Family
Escape Challenges
I know that
lockdown has eased significantly, but I am amazed to find there is still a
booming business for the likes of me to provide family challenges which utilise
the skills I have from my other line of work. I also have to admit it can be
more – fun, if I can use that word…
Let me give
some examples. One family which answered
my advertisement was one of five – mother, father, two teenage daughters and a ten-year-old
boy. I first talked to the parents, both
to get some idea of what they wanted and also to make sure they were all happy
with what may happen, and got their agreement to call on the next Saturday
morning.
When I arrived,
I found that the father and son had gone out – as arranged, because the game
scenario they had was that I had broken in and secured them before they got
back. The mother was wearing a printed
tunic, black leggings and knee length tan leather boots, while one daughter was
wearing a long-sleeved grey top and black pants with the legs tucked into
mid-calf grey boots. Her other daughter
was wearing a long-sleeved top with striped sleeves and a cartoon owl on the
front, dark jeans and cream coloured Ugg boots.
So I asked them
to arrange three chairs from the dining table in a row, and then to make
themselves comfortable while I gave them each a length of the rope I was going
to use to hold. As they talked to each
other, I started by using more of the rope to secure their ankles to the front
legs of the chair, and then tied more rope round their waists to make sure they
were secured against the chair backs.
I then, one by
one, took the rope and guided their arms round the chair backs, then secured
their wrists together and tied the ends round the central spar of the chair
back. A simple tie, true, but an
effective one.
Part of the
game is always that they cannot talk to each other easily, so I used some pale
blue tape to cover their mouths – before we waited for the return of the rest of
the family.
So when the
father and son came in, all three of the women started to struggle and try to
raise the alarm – but I stepped in, and said I had to make sure they could not
free them as well. While the son was
wearing a red and blue lumberjack shirt, jeans and blue sandshoes, his father
was wearing a dark blue polo shirt, beige jeans and brown shoes.
Well, they played
along as well, as I took their hands behind their backs and used more of the
rope to secure them together as well, before making them sit on the floor and
making sure their ankles were secured together as well.
I then covered
their mouths with more of the tape, and slipped out of the room, watching as
they sat still for a few minutes and then both of the males of the family got
onto their knees and shuffled over to go behind the two girls. They placed their mouths in reach of their
fingers, waiting until the tape gags were slowly peeled away so that they could
use their teeth to untie the wrists of the girls.
It took them
about an hour to get free, and then we shared a drink before I left them to
enjoy the rest of their day.
I can use a
number of techniques to get the families ready to ply these escape games,
depending on what they wanted and the age of the family. Take this example – a young couple in their
late twenties, who had two sons of five and three years old. I sat down with them and agreed something
simple, which all the family could do – using the same pale blue tape I had
used for the previous family.
I started with
the father, who was wearing a white top, blue jeans and brown shoes with white
socks. He sat on the floor and allowed
me to tape his wrists together behind his back, and his ankles together, his
boys watching as I did so.
I then taped
their mother’s wrists behind her back – she was wearing a pale blue t-shirt and
jeans, but was barefoot. She then sat
down behind their father, crossing her legs before I taped her ankles together,
and then wrapped the tape round their upper arms and bodies to hold them
together.
The boys walked
over and looked at them, and then when their mother said it was their turn, I
taped the wrists of each of them together in front of them, before they sat
down and I taped their ankles together.
The five-year-old was wearing a white t-shirt and grey cargo shorts, his
brother a dark t-shirt and jeans rolled up to his knees.
I then told
them I was going to out some tape over their parents’ mouths – but not theirs,
because they had to encourage their mum and dad to get free and then free
them. They nodded at this, as I taped
over the mouths of the two adults – and then watched as they did just what they
had to do, while their mum and dad tested round to get free…
Another family
I arranged to play a game with wanted a bedtime scenario, which I was more than
happy to help them with. Their son was
eleven years old, with short fair hair, and when I came round was wearing a
grey top with long sleeves and various moustaches printed in black on the
front, candy striped pyjama bottoms, and red and blue socks.
