Broken Bird

It's midday. Moving boxes coat the floor of the mysterious Victorian house. The one that sat on a unlocated hill in White Pine Bay. The attached motel is just as eerie. Dank, abandoned, and unfurnished.

Its not long before Norma Bates comes to the secluded little area on a business trip and meets small town sheriff Alex Romero. After that she goes back to Arizona, Skyping routinely and occasionally meeting up with him for two years until she can officially leave her job and move to White Pine to be with him.

With no kids or excess baggage for either party, it should be easy. Soon enough, the couple was pooling money to buy the empty property. Alex knew it was a bit of a risk.

Keith Summers had just lost it to the bank due to no payments in over a year. Alex wasn't a stranger to Keith's temper...and alcoholic nature. He'd broken up a fair amount of fights between drunken bat brawlers, Summers always being one of them.

Alex knew him since they were little. Keith was always the quiet, chubby kid. Never a lot going for him except a pretty warped sense of humor. After high school he started drinking and loitering on his fathers motel porch.

When Mr. Summers died, Keith was devastated. He and his father were pretty close. Plus, he was the one giving him money when he ran into rough spots. Alex attended the funeral, along with only a few other participants. The Summers were a pretty weird family with not many town connections.

Alex feared he was going to turn out the same way. Dead with no one to mourn. Sure, everyone knew him, but he only had a few select friends. Still his woes surfaced. Until he met Norma, that is.

It was a typical man meets woman story. He'd been sitting at a local sports bar, the Ducks and a scotch resting in front of him, when a woman caught his eye. He couldn't stop staring at her. She was gorgeous, dirty blond curls, luscious lips, and a pair of blue eyes that sent him to another planet. Staring led to talking and talking let to flirting and flirting led to hot sex in a bathroom stall. They hadn't gone a day without talking or texting since.

Long distance was too hard. Especially since they'd been doing it for two years. She finally agreed to move out in order to live with him as long as he found somewhere nice where she could be content. Numerous times she had claimed she wouldn't leave a good, high paying job to come

somewhere that wouldn't be fulfilling.

With that, Alex found the house/motel, saying it would be fun to run a businesses and possibly start a family. She agreed without hesitation and took the next plane to east Jesus no where, Oregon.

Within three hours, Norma is in some airport, setting her sights on Alex. She runs into his arms and he picks her up, carrying her like a prize in front of TSA and all the tired passengers. Actually, that's a lie. This isn't a sappy romance movie. They hug and kiss one another though, like they haven't seen one another in a long time.

She is captivating. Jeans, heeled boots, and a plaid shirt. Alex can't help drooling over her when they start driving to their new home.

"You gonna keep looking at me like some pedophile?" she snickered with a smile. Truly, she found it flattering, it was so different to be with him in actually, with no computer screen keeping them apart. They'd already met in person a few times and had fun. She loved him just the same. But now, starting a life with him was like some different boundary, an exciting one.

He shared her smile, taking her hand and gripping it in his own. "I'm sorry...I'm just so excited," his voice jumping up a tad. He wasn't one for letting his true self show, but when it came to Norma, everything was different.

"I know," she agreed, the sun lighting up her face full of anticipation, "So, where is this place exactly? I've only seen some brief pictures of it online and even those didn't award me much of a view."

"It's the next spot coming up on your left."

Her eyes beamed to the side, once the house came into view, she smiled. "Alex, it's beautiful!".

He eagerly pulled into the vacant lot and got out of the car, walking to her side and opening up her door. As she got out, her eyes lit up, observing the house and business they would call their own.

She turned to Alex like an excited little girl, "Can we go in?".

He nodded with a grin, "Of course we can, honey. It's our property," his hand latched with hers as they walked up to the house.

Once they reached the inside, Alex showed her the kitchen and the living room. She thought they were amazing, both having a very aged style to them.

They walked upstairs, Alex's hands immediately setting on her hips once they entered the bigger bedroom near the bathroom. "This is our room. I thought you'd love it because of the vanity and full length mirror," he explained, sitting on the edge of their bed.

She smiled and went to the doorway, "You thought right, it's beautiful," she started moving into the two vacant rooms near their own. They looked like bedrooms for kids or teenagers.

