Norma dragged herself inside. She sat on the couch, her body convulsing as she sobbed.

   Everything was a bit of a blur, given the tears and the strands of hair that were now falling from above her ears, but she thought she heard the couch groan as Norman's little puppy, Juno, scrabbled onto the couch and looked up at her questioningly.

   She barked. Norma stared at her blankly. "He's gone."

   The puppy yipped again.

   "Go away."

   She stared at her, then lowered her head, as if she was expecting Norma to pat her. "Go away! Norman's gone, he's gone!" she screamed, beating her fists against the couch near where Juno laid. She dodged Norma once, growled, then stood up straight, glaring daggers at her. "Get out!" she screamed, her lips trembling.

   She crumbled. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as sobs fell out with each hitched breath. She raised her hand to the puppy's snout. She yawned, then climbed into Norma's lap, pushing against her bulging belly as she made herself comfortable.

   Norma could only cry louder as she stared down at the little animal that was curled in her lap. Her hands went to her womb again; she thought she might've been able to feel the little one stirring inside her, although it was hard to tell, given her current state of mind.

   She closed her eyes, remembering one of the many days she had spent at home with Caleb. Her blonde hair would be pulled into a pony tail until they got home from school, when she would let it down and he would run a hand through it before pushing its strands behind her ear. She could feel her bare feet against the floor as she stood from her spot on his lap. 

   "Dad's home. Caleb. Caleb, wake up!"

   His eyes shot open. He glanced around the living room.

   "C'mon, we gotta go, Dad's home. If he sees us laying around like this, he'll kill us."

   "Okay. I'm up," he responded, taking her hand. She pulled him up and they shot towards the bedroom, locking the door behind them.

   Norma turned, smiling at him. "How much you wanna bet that it will take him an hour to find us this time?" she asked.

   "Oh, c'mon Norma, you know he--"

   She grabbed his hand again. "C'mon, let's go and find out," she said, dragging him towards the window. She lifted it, and he watched as she started to climb out, nearly tripping as she sat on the roof.

   "Hang on, Norma. I don't want you to fall," he whispered, following her out.

   They manuvered carefully off the roof and ran into the open field that was their backyard. A million dandelions and lupines flowered here, and Norma shouted upon gathering the fresh air into her lungs. "This is great. I love being out here. It's so wide open and beautiful," her gaze drifted ahead to Caleb, who was already sitting amongst the tall grass, shrouded by the shade of their little birch tree. She walked over to him, plopping down beside him and placing her head on his chest.

   He was already holding one of the light blue flowers in his hand. "Why do you think they call em' lupines?" he asked, bringing the long, stalking plant towards her. She smiled and took it from him, grasping it between gentle fingers.

   "Lupine is the latin word for wolf," she told him, gazing up into his affectionate, green eyes. "I don't know why they'd think "wolf" when they named it that, though."

   "Maybe-- maybe it's because it grows wild, I don't know..." he paused. "Wild, like someone I know," he mused, giving her a big, cheesy grin.

   Norma pulled away from him, shoving him playfully. "You're crazy, Caleb!"

   "I'm crazy? I think I know someone that's crazier, Norma Louise," he teased, tackling her to the ground. They landed in the soft, tall grass, rolling around in it until their clothes were green and their faces were red with laughter. 

   Those were the days when she knew everything about her brother. She understood the way he thought, the way he worked his mind around things, and moreover, she understood the childlike affection he had for her, because she shared it, too.

   Those were the days when it was nice.

   Norma remembered laying her head against his chest for the last time, as a pitiful whine escaped her mouth. She glanced at Norman, expecting him to look guilty over what he had done, yet he only stared back, glaring straight through her.

   She darted for the door and just barely made it out, hearing Norman's footsteps behind her. She thundered into the house. "Dylan! Dylan!" she screeched. No answer. Her hands drifted to her pockets; her phone was nowhere to be found. Dread crept through her mind as she thought of what Norman might do to her. She heard him come in and slam the door. The usually-lightfooted woman ran to her bedroom, searching for her phone. She found it, snatching it up quickly and running down to the basement. The doorknobs creaked as she fumbled to lock them.

   Her phone beeped as she made the call. The thick air hitched in her throat. It was obvious that Norman had been using some type of chemical down here; she coughed, hoping that it was nothing that could harm her unborn child.

   Fresh tears glistened on her cheeks as she sat against the wall, calling Alex on her cell. "Alex," she paused, gasping, "I'm worried about Norman. He should be admitted," she choked. Preceding her next words were a pained sob. "No, I'm fine, it's just-- Caleb came back, and Norman...he strangled him to death," she panted, "and now his body's in the motel, and Norman-- something's wrong with him, and I need you to come home now," she managed, sucking in a breath of the possibly-toxic air.

   Something slammed against the door. Norma hung up. She ran towards the racks that lined the walls of the cellar, hoping to find something she could defend herself with. A rusty pair of trimmers, her conscience said, filling in the blanks.

   It slammed against the door again, except this time, his head broke through the old door. She screamed. "Norman, stop this. You're going to hurt yourself."

   He pulled himself away.

   Then, just as she thought he had calmed, his hand reached through the door, unlatching the locks and pulling the knob.

   Her heart was thrumming so loudly that she could hear it, and she wondered if her son could hear it, too.

   She inched closer towards him, gulping, and hid the rusty blades behind her back.

   "I'm not going to let you lock me up."

   "Norman, you have to trust me."

   "I can't."

   "Norman, you have to get help. It's what's best for all of us, you'll see--"

   "You want me to leave, so you and Alex can be alone now that Dylan is gone."

   She shuddered. "Norman, that's not it at all, and you know that. Pineview is a beautiful place where you can get help--"

   "What's behind your back, Mother?" he asked.

   "It's nothing." She was a terrible liar, she knew, and she could also tell that he knew, just by the look in his eyes.

   He stalked towards her, his figure towering over her like a dark shadow.

   "You just have to trust me..."

   Something stirred upstairs. Norman must have noticed, for he looked away. Now was her chance. She could stab him in the gut, and he'd fall backwards, hitting his head against the cold, concrete floor.

   Norma let out a wretched sob. You've just thought about stabbing your own son, she told herself sorrowfully. "I'm sorry," she said, pulling the trimmers from behind her back and arching them in his direction, "I'm doing this for you."

   Alex busted through the door. Norma threw the trimmers to the side, sobbing.

   "You're coming with me," Romero told him, trying to be strictly professional. It wasn't working; his voice was already breaking. "We're gonna get you help, son."

   Norma cried as she watched them drive away, fighting the urge to go with them. She needed to rest, Alex had said.

   She would never rest. All she could dream about was how she had almost killed her youngest son.