Stuffed Birds and Lab Mice || A room for the Rani
Norman was quite used to being at the Bates Motel alone. He ran it alone, with barely any help from his ill mother, but he couldn't blame her - the poor old woman had trouble even walking, to the point where he often had to carry her. But having little help and few guests (since the motel itself was miles from any major freeway or bypass) meant that his nights were... well, lonely.
He spent hours sitting at the reception desk, reading a book on taxidermy tricks, and when he got bored with that, he did crossword puzzles. He couldn't leave, on the off chance that someone did show up on this cold, rainy night, looking for a room.
Norman was just about to give up hope of any guests when he heard an odd noise outside, and moments later, a woman came in through the door. Norman's eyebrows lifted and he set down his pen and crossword book, standing behind the desk now.
"Everything all right, ma'am?" he asked in concern. "I thought I heard a bit of noise out there. Your car break down?"