She walked back to the master bedroom, "You know there are two extra bedrooms next door, right?".

He nodded with a smile, watching as she moved towards him, his hands grabbing onto her sides. "Yeah, I knew that."

"And who are those for?".

"I just thought that if our relationship works the way I think it will, then those will be occupied soon enough."

Her smile only grew as she leaned further into him, "With babies?".

"With babies."

He reached up to frame her face as she leaned down to kiss him. The life they would share together would be eternal and full of allure.

XXX

The next morning was good. Particularly, because Alex finally got to sleep next to Norma. And this time it wasn't in some cheap hotel bed, but it their own. He was upset that his demanding job called his name so early that day, all he really wanted to do was stay home and unpack. The sooner the house was set up, the better.

He rolled over from a deep sleep to find an empty space next to him, he would've worried if the smell of bacon frying didn't enter his nostrils. A smile graced his lips as he stood from the bed, slipping on a pair of boxers and pajama pants before heading downstairs.

The vision that hit him once he entered the kitchen was quite mesmerizing. There stood Norma, her hair resting in curls past her shoulders, a spatula in hand, and his flannel shirt wrapped around her body. He watched her slender legs, the shirt stopping at her thighs, awarding him the perfect peep show.

Without a word, he moved to the stove coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, his lips resting at her pulse point. His eyes watched the pan sizzle as she cooked. "So, last night was fun," he husked before kissing her neck.

She laughed, shutting off the stove, and moving around to face him. "It sure was. Your mouth never seizes to amaze me," her voice was like a rasp as her hand moved to the back of his head.

"Well," he began, taking her by the hips and hoisting her on the counter, "I could say the same to you."

She slapped his chest before leaning in to kiss his lips with a smile. Her instinct came alive as she felt his hands move lower. Their kiss was over before it truly began, she pulled away and wrapped her legs around his waist. "We should really keep this PG, you have to be at work pretty soon."

He sighed and pulled away from her, his hands only resting on top of her bare thighs. "Yeah, your right. I feel bad though, I don't want to go. Honestly, I really want to unpack and get set up."

"I know you do. But don't worry about it, I'll be here all day to get started. Who knows, if I work really hard I may be able to finish," she jumped from the counter and started plating breakfast on a few unpacked dishes.

"No, no, you relax today. I don't want you to sort through all that shit by yourself."

She scoffed and handed him a full plate, "It's nothing, Alex. I'm a big girl, I have no problem setting up. We don't have that much anyway if you really look at it. Now, eat up, you need your strength if you're gonna catch some bad guys."

"Yes, dear".

XXX

After Alex left for work, Norma was left to her own devices. She decided to clean up some of the furniture they were left with, starting with the artisan living room rug. Taking the liberty of beating the dust off of it, she took it outside and hung it from the porch, broom in hand. Just as she started whacking the carpet, she saw a man walking up the hill. Stumbling really.

"Norma Bates?"

How did this guy know her name? She had only lived there for a day. "Yes? Can I help you?".

"I know new to this house. How do you like it so far?" his voice was gruff, mean almost. There was definitely some kind of cruel intention in this man's deceit.

"It's fine. Do I know you?" she asked, her guard was starting to come up. She was uneasy around new people. With the way this man came off, she knew this encounter was bound to be anything but pleasant. She could smell the scotch off of him from a mile away, his clothing was dirty and almost tattered.

"The name is Keith Summers," he growled, looking up at the house, and starring Norma down with an evil intent.

She just looked at him, still unsure of who he was.

"Summers! You bought this house from me. Now, what the hell do you know about running a motel?".

Norma was ready to pop, she was a minute away from calling Alex if this creep got any closer. She decided to stay silent, unsure on how to deal with who seemed to be the town drunk.

"This is my family's property. My great grandfather built this house in 1912 and my grandfather built that motel in the 50s," he broke to point at the rug still sitting on the porch, "And that is my grandmother's rug! This property has been with my family for almost a century."

Norma paused to look at the rug, then back at him, her expression almost sympathetic. "I'm sure it was rough to lose your property. I'm sorry about that. But, my boyfriend and I just bought it, this home is ours now."

