In Their Own Words – Family Time

Pirates

It was Talk Like A Pirate day, so Mom and me decided we would dress up the same way, like pirates, but in a way that meant we could still go to the mall. So we both wore black and white stripes tops with long sleeves, a leather sash round our waists as a belt, and jeans. I had a white headband holding my hair back, and was wearing black shoes with grey socks, while Mom had her jeans tucked into black leather boots.

So we were about to go to the mall, and Mom opened the garage door – before I watched her back up as a man came in, wearing a black mask over his head, and carrying a large knife which he pointed at her while he looked at me.

“Cute,” he said in a deep voice, and then he threw a roll of duct tape at Mom. “Tape her hands behind her back, then walk in front of us to the bedroom.”

“We… We need to do what he says,” Mom whispered as she walked behind me, “put your hands behind your back – I’ll try not to hurt you.”

So I had to stand there while Mom taped my wrists together, over the sleeves of my top, and then he made her wrap a band of tape round my stomach and arms as well. It felt funny to be like this – I could only wriggle my fingers, before the man made us walk up to Mom and Pop’s bedroom.

Once we were in there, he made me sit on the bed and told Mom to tape my ankles together, as well as my legs above and below my knees. I then had to lie on my side, watching as he made Mom hand over all her valuables and things. She was crying, and I admit I was as well, but I tried to be brave for her.

He then picked up the roll of tape Mon had left on the bed, and taped her wrists together behind her back, before he taped her arms to her sides. He made two bands on her – one round her stomach, and one round her upper arms, and it looked a little strange on her.

She then sat on the bed next to me while he knelt down, and taped her ankles and legs in the same way as mine. It looked strange, the silver bands over the black leather at her ankles and below her knees, and when he made her lie next to me there was a squeaking sound.

He then covered both of our mouths with strips of the silver tape, before he left us there, struggling and trying to speak. It was hours before Pops came home and found us…

Hoodies

I had to watch my sister’s three girls for the day, while she attended a work meeting she could not get out of, so I took them to the cinema and we headed home so that I could order pizzas. All three of her girls – eight year old Katy, seven year old Susan and five year old Carly – were wearing blue tops and blue jeans, with socks and trainers – but they each had on a fluffy sipped hoodie as well, with bunny ears on the hood. The only difference was the colour of the hoodie – Katy’s was purple, Susan’s green and Carly’s pink.

Me? I was wearing a pale blue V-necked sweater over a striped blouse, jeans, and white sandals over my hose covered feet.

So we got home, and while the girls went into the front room to watch a film, I went to the kitchen and ordered the pizzas. For some stupid reason, I decided to let the girls watch the film until the food arrived – if I had just gone in…

Anyway, after half an hour, the pizzas arrived, and I put them out on the kitchen table before I went to tell them the food was ready – and that was when I got the shock of my life.

The girls were sitting in a line – Carl, then Katy, then Susan – with their hoods pulled up over their heads. They had linked arms, but then each of them had their wrists tied together in front of them with white rope – rope that as then tied round their bent legs above their knees, and then round their ankles.

They also had a white band round their heads, covering their mouths as it went over their hoodies.

For a moment, I wondered what was going on, until a female voice said “the girls have already started to play the game – are you going to join in?” I turned my head to see a woman standing there, wearing a brown roll neck sweater, leggings and knee length boots – and a stocking pulled down over her head.

I realised a few things then, and told the girls I’d come and join them once ‘I had talked to the lady – and the pizzas could wait until later. They all nodded and kept watching the film as I went out of the room with her…

When I returned a few minutes later, I also had my hands tied together in front of me – and a band of white tape round my head, holding a folded cloth in my mouth. She made me lie on the couch behind the girls, then took the rope she was holding that was tied round my wrists and tied it round my legs and ankles, so that I was just like them.

She then challenged us to get free – but it was no use. We had to wait for my sister to come and pick them up before we were freed…

In the Attic

There were four of us starting with me – I was wearing a white jumper with a red rose on the front, a black skirt, hose and black boots. My sixteen year old daughter April was wearing a black and white striped top, jeans and black ankle boots. Then there was my sister Margo, who was wearing a black top, tartan skirt and boots, with her eight year old son Billy – he was wearing a grey striped top with blue sleeves, red pants, and sandals with blue socks.

There was something else each of us was wearing – a rolled up black cotton bandana, with a knot tied in the middle which now sat behind our teeth in our mouths, the bandana tied round our heads by the masked men who had broken into our house. It was obvious they were going to keep us out of the way – but in our attic?

We had recently had it refurbished, but the furniture had not arrived yet – that didn’t seem to stop them, as one of the men put a bog with ropes on it on the floor, pulled two out, and handed one to me and one to Margo – then they told us to bind April and Billy’s wrists behind their back.

