The Hurt Locker

It's tender and it's raw

"That's what happened." She stared at him gravely. "That's the truth."

Alex took a step back. It was a lot for one person to take in—it was a lot for one person to believe. He found it slightly difficult to trust her. She was unreliable. "So you don't know what happened to your husband exactly? You don't know who killed him?"

She kept her eyes trained on his, even though he wasn't looking at her. She had never told anyone the real story, not even Dylan. She was afraid of what people would think of her—what people would do to her. They'd lock her up, take her away from her sons...she'd never see them again. But Alex was different. He was her sense of normalcy. He was all she had to keep from falling apart. "No, I don't. I blacked out."

He furrowed his brow. She frightened him a little. He wasn't sure how to handle things. He wasn't sure what she needed—what she wanted. She was incomprehensible. He couldn't read her. He fell back to the arm of the chair, sighing deeply. He was in a deep hole. He couldn't see the light anymore. "Then what makes you think that you killed him?"

She wanted to run away...leave town and start over. But she couldn't. She couldn't leave. She was stuck. Everything was closing in on her. She was abandoned—left for dead. The anxiety would kill her if nothing else. Her breath was beginning to catch in her throat, suffocating her. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. She knew the truth. "I was the only one home." As alone as she felt, she still was attached to Alex. She needed him in order to survive. Her eyes scanned the floor for courage, but she went on without it. "I really just stopped by to tell you that I'm sorry."

He stared up at her softly. She was different from everyone. She wasn't after anything but security. That was the purest thing about her. He loved that. "You don't have anything to be sorry for." He got up from the chair and wrapped his arms around her. "Everything's gonna be okay. I promise."

Alex always helped her calm down. He was good for her. She needed him. She drove home in the rain and found Norman waiting for her at the top of the steps. "Where were you?" he shouted through the storm.

She swallowed hard. She was afraid of her own son. "I went to the store."

He scoffed, making the long journey down the steps towards her. "Don't lie to me. I know you were with him." He moved in front of her, breathing in her face. "He's using you." He wrapped his cold hands around hers. "No one's ever gonna come between us, mother. I won't let them."

She couldn't stand the sight of his eyes. They were two black pieces of coal burning through her soul. She pushed past him and trudged up the steps towards the house. It was her prison. She wasn't safe anymore. Her world was coming to an end. There was no escape. She couldn't hide anymore. Alex was her only glimpse of hope. He was the only thing that could possibly save her.

"You can't ignore me, mother," her son called after her.

She locked the door behind her, hoping to block out the beast that was her own flesh and blood. The sound of her hard breathing filled the empty house. It was a familiar sound—one that had haunted her day and night for years. She grew up with that sound. It was her closest friend. She shuffled down the steps of the basement and climbed into her rocking chair. She'd had that chair since she found out she was pregnant with Norman. It was a gift from her deceased mother. The gentle rocking soothed her as she dialed Alex's number.

He picked up on the first ring. "What's wrong?" The sound of her sobbing pained him. He wanted to save her...from everything.

She could barely breathe. She felt like she was dying. "It's Norman. I'm scared. I need you." She was losing herself. She was losing her sense of reality.

He was already out the door. "I'll be right there." He hung up and climbed into his SUV, flipping on the siren. His heart raced. He couldn't lose this woman. He loved her more than his own life. The storm had worsened by the time he reached the house. The rain was pouring down so hard, he could barely see outside. He searched the perimeter, but there was no one to be found. He sighed as he attempted to open the locked door, pulling out his phone to call Norma.

She breathed deeply, her anxiety still on high. "Are you here?"

"Yeah." He looked down towards the motel to ensure no one else was there. "I need you to unlock the door." He waited a while for her, hoping she wasn't hurt. She opened the door and moved aside to let him in. "Where's Norman?" he asked once inside.

She relocked the door and moved into the living room. "He was outside."

He followed after her, taking a seat beside her on the couch. "Well he's not out there now." The burden woven through her face killed him. "Norma, I need you to tell me what happened."

She let her eyes move to the other side of the room. She hated being there. She hated being in that house. "I'm afraid of Norman." She finally said it out loud, but it didn't relieve her. "I'm afraid of what he's gonna do to me. He's dangerous. He—" The sound of the door unlocking caught her attention. Her heart beat wildly, containing her.

Alex got up from the couch and inched towards the doorway, gun in hand. His job was to protect her...from everything. His heart sank as the door opened and Dylan appeared drenched from the rain.

"What the hell's going on?" he shouted from the door. There always something wrong with his mother. He couldn't leave her alone for five minutes. She was a walking catastrophe.

Alex let his gun fall to his side. "Your mother's worried about Norman."

Dylan furrowed his brow, his heart beating slowly. It was happening all over again. "Norman?" He watched as the man nodded. "I think there's something you need to know about Norman."