He moved even closer to her, "You know nothing about this place or this town," the liquor on his breath became more prevalent as he moved close. Norma was starting to get incredibly uneasy. But, being the woman she was, she stood strong, giving him a look of distaste as he fumbled around on the lawn.

The fiery anger in his eyes grew as he faced her, "What makes you think you can run this place?" his voice was an intimidating growl.

She forced herself to move closer, "Because I can," her voice was assertive as she stood up to him, "Now get the hell off of my property or I will shoot you myself."

He gave her one last warning look, "I grew up here! This is my property! It will always be my property" that was the last thing he left her with before moving down the hill.

Norma scoffed and walked back in the house, preparing to unpack a few boxes for the living room. There was no way in hell that drunken slob would ruin her and Alex's new beginning.

XXX

Later that night, around 7 pm, Alex came through, a bouquet of roses in his hand. He saw Norma waiting for him at the kitchen table, a glass of red wine in her hand. "Hi honey, I was out buying lunch today and I saw these," he said, leaning down to kiss her hand as he dropped the flowers on the kitchen counter.

"They are beautiful, thank you for thinking of me," she said, motioning to the space across from her, "Sit. I made dinner and you'll be happy to know that there are only two boxes left to unpack."

"Wow, you really got to work, huh?" he sat at the vacant chair and smiled down at the plate, "This looks great, thanks for cooking."

"Yeah, it was my pleasure," she murmured, starting to pick at her plate, "Oh hey, I meant to ask you something when you came in…"

"Shoot."

"Do you know a man named Keith Summers?".

His head immediately popped up from his food as he gave her a warning look, "How in the world do you know Keith Summers?".

"He came by today while I was cleaning outside. Actually, he was really drunk, kind of an asshole. He was all angry because we bought the house and he went on and on about how this used to be his family's property."

"Yeah, Summers is a bully. He's known for pushing people around. But you know what, fuck him. I don't care what he thinks and neither should you. What we have here is ours and no one is going to take that away," he promised, taking a sip of wine.

"Whatever you say."

XXX

A little later, Alex went out for drinks with the town Mayor. They were going to discuss some important cases that he would have to look further into. He asked Norma to join them but she declined. If it were another time when she wasn't so tired, she would've accepted. Alex promised to be home as early as he could, but she told him not to worry.

She stood doing the dinner dishes, humming some song she heard on the record player earlier, various cleaning bottles of bleach surrounding her. The wind chimes and crickets outside filling her ears, when suddenly there was something else. It sounded like someone walking around out back. She immediately shut off the water and slowly paced to the back door.

It was nothing but the sound of the chimes picking up. She walked back to the table, but the sound came again. Her legs paced to the back door again, but her mind was telling her to be afraid and back away. Her heart popped once she saw Keith Summers looking back at her through the glass, all he had to do was push and the door came open.

Her breath hitched wildly as she ran away from the door and his now stumbling figure coming towards her. Good thing there was a knife resting on the counter, she clutched it and stuck it out towards him, now screaming in fear. His walking towards her slowed down a bit, his eyes watching her, like the way an animal would look at their prey. She stalked to the other end of the table, knife still in hand.

It wasn't long before he pushed the table aside and lunged towards her, the knife swinging at him clumsily. His pawing at her grew more prediatoral. She started slashing the knife towards him again and letting loud screams escape her mouth, in hopes that someone, she prayed Alex, would hear her.

She started running out of the kitchen, but he met her with a loud grunt and a kick in the stomach. The knife fell out of her hands and she was slammed against the kitchen cabinets, a pained groan leaving her lips. She could feel the bruises starting to form. Trying to get up was a struggle, she couldn't move. She was sure his boot left a mark in her stomach.

He stalked towards her, a sharp army knife in hand as he looked down at her. She couldn't speak to stop him, she tried putting up her hand, her palm shaking as she stuck it in the air. Her throat was clawing for a deep breath, but his kick knocked the wind out of her. She tried reaching for the knife as he lowered it down towards her neck, but he pulled back, leaving a nasty slash on her palm. A cry left her mouth as the blood seeped.

