I was going to put a bullet between his eyes.
« You know but when I say it like that it sounds like reductive. It wasn't just a-a friendship of necessity, I recognized in Norman that he… had the soul of an artist. When I was in college… »
Ok that was enough of that shit.
« Chick, Chick. What are you doing here? »
« You want me to say that he's crazy? »
Ah. I didn't need him to say that I already knew it. And anyway what's worth the word of another crazy guy.
« I wouldn't say that he's crazy. »
« Oh really? I would. »
« Okay. » he said casually while leaning back into his chair. Damn if I wasn't still in pain I would just go grab him by the collar and beat him the hell up for quicker answers.
« Maybe the world… tosses that word around too much. »
« He killed his mother. »
« And he loved her. » he just told me like if it was any excuse. I loved her too, more than anything else in the world, and I would never have hurt her.
I lowered my gun, knowing that this was going nowhere anyway. But then I got closer to him and I saw his little smirk to I pointed it right back at him.
« So… so I'm gathering that it was probably… very hard for you to get here. And that you're feeling a little missed that Norman's not home. »
The son of a bitch was mocking me now. He was enjoying this so much.
« Where is he? »
« Ah… so my sources tell me that… last night he confessed a murder. He's in jail. »
Oh the irony. I almost wanted to laugh at myself. Getting out of jail to come after someone who's there now.
« So what the hell are you doing here? »
« Dancing with newborn angels, trying to catch a muse… »
This guy really had no limits of how much he could piss me off.
« Why don't you say it like a normal person? »
« I'm writing a book! »
« About what? »
Don't tell me that he… no this couldn't be real.
« Look I know it sounds… bad! I wrestled with my own feelings of… exploitation but after I got to know them Norman an-and Norma and this beautiful haunted old house, I felt an obligation to-to-to… record the events that happen here! »
So he was really doing this. He just totally made it to the second place of people I hate the most right after Norman.
« Son of a bitch. You son of a… If you know what Norman's done you're an accessary to murder. »
« Say the escaped convict… »
Of course he was right, but that didn't make me want to kill him less. Still, I needed to know a few more things.
« So this is where he keeps them uh? » I asked, throwing looks at the room.
« It's a little obvious. Norman's more romantic than that. »
« Oh yeah? Then why are you sitting here? »
« Because I wanted to feel what she felt. »
I lowered my gun for good at this. She? Did he mean…
« Who are you talking about? »
« To be adored… like a queen. He built this place for her. Like a mausoleum.»
My vision started to blur. I didn't get what he was telling me, it made no sense at all.
« Wh-What the hell are you talking about? »
« He dug her up! He dug her up. »
So it was really what he was telling me. I wanted to throw up at the thought of such disrespect for my beloved. And Chick was telling me this like it was obvious, just another good story to write…
« Where is she now? »
« I don't know. He must have the foresight to move her before the cops came and… search the house. »
He didn't even let me attend her funeral. He made me blame myself for what happen and go so deep into my darkest thoughts during two years and now he did that to me. He is a monster, and monsters have no place on this earth. That's why I'm gonna track him down until my last breath, until I can see with my own eyes his miserable life leaving his body. I should have never saved him that day. He should have been the one to die, not her.
« Look at you standing there. The sheriff who's escaped from prison on a mission to avenge the woman he loves from her murderous and sick son. It's like… it's like too much man. » Chick said in a laugh while lightning a candle. « You guys are perfectly worthy adversaries. Perfect. The artificiality of a scripted drama doesn't hold the candle of a true crime. Utter surprise! Without contrivance! More surprise… than the brain… would allow you to imagine. »
'How is that surprising?' I thought before shooting a bullet into his skull. And damn it felt good to finally make him shut up. I know it was a stupid move, Chick probably knew a lot and could have been an important witness, but that wasn't like I was trying to do things the right way now. I just had to reach to Norman and now that I knew where he was I just had to make a plan. A really good plan, since the location is like the last place on earth I should be.
Luckily for me, I also knew this place better than anyone working there now, so an hour after stuffing Chick's stupid script in my pocket, I was at the police station, forcing an escape door to get in. It was a good thing that it was late because it meant that there would be less people I know. I finally managed to sneaked in and I calculated the safest way to go to the detention room. I knew where the camera were and where the night shift would be particularly vigilant so it wasn't hard reaching Norman's cell. They didn't even change the secret place for the backup key set since I was sheriff. So predictable.
When I arrived in front of the room, I took a second to think about what I was going to do. I needed him to tell me where Norma's body was before killing him. Then I entered, my gun pointing at him, and he jumped but he rapidly gave me his most charming smile.
« Hey handsome. It's been a while. »
« Shut up! »
I almost lost it and pulled the trigger but I had to think about Norma.
« How rude of you, coming here to insult me. I thought you knew better Alex. »
« I'm gonna fuck you up you know that? »
« Yeah I missed you to Alex. »
How the fuck could he be so confident when I was threatening him with a gun? How could he just talk to me like this? He really was a freaking psycho.
« So, are you gonna get me out of here or what? »
I blinked at him and thought I must have looked really stupid and clueless because Norman waved his hand in front of my eyes.
« Earth to Alex. You always get me out of bad situations, that's kind of what made me fall for you you know, so what is it gonna be this time? »
I had no idea what the fuck he was talking about. Was he just playing with me? Anyway, I had to focus on the important stuff.
« Where's your mother body? »
« Oh my body is very well conserved thanks for asking. » he said in a giggle.
At this point I couldn't restrain myself anymore, and I hit him in the face as hard as I could. I could tell he didn't expected that and he stayed on the ground, holding his bleeding nose for a while. Then he looked right at me with that angry expression that I knew too well.
