It's been months since the last time Norman Bates was allowed to roam around freely...and kill freely. No one believes Norman when he says that he's 'healed' and quote un-quote mentally healthy now, but being the psychotic mastermind he is, he holds onto his 'calm' and 'collected' facade. Just as the ward is about to discharge him, he desires to push his good guy role further, by claiming custody of a child named Esther. He actually cherishes his newly-found time with her, though really he just wants to throw the ward off his scent and go murdering once more, practically using Esther as a cover.
Even though, he does not love his adopted daughter fully, he does want to spend as much time with Esther as he can. He hides his dark past from her, in order to not scare her away and losing his 'fatherly' stance.
But what he does not know, is that Esther has a few secrets of her own..
(Warning: THIS STORY CONTAINS MATURE THEMES, SUCH AS MILD MENTIONS OF PAST RAPE, CHILD ABUSE AND MURDER.)
When Jane Madarang's neighbor Natalie kills herself and leaves behind cryptic instructions, it's up to Jane and her classmates to unearth deadly secrets.
*****
Natalie Driscoll is dead.
She threw herself out a window and left her neighbor Jane to unravel their town's darkest secrets. Following Natalie's instructions leads Jane to three other high school students who all have something to hide. The four of them must carry out Natalie's final errand while solving the mysteries written in her diary. But the secrets they unearth may be far more dangerous than what they ever imagined.
Content and/or trigger warning: This story contains scenes of suicide, violence and murder that may be triggering for some readers.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]