Thanksgiving

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith

 

I had spent most of the day preparing the Thanksgiving dinner – not because we were having a mass family gathering, but because it was a special day for us all.  There are only three of us now – me, my mother Hope and my daughter Charity.  I’ll give you the customary time to get the jokes out…

 

Anyway, everything was ready to go for when my mother arrived, so I took the opportunity to get myself ready.  I’m in my early thirties, slim with long wavy brown hair, and I decided to put on a black silk roll neck sweater, with a silk wrap round skirt in a gold and black tiger print pattern.  I also had on some thick black tights, and a pair of knee length black leather boots.

 

When I came down the stairs, Charity was standing in the front room, a glass in her hand.  My daughter has long blonde hair – one of the things she inherited from my late husband – and was wearing a white sleeveless blouse under a long sleeveless primrose yellow robe.  She was also wearing a matching pair of short shorts, and over the knee black suede boots.

 

“Appropriate wear for a Thanksgiving dinner,” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Mom, I wear what I like – at least I’m here!”

 

That much was true – as a sophomore student, she normally stays at Yale, but she had made the effort and flown back this time.

 

“Well, thank you for that,” I said quietly as we heard a knock on the door.  “Now who could that be?”

 

“Probably Grandma,” Charity said as she put her glass down, “I’ll go and have  a look.”

 

She walked into the hallway while I poured myself a glass of wine from the open bottle, taking a sip as I heard the door open and close – and then nothing.

 

“Mother?”

 

“It’s…  It’s not Grandma,” Charity said as she came back in, her hands behind her back – and she wasn’t alone.  There were two men with her, both wearing dark jumpers and denim jeans, as well as black shoes and gloves – and both of them had a stocking pulled down over their heads.  One of them had grey hair at the side of his temples, the other short brown hair.

 

“Don’t say a word,” the older man said as he pointed a gun at me, “started cooking yet?”

 

“Oh…  Only the turkey,” I said as I looked at him.

 

“Good – dinner is going to be delayed,” he said quietly as the younger man walked with Charity.  “Turn round, put your hands behind your back.”

 

I realized I had no choice, so I turned round as he had ordered me to do, and then I felt my wrists being forced together with some sort of cord.  He had a rucksack on his back, but right then I was more worried about what they might do to us.

 

And what would happen when my mother got there.

 

“Take her to her room, search it, make her tell you where things are,” the older man said, the other one nodding as he said “come on – let’s make this as painless as possible.”

 

I saw he also had a rucksack on, and the white rope round her wrists as she was walked away, before the one with me said “my kid will look after her – now don’t move.”

 

“what do you want,” I asked as he slipped his rucksack off and put it on my recliner, opening it and taking out a longer length of rope which he passed round me, pulling it tight and forcing my arms into my sides as he formed two bands, above and below my chest.  I could feel the bands pressing down on me, as I realized they meant business when he tied the ropes off.

 

That was when the doorbell rang again, and he took my arm and said “who is it?”

 

“My mother – she is joining us for dinner…”

 

“Okay – we go, I open the door, you let her in – and no warning, understood?”

 

I nodded – there was no point in arguing, as we walked to the hallway and he stood behind the door, opening it enough for me to look round.

 

“Faith my dear – I hope I’m not late?”

 

“Of course not, Mother,” I said as I stood back and she walked in.  She was elegantly but simply dressed – a long blue dress with a red floral print that came to just below her knees, a pair of long tight brown leather boots, and a grey chiffon scarf wrapped round her neck.  She looked at me, her greying blonde hair down to her neck, as she said “it is unseasonably…”  She then saw the ropes, and the masked man as he closed the door and said “not a word, lady, just turn round and put your hands behind your back.”

 

“Faith, what’s going on?”

 

“I’m being robbed Mother – there are two of them, the other one is with Charity.  Please, just do as he says.”

 

“Of course,” Mother said as the man pulled her hands together and bound them with more of the white cord.  He was fast – very fast, as he made sure they were secured together and then walked us back into the front room.

 

“Is Charity all right?”

 

“I hope so,” I said quietly as we heard the other voices, while the intruder took a longer rope from his rucksack and used it to secure Mother’s arms to her sides in the same way as mine were.  I saw how her own chest was forced up and out, as the man said “I need to make sure you stay in here, lady – sit down and put your feet up on the coffee table, ankles crossed.”