Well, we felt we had no choice – given the guns the other two men were holding, so we both tried to tell them not to cry as we used the rope to tie their wrists together behind their backs. The man then told them to sit back to back, and gave us two more lengths of rope each, telling us to tie their ankles together, and then their legs below their knees. I looked at April as I did this, the redness in her eyes with the tear stains down her cheek, the darker patches at the corners of her mouth…

We were then both pulled up as one of the other two men put their gun down, and took a longer length of rope from the bag which he used to start to tie our children together. The second man put his gun down as well, as he and his ‘friend’ took ropes out of the bag and started to tie our wrists together behind our backs. We were then made to lie face down on the wooden floor, while they crossed and tied our ankles tightly together, and then bound our legs together below our knees.

The final humiliation was when they pulled our ankles back and tied them to our wrists with more lengths of rope, before leaving the four of us there, one of them guarding us as they ransacked the house. All we could do was try to tell Billy and April that it was going to be all right…

Mother’s Day

We had agreed to spend Mother’s day together, with our children, so that we could spend some time together after so long apart. I was wearing a grey sweatshirt, dark jeans and black ankle boots, while my younger sister Fiona was wearing a purple floral smock top, also with jeans and ankles boots.

As for Zoe, my older sister, she was wearing a blue sleeveless dress with a fractal pattern on it, and knee length black boots with fishnet stockings underneath.

So we had lunch together, and we were sitting in the front room, talking about matters – when my two boys appeared, wearing scarves over the lower part of their faces and pointing water pistols at us, telling us they were robbers and we had to do what they said.

Well, I do play this sort of game with them from time to time, but Fiona and Zoe just laughed at them, before looking at me as I raised my hands. I told them it was just a game, so they nodded as they also raised their hands in the air. They then told us to stand up and walk into the dining room.

Well, you just have to play along, don’t you? So we stood up and walked in, to find they had put three of the chairs in a line –chairs we were invited to take a set on, and then to put our arms by the sides of the chair back.

Well, we looked at each other, wondering what they were going to do – and then I heard a ripping sound, and looked to my side to see my son using parcel tape to secure my wrist to the chair back. At the same time, my other son was securing my other wrist – a method they proceeded to use on their aunts a few minutes later.

So we were taped to the chair back, and then they knelt down and taped my ankles to the chair legs.

“NO.”

I looked at Zoe as she said “not on these boots – find something else.” My sons looked at each other, and then taped Fiona’s ankles to the chair legs before they went off. They then came back with two of my scarves, one of which they tied round Zoe’s ankles, the other between her legs.

“Well, we can’t move now,” Fiona said as she pretended to struggle – it was actually quite fun, even when they put packing tape over our mouths to keep us quiet.

Which did beg another question in my mind as we looked at each other.

What had they done to Zoe and Fiona’s girls, their cousins?

Teddy

“Don’t worry, it’s all right to be a little bit scared – but I promise you, it won’t hurt. Ask Teddy.”

Annie was standing next to me as I sat in a rocking chair, and Teddy was on my lap. There was also her in the room – a woman, wearing a denim jacket and jeans, and a pair of dark glasses – as well as leather gloves. We had surprised her when we came home, and at first Annie had been frightened as the woman grabbed her rand put her hand over my daughter’s mouth. But I had asked her to let her go, and then she had explained what was going to happen.

Annie was nine then, and was wearing a tartan waistcoat over a long sleeved white top, jeans and mid-calf black leather boots with her jeans tucked into them. A denim headband with a flower on it was holding back her light brown hair.

I was wearing a long sleeved blue top and, like Annie, a pair of jeans with the legs tucked into black leather boots, these ones coming up to my knees. The intruder had already used some rope to tie my wrists together behind my back, and then used a longer length to tie my arms to my sides before I sat down.

As she had done this, I kept telling Annie that we would be all right, but she was still scared – and that was when the woman picked up Teddy. Her stuffed bear was wearing a denim jacket and jeans as well, and Annie watched as the woman used some of the rope to tie his arms to his sides, then his legs at the paws and half way up.

“You can ask Teddy if he is all right,” she said, and I smiled as Annie talked to Teddy, and then said he was all right, and she wasn’t scared. So she took Annie’s hands behind her back, and we talked as she tied her wrists together, and tied some rope round her arms and body as well so that she looked like me and Teddy.

She twisted round and then giggled, while the woman knelt in front of me and bound my ankles tightly together, followed by my legs below my knees. “See,” I said as Annie watched, “Teddy and I are the same now.”

We were as well – all the bands of rope were cinched between our limbs, as the woman moved Teddy to one side for the moment, and then helped Annie to sit on my lap. My daughter then watched as the woman tied her ankles and legs in the same way as mine, before she put Teddy on Annie’s lap.

And I was so proud when she said “I know it’s all right to be a little scared, Teddy, but I’m here to keep you safe as well.”

I then looked at the woman as she took from the bag she had all the rope in a roll of brown sticking plaster, and she tore a strip off – before she pressed it down over Teddy’s mouth.

“He can’t talk now Mummy,” Annie said as she looked at me, and I nodded – before I felt the tug on my skin as she pressed a second length of the brown fabric over my mouth as well.

I watched as she gagged Annie in the same way, but my daughter wasn’t scared, she just looked up at me and then cuddled in as Teddy sat on her lap, and I rubbed my cheek on her head, knowing we would be safe together…

Family Portrait

“Why on earth did we agree to do this?”