« How dare you hit me? After everything we've been through together… I hate you! »
I was staring into his blue eyes, that were too much like his mothers and then it hit me. He thought he was her. He was actually acting like Norma and she was talking to me. I read some stuff about dissociative disorders a while ago and sometimes another personality can totally take over your actual one. That must be what happened, that would explain the weird dialogues I heard on Chick's dictaphone. And it was so painful to watch. But I knew I would have to play the game to get what I wanted.
« Okay… Norma, let's start all this over alright? »
« Whatever sheriff Bulldog, you were always the directive one. »
I shivered at him calling me this way, because it really reminded me to much of her, but I had to stay focus.
« Oh was I? Anyway, we have to get out of here. »
He raised his eyebrow and stood up, his noise still bleeding.
« And where are you taking me? »
« Anywhere you want. I want to help you. Do you trust me? »
« Well that's kind of hard to do with this gun pointed at me. »
I didn't even realized I was still holding the gun up, so I lowered it.
« Sorry about that. Let's go okay? »
« Okay. »
Then Norman took my arm to get me out of the cell and I had to fight with all of my inner fibres not to crack every single one of his bones right now.
I still don't know how we managed to get out without being seen but we did, and now I had to finally get him to do what I wanted.
« So… where do you want to go? »
« You know I'll have to bring Norman back at some point right? »
I had troubles understanding what was exactly going on here, like if the different personalities were aware of the others so I just nodded.
« I have to admit that I'm enjoying this a little, my big adventure with Alex the savior. So I'll stay in control for now but my son is always my top priority remember that? »
« Sure. I just want to help you Norma. Both of you. But… for me to help you, you have to show me where the body is. »
He didn't answer so I added « We don't want to risk the sheriff to find it right? If she suspects you of more murders she must be looking all around your house for evidences and all. That's what I would do. »
Norman rolled his eyes and sighted in agreement.
« Fine, whatever, I'll take you to the body if that's so important for you big shot. »
I didn't add anything, afraid I would ruin that, and Norman just started walking rapidly so I followed him.
After about a twenty minutes walk we arrived at the motel but before I could ask him in what direction we should look for, I spotted a blond woman under the porch. For a second I thought it was another of my hallucination of Norma, she looked so much like her, and… god she was even wearing her dress… But then she turned around to face me and I saw it was a younger woman, whom I didn't know. She looked like she had been crying and when she saw Norman she froze.
« Oh for Christ's sake like we needed that now. » Norman declared.
« Who are you? » I asked her. But she didn't answer, she was just staring at Norman with a terrified look.
« Is it true what they say? You killed Sam? »
« Why do you care? He was an asshole ans a cheater. »
« He was my husband! You had no right I hate you! » she screamed, looking even more like Norma.
« Alex we don't have time for this, couldn't you shoot her already? » Norman asked casually.
« What? No! I'm not going to shoot her I don't even know her! »
« Oh trust me she is trouble. »
I turned back to the girl and reiterated my question.
« Who are you? »
« I… I'm Madeleine Loomis. Who are you? »
« Doesn't matter who I am, I recommend you to leave this place right now and pretend like you never saw us. Believe me you don't want to be a part of this. »
Madeleine was still totally paralyzed and it made me sorry to scare her like this. She was actually the first person I felt sympathy for in a long time.
« Come on, go away! »
She finally left and Norman started walking again, like nothing happened.
« Care to tell me what was that about? »
« Pff, that's not important… just another stupid girl Norman got all infatuated with. »
« You know I thought she looked very much like you. »
« Right? I mean what's his problem? He already has me he doesn't have to get another… younger version of me. »
« Okay let's get back to work. Where should we go now? »
« It's a bit further in the forest, just be patient Alex! »
After walking in the snow for god only know's how much time, we arrived in a small glade and Norman kneeled in order to remove some stuff from the ground. A few minutes after, I discovered Norma's body, her awfully blue skin and her opened eyes. My legs shook at the sight of this and I collapsed, unable to hold back my tears anymore. I touched her deadly cold cheek and suddenly all my anger for Norman burst out and I tackled him to the ground.
« What have you down to her you bastard? Look at me! Look at me Norman! I'll kill you right now you know that? »
The boy fought me back for a while and all of a sudden I saw something changing on his face.
« What the… ? Romero? What are you doing here? Where am I? »
« Oh don't play you little game with me Norman. »
In the heat of the moment, I forgot I was wounded so it didn't take long for Norman to get out of my emprise, take my gun from my hand and stand up, looking confused.
« Mother what is he doing here? Did you bring him? »
Great, now he was talking to himself, wiggling a loaded gun and I was powerless again.
« He's a cancer mother and we both agreed to leave him out of our lives! » … « Oh that's an easy one bringing Madeleine into this. Should I remind you what I did about this situation for you? » … « I don't care mother, you always say that you're doing things for my own good even if I can't understand, well I'm doing this for your own good and you'll thank me later! »
And then he pointed the gun at me, his hand shaking. I closed my eyes, sure that my time had come, but nothing happened. So I opened them back and what I saw was beyond any reason. Norman was on the ground, fighting violently with himself.
« Mother stop! You didn't care killing you own brother, of your own son! Should I remind you how I had to stop you from killing Dylan? Let. me. do. this! »
Maybe I should have run away, as far as I could. Finally turn my back to this cursed town, take a new identity and start all over again. But I my last chance for a good life escaped me two years ago. So I took the gun back from his hand and without thinking shoot him twice in the stomach.
Tears were on free fall on my cheeks now. I felt awful. I couldn't save her, I couldn't protect the one she loved the most. And to be honest, my first intention was to do this to hurt him, but I think I freed him. No one deserves to live like he did.
I crawled to Norma's body and took her hand in mine.
« I'm so sorry babe. I'm so sorry. »
And then I used my last bullet to embrace my darkness.