His parents
both had darker brown hair – his father was a large man, who was wearing a dark
blue polo shirt, red and blue tartan bottoms, and red and blue socks, while his
mother was wearing a long-sleeved grey top, dark grey leggings with coloured
stripes, and red and white striped socks.
I explained the
scenario would be an intruder had made sure they were tied together and
silenced, but it would be possible to get out if they worked together. That seemed to be fine by them, so I opened the
bag I had brought and took out some brown ropes.
The first thing
I did was to make sure each of them had their wrists tied together in front of
them, the rope going around and between their arms, and then I asked his mum
and dad to sit back-to-back on the floor.
Their son watched as I used more of the rope to secure their ankles
together, as well as their legs below their knees, and then I got him to sit by
their sides and cross his legs, before I secured his ankles together with
another length of rope.
I then took out
a much longer length of rope and wrapped it round all three of them, under the chest
and round the arms of his mother, round his father’s arms and chest, and the
bands sitting under his chin as the three of them were held together.
The final thing
I did was to cover their mouths with strips of silver duct tape, before I set
up (at their request) a camera and filmed them before I left it so they could
see all three of them.
The way for
them to free themselves was obvious, but it needed them to wriggle round for a
bit in order to loosen up the bands of rope so that their son could slip out
underneath – and then he managed to peel the tape from his mouth as the rope
fell to the waist of his mother and father.
He got onto his knees and removed the tape that was keeping his parents
quiet, before all three started to work with their teeth on the knot holding
the rope round their wrists in place.
I imagine all
three of them slept well after I left them that night…
I can be a
little stricter, make it a little more difficult if the family want it that
way. One family I did this for had a
father who was a bank manager, a mother who was a teacher, and two daughters
aged twelve and nine. When I came to
answer their call, the older girl was wearing a lime green top, a pink skirt,
pink leggings with white polka dots and green socks. Her sister was wearing a red jumper, and blue
leggings with white socks.
They sat having
a drink as I talked to their parents.
Their mother was wearing a grey top and blue jeans, the legs tucked into
tan coloured riding boots, and their father a light blue shirt, jeans and brown
shoes.
It was the twelve-year
old’s birthday treat to play this game, and she was a big Nancy Drew fan – so they
were going to be a family held hostage by the spy. It was also a day for red tape – liberal use
of red tape.
All four of
them sat on the floor, in front of a couch, and put their hands together palm to
palm before I used a roll of red tape to secure their wrists together. I then made sure their ankles were securely
taped together as well, the girls giggling as they heard the way their mother’s
boots squeaked as she rubbed her legs together.
I then wrapped
tape round the arms and upper body of each of them, making sure their arms
stayed by their sides. The next stage
was to get each of them to bend their knees, the soles of their feet, boots and
shoes flat on the floor, and taped their wrists down to their upper legs above
their knees.
The final stage
was the obvious one – red tape over their mouths to keep them from making too
much noise, before I sat back to keep an eye on them and make sure they came to
no harm.
It was the
mother who led the way this time – leaning forward and managing to free the
tape from her mouth, before she slowly loosed the tape holding her wrists to
her legs as the others twisted round. It
took a couple of hours, but they all seemed to enjoy themselves…
So do I ever go
as far as I would if I was there for another reason? Sometimes – take the three generations I
visited a few weeks ago.
It was the
grandmother who arranged this game – when I met them, she was wearing a yellow
jumper, dark jeans and knee length black leather boots, a red wool scarf
loosely tied round her neck. She had
long greying brown hair – her daughter had the same shade of brown hair, and
was wearing a black cardigan over a grey top, faded blue jeans and knee length
tan leather boots.
There were also
her grandson and granddaughter there.
Her grandson was ten years old, and was smiling as he stood there in his
grey shirt and jeans. His sister was
thirteen, wearing a grey fleece with long dark blue sleeves, faded jeans and
short black boots.
They wanted to
experience a full home invasion escape event, as I advertise it – so I started
by saying a robber would take care of the kids first, to make sure the adults did
not try to raise the alarm. They seemed
excited at that idea, so they stood in front of their mother and grandmother as
I took their hands behind their backs, and secured their wrists together with
rope. I then used longer ropes to secure
their arms to their sides – even taking the ropes under one arm, up and around
the back of their necks, and then under the other arm to make it tighter.