“Did we have a choice in the matter?”

Helen shook her head as she stood with her hands on Roberta’s shoulders, and I had mine on Daniel’s. My wife was wearing a red dress with capped sleeves, and over the knee black fabric boots, while Roberta had on a red tiered halter neck top, jeans, and white shoes with black socks, her long brown hair falling loose.

Daniel was wearing a blue and black striped humper, jeans and brown trainers. And me? I was in a dress, with a wrap effect, black skirt and grey patterned top, dark hose and black knee length leather boots, a large red, black and white patterned scarf around my neck.

“No, you don’t have a choice,” the man who was looking at us said. He was smartly dressed – nice suit, white shirt, tie, and gun in his gloved hand. There were four of them – one of them was disconnecting our phone and internet, and the other two were opening a bag,

A bag that was fill of lengths of white rope, some of which they took out as they walked behind us. “both of you, do as they say – we’ll all talk about this later,” Helen said as she kissed Roberta’s head, then nodded as one of the men took her hands behind her back, and started to tie her wrists together while we all watched.

“Just promise me we will be together,” I said as I looked at the man, and he nodded as his friend then took Roberta’s hands behind her back, Daniel watching as the rope went round and between her arms.

“Does it hurt,” he whispered, Roberta shaking her head as she flexed her fingers. He then allowed the man to bind his wrists together behind his back, before he started on mine.

While I felt the rope around my own wrists, I watched as another man took a longer length of rope from the bag, shaking it loose and doubling it over, before he passed it round Helen’s body and pulled it tight under her chest. I could see Daniel was watching as well, as the rope went round her several times, framing her chest and forcing her arms against her sides.

“Are you all right, son?”

“I… I think so, it’s just strange to see Aunt Helen like that…”

I nodded as the man then started to force Roberta’s arms against her sides in the same way. It wasn’t the nicest thing to do to a nine year old girl, but…

But I realised we would all have to be the same way, as he tied the ropes off and then started on Daniel. He bit his lower lip as the ropes forced his arms against him, forming the two bands as I told him we would be just fine.

It certainly felt funny when it was my turn, as I twisted round and the ropes got tighter and tighter…

We were all then made to sit on the floor, Helen, Roberta, Daniel and finally me, as one by one they tied our ankles together, and then our legs below our knees. IT was the strangest feeling, and our reactions were all different – Helen’s fear, Roberta’s curiosity as she twisted round, both of them feeling the ropes rubbing on their bare arms.

Daniel’s look as he twisted round as well, watching the man bind his legs together and take the rope between them to make it tighter.

And me? Well, I was staying calm, especially when they removed my scarf and used it as a cleave gag, my teeth closing on the band as it was tied round my head, my lips over it.

The others soon had a scarf pulled between their lips as well as the man in charge took out a video camera, and started to film us.

“We have your family, Lord Dees – if you want them returned, this is what you need to do…”

The Robber who came to Tea

“That was refreshing,” he said as he put the cup down, “but I must be about my business now.”

I was sitting with my mother and father, having afternoon tea with our guest. Mum was wearing a blue wool shawl over a white blouse, the ends tied in front of her, jeans and black shoes, while Dad was wearing a purple t-shirt, jeans and black trainers.

Me? I’m the fourteen year old daughter, wearing a black cap sleeved top with a floral print, and jeans tucked into black boots, my dark hair pulled back into a ponytail.

And then there was our guest – a tall man, with a black balaclava over his head so that we could only see his eyes and mouth. He had a nice smile – but he also had a gun, and a bag which he was taking some ropes out of.

We had thought we were greeting a neighbour for tea – turned out we were wrong.

Anyway, he had accepted our offer – once he had taken all our mobile phones – to have tea with us, but we knew we were only delaying the inevitable. He handed a length of rope to Mum, and told her to put my arms round the chair back I was resting against.

She slowly stood up and walked behind me, as I put my arms round the chair back, and I felt her tie my wrists tightly together while the masked man watched. She then tied the ends to a spar in the chair back, before she sat down and the man told Dad to do the same thing to her.

I smiled as Mum had her wrists tied – and then the masked man secured Dad’s wrists as well. Before he took a longer length of rope and wrapped it round his body and arms, forcing him against the chair back.

Mum was next, and then me. It felt really strange as he pulled me against the chair back, and little by little I felt my freedom being taken away. It was tight, and was doing the job – but in a funny way, it was exciting as well.

He then took more ropes out of the bag and knelt in front of me, looking up and winking as he tied my ankles tightly together, then secured them to the front leg of the chair, before he tied my legs together below my knees. I tried to move as he did the same thing to Mum, but all I managed to do was make the wood creak, and my boots squeak.

Once he had tied Dad’s legs, he took from his bag a roll of blue tape, and tore strips off, pressing them down over our mouths so that we could hardly talk at all. He then looked at us, and said “I thank you for the tea – and for everything else” before he left us there and searched the house.

Still, at least he was polite…

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