 

“So dinner will be delayed,” she said as she obeyed, and I watched him wrap the white rope round her ankles and bind them tightly together.  I saw she was watching him as well, as I said “Mother, how can you stay so calm?”

 

“We have no choice, so we must let things happen,” she said as she looked at me, while the masked man wound more rope round her legs above her knees and forced them together, her skirt flaring out from under the white band.  She looked at her legs, and then said the fatal words.

 

“And how are you going to keep me from shouting for help?”

 

“For now, like this,” he said as he removed her grey scarf, and then pushed it into her mouth, the edges sticking out.  “now, keep that in there, or your daughter and granddaughter pay.  Understood?”

 

My mother nodded as he took me by the arm, picked up the rucksack and walked me into the bedroom.  “All right,” he said as he looked round, and put the rucksack on the bed, “jewelry, valuables – where are they?”

 

“I’ll tell you – I don’t want a mess,” I said quietly, telling him where to look and forced to watch as he stole my rings, my pearls, my jewels – putting them into the rucksack as he did so.

 

“Right,” he said as he closed the last drawer, and held in his hand a clean pair of my panties, which he folded into a pad.  “Open up.”

 

“Please, I’ll be quiet…”

 

“Yes, you will – open wide.”

 

I really did not have a choice – so I let him push the folded panties into my mouth, grateful they were at least clean, and then watched as he peeled the backing paper off a length of flesh colored tape.  Smiling, he pressed it down over my mouth and jaw, and then took me by the arm as we walked back into the main room.

 

“I turned the turkey off,” the younger man said as I came in, and I saw Charity sitting next to her grandmother.  She also had her feet up on the coffee table, her ankles crossed and bound together with white rope, and her legs secured together below her knees.

 

She also had ropes round her arms and chest, her robe forced open as she wriggled round, and flesh colored tape pressed down over her mouth.  She watched as I was helped to sit in an armchair, the younger man bringing over ropes as he knelt down and started to bind my ankles together.

 

“Good work, son,” the older man said as he took a second length of tape from the rucksack, walking over to Mother and pushing he scarf in before he covered her mouth as well.  I then felt my legs being forced together as the man tied my legs together below my knees, each band cinched tightly between my legs.

 

“You get what we wanted?”

 

“Yeah, Dad,” the younger man said as we looked at each other, and they walked out with their rucksacks. Leaving the three of us to think over what had happened, and what to do.

 

I was giving thanks for one thing however – that we had not been harmed any more than the ropes and the tape tugging on my mouth….

 

Hope

 

It was a warm day for the time of year, so while the long boots were justified, I felt the blue dress with the subtle red print was the right thing to wear.  A grey chiffon scarf was rotund my neck to keep out the chill, as I entered the apartment building, took the elevator to the right floor, and then rang the doorbell for Faith’s apartment.

 

As the door opened, I saw Faith’s head coming round, her brown hair falling on the shoulders of her black jumper.  “Faith my dear – I hope I’m not late?”

 

“Of course not, Mother,” she said as the door opened, and I walked in.   “It is unseasonably…”  My words were lost as I looked at my daughter, in her black jumper, tiger print skirt, dark tights, boots – and the bands of rope holding her arms firmly to her sides, with her hands behind her back.

 

There was also a man standing there – an older man, balding, grey hair at the sides of his head, but with a stocking pulled down over his head.  He was wearing a black jumper and jeans, but when he said “not a word, lady, just turn round and put your hands behind your back,” I knew something was very wrong.

 

“Faith,” I said quietly, “what’s going on?”

 

“I’m being robbed Mother – there are two of them, the other one is with Charity.  Please, just do as he says.”

 

“Of course,” I said as I turned and put my hands behind my back, then felt the cord as the masked man bound them tightly together.  He was surprisingly fast, but I knew they were tightly held as he walked both of us back into the front room.

 

“Is Charity all right?”

 

“I hope so,” Faith said quietly as we heard some other voices, one unmistakably Charity.  Faith was looking at me – well behind me, and I wondered what was happening until I felt the rope pulling my arms into my sides blow my chest.  IT was the most peculiar feeling, as he made two bands that pressed on and forced out my chest – and left me totally unable to move my arms.

 

Faith was staring at me, before the masked intruder said “I need to make sure you stay in here, lady – sit down and put your feet up on the coffee table, ankles crossed.”

 

“So dinner will be delayed,” I said quietly as I sat down and put my feet on the coffee table, crossing my ankles as my skirt fell over my legs.  The man knelt down and passed the rope round my ankles, pulling them together as I watched hm with a slightly – detached interest, thinking back on it.

 

“Mother, how can you stay so calm?”

 

I lo0oked at Faith and said “we have no choice, so we must let things happen,” while the masked man pulled the rope between my legs and tied it off.  He then wound another rope round my legs above my knees, and forced them together as my skirt fell under that as well.  It was the strangest of feelings, but I remained calm as he tied that rope off – before saying “and how are you going to keep me from shouting for help?”

 

“For now, like this,” he said as he removed my scarf, and then pushed it into my mouth. It filled the gap, and pushed my tongue down as the edges stuck out form between my lips.

 

“Now, keep that in there, or your daughter and granddaughter pay.  Understood?”

 

I nodded as he took Faith by the arm and walked off with her, leaving me alone.  I tried to wriggle round, tried to find the knot for the rope holding my wrists together – but it was well out of reach, so I let out  a muffled grunt and settled down.

 

“GHrhddnmh?”

 

I looked up to see Charity as she walked in.  She was wearing a primrose yellow sleeveless robe over a sleeveless white blouse – and pair of yellow hot pants that would have looked small on me when I was her age.  She was also wearing a pair of over the knee black felt boots – but her hands were behind her back, and there were bands of rope round her arms and body that forced her robe back.

 

“So this is your grandmother?”

 

The masked man with her was young, as Charity nodded and sat next to me. 

 

“Right – copy your grandmother,” the Youngman said as he put a rucksack down, Charity nodding as she crossed her ankles and put her booted feet up.

 

“Huhhhlrhhtt?”

 

“Hhmmghrhmh – uh?”

 

I nodded as I felt the chiffon getting wetter and wetter in my mouth – and then I realized what I had not seen before.  She had a strip of flesh colored tape pressed down over her mouth, the shape of the lips clear underneath.

 

“Shkhfhhnhbntht?”

 

Charity nodded, as I watched him bind her legs together below her knees, the white band compressing the soft black fabric of her boots as her legs were held together.

 

“Hskhnddhfchthswhl.”

 

I raised an eyebrow as Charity blushed, and then saw him smile under the stocking as he pulled the rope between her legs, tied it off and then stood up.  “I’ll go and check now,” he said as he left us alone.

 

“Cuht?”

 

Charity nodded as she twisted round.  “Nhwhthghtlhs?”

 

“Nhtfhrmh, uh?”

 

She shook her head as the masked young man came back in, and said “you were right – I’ve turned it off.”

 

“Fhnkshs.”

 

We all then heard footsteps, as the older man came back with Faith.  She also had the tape over her mouth as she looked at both of us.

 

“I turned the turkey off,” the younger man said as Hope was sat down in an armchair, and the young man walked over with two lengths of rope, crossing and binding her ankles together and then her legs below her knees.

 

“Good work, son,” the older man said as he did that, and then the he walked over to us with a strip of the tape in his hands.  He pushed the wet scarf fully into my mouth, and then peeled the backing paper off before he pressed it down over my mouth.

 

It tugged on my skin, but it wasn’t too bad as the young man stood up. 

 

“You get what we wanted?”

 

“Yeah, Dad,” the younger man said as we looked at each other, and they walked out with their rucksacks. Leaving the three of us to think over what had happened, and what to do.

 

I was giving thanks for one thing however – I was excited, more excited than I had been for some years, and I was with my family in their peril….

 

Charity

 

 

I know it seemed funny, but I wanted to wear this today – I bought the robe and shorts on campus, the blouse was one of mine, the boots borrowed from a friend.  As I stood in the room, I wondered what my mom would say.

 

“Appropriate wear for a Thanksgiving dinner?”

 

I looked at Mom as she came in, wearing her silk jumper, skirt and her leather boots.  “Mom, I wear what I like – at least I’m here!”  I had been invited to spend the holiday with my boyfriend’s family, but instead…

 

“Well, thank you for that,” she said quietly as we heard a knock on the door.  “Now who could that be?”

 

“Probably Grandma,” I said as I put my glass down, “I’ll go and have  a look.”  I walked into the hallway, opened the door wide and said “hello Grandma – and then stepped back as two men walked in.  They were both wearing jumpers and jeans