He took her leg, dragging her across the floor to his own destination. The tears were already flowing out of her eyes as she clutched her hand, "Alex," she cried as he pulled at her, somewhere out there she hoped he heard her message, any longer and he would kill her. She screamed his name again as she watched Summers climb on top of her.

It didn't take long for him to cut a piece of duct tape off the side of his toolbelt and strip it over her lips, halting any cries for help. She let a few more sobs leave her mouth before he secured the tape. Her body writhed on the cold tile, trying to shake him away. He retaliated though, grabbing her body and forcing her over the kitchen table, handcuffs holding her in place.

The feeling of his hands and weight pressing down on her body was revolting, making her gag. He leaned down to hear ear, the scotch smell returning, "This house is mine and everything in this house is mine," he growled before taking his army knife in hand, hitching her skirt up, and ripping the side of her panties. She knew what was coming, cries and screams leaving her concealed mouth. He slammed her head on the table when he saw her reach at the corner of the tape job.

He reached down, forcing her legs apart, eventually reaching down to unzip and unbuckle himself. He stepped between her legs so she couldn't wriggle away. All alarm settings went off in her mind once he entered her, the cries in her throat intensifying. She grabbed the side of the table as he began thrusting. This wasn't going to pass. She was ruined by him.

His rhythm sped up, forcing himself inside as she groaned for him to stop. It had to end before she gave up.

"You son of a bitch!"

She heard a familiar voice scream. Alex. He had obviously attacked him with something, because the thrusting stopped a minute later. A loud thud hit the floor, Summer's body plopping in acceptance. Her cries started all over again, the thought of Alex seeing her like that was heartbreaking.

He quickly freed her from the handcuffs with the retrieved key and took the duck tape of her lips. "Oh, baby," he said, his voice breaking mid-sentence, it sounded like he was going to cry. When Alex saw her he was crushed, seeing her so vulnerable like a broken bird, he was crushed.

"We need to get out of here, okay? We have to run before he wakes up," he said, taking her hand. She howled as he clutched and he let go, noticing the large slash on her palm. "I'll patch that up when we get in the car, alright?".

He lifted her in his arms, knowing that she was in pain, and ran out the door and down the numerous steps to the parking lot. Her body kept shaking with tears as he strapped her in the passenger's seat. He ran to the drivers side, starting the car, and peeling off.

Without hesitation, he placed a call on his radio for backup at the Seafairer. Afterwards, he pulled over in some restaurant parking lot and got his first aid kit out of the backseat. He took her hand and looked at her, "I'm so sorry, Norma. If I was there I could've stopped him. I'm...Jesus...I'm so sorry," he sighed, his voice still threatening to break.

"You're not the one who hurt me," she said, her free hand reaching over to stroke his cheek. "None of this is your fault."

"I wanna kill him. I wanna bash his head in with a lead pipe and dig him a shallow grave," he growled, spreading some neosporin on her hand and wrapping a bandage around it. He raised her palm up and kissed the bandage, hoping that would take it all away.

She stayed silent, mostly because she agreed. She wanted him dead, wanted to watch him gasping for mercy as she let his blood flow. "Honey, you called the other cops. He'll be behind bars in no time, getting the worst treatment of all by other inmates. But you're right, I wanna kill him too," she agreed.

"We're going to the hospital. I want you to get checked out. God...I'm so furious right now, I just want to go back there and slaughter him. I want to take care of you…" his voice broke again as he looked away, not wanting her to see him slip, "I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing to me, you didn't do a damn thing."

"I'm sorry," he said again, taking her bruised hand and gently resting his head against the side of it. "I'll take time off of work and start staying home with you. I'm not leaving you anymore," he promised, kissing her hand.

"Alex, you know as well as I do that you can't do that. This town needs you."

"I don't care. I need you."

"I need you too, Alex."

"Then let me help you out, let me stay home with you for a few weeks, you matter more to me than anyone else. I want to help you through all this shit. We came here for a reason. We wanted to start a life together. I want to show you how much I care."

"Okay," she said, taking his hand in hers, her voice only a brief whisper.

"Okay."