As they twisted
round, I asked them both to sit on the floor, and they watched as more ropes
were used to secure their ankles together, and then their legs below their
knees. I kept talking to them through
all of this, making sure they were happy and not scared, so they knew they were
safe in my hands.
Once they were
secured, I walked round to behind where their mother and grandmother were
sitting, and took their mother’s hands behind her back before using another
length of rope to secure her wrists – and then did the same for their
grandmother. Both the children then
watched as I used longer ropes to secure the upper bodies of the adults – which
did mean their chests were forced up and out, but thankfully they did not ask
any potentially awkward questions.
I then knelt
down in front of them as they kept talking, using the ropes to secure their
ankles as well as their legs below their knees – and the grandson did laugh at
the sound of leather coming from all three of the others as their legs rubbed
together.
The gagging
came next – and at their grandmother’s request, I started with her, using her
own scarf and pulling it between her lips as a cleave gag. Their mother was then gagged with a second
long scarf – before I used rolled up bandanas as cleave gags for the children.
Looking at
them, I then asked the grandmother if she really wanted me to do the last part
– and when she nodded, I put four cushions on the floor, and helped them one by
one to lie on their stomachs with their heads on the cushions. I used the last lengths of rope then to put
all four of them in a hogtie, their ankles secured to the ropes round their
chests.
I then left the
means of escape within the grasp of the grandmother - a sharp knife where she
could reach it with her fingers. They actually
did not start to employ that for a while – they were quite content to twist
round and try to talk to each other – before she rolled over and held the knife
so their mother could use it to cut the ropes holding her in a hogtie, and then
her wrists binding…
One more tale –
and this was a slightly unusual one, because of the family involved. My instructions were to call when the parents
were out – so I met the three children.
Their son was fourteen, and was wearing a red checked shirt, black jeans
and black shoes. The youngest daughter
was eight, wearing a red tunic, leggings and short black boots.
Then there was
the middle daughter – twelve years old, and also wearing a long red checked
shirt, leggings and slipper s- as well as a black hijab round her head and neck. They invited me in, and said they were
excited to be starting the game before their parents got back.
So I made sur
they had all gone to the toilet, and then asked the son if he would like to
help me secure his sisters. I showed him
what to do – doubling the rope over to secure their wrists together behind
their backs, then passing rope round their arms and stomachs to make it more
difficult for them to move.
They then sat back-to-back
on the couch as we secured their ankles
together, as well as their legs below their knees – the son taking care of his
older sister, me the younger sister.
Finally, a long rope was used to secure them together round their
waists.
Then it was time
to take care of the man of the house – at least until his father got home. I did the same to him as his sisters – wrists
tied together behind his back, then rope round his arms and stomach to lock
them in place before he sat on an armchair.
More ropes or secure his ankles together, and his legs below their
knees, before I helped him to sit with his legs up – and tied his ankles to the
rope round his stomach.
I had one last
thing to do – make sure they were all kept nice and quiet with strips of silver
tape over their mouths. It was as I was
smoothing the tape over the son’s mouth that their parents came back in.
Their father
was dressed in the same way as their son – a red checked shirt, dark jeans, but
in his case red shoes. Their mother,
however, was more traditional in her garb.
She was wearing a long red dress with long sleeves, the bottoms of a
pair of black leggings visible under the hem, and red heels – and her head was
covered in a white hijab with a tartan print.
They checked
all the children were all right, before allowing me to secure their wrists
behind their back as well, and sitting back-to-back on a low footstool between
the armchair and the couch. I then used
more rope to bind them together round their arms and bodies, before making sure
their ankles were tied together as well.
I secured the father’s legs together below his knees, but for the mother
I tied rope round her legs above her knees, gathering the skirt of her dress
under it as I did so.
Finally, as
with the kids, I gagged them with silver tape, as they all struggled and tried
to move. I sat back as always to watch –
wondering how long it would take the older girl to realise I had not secured
her wrists as tightly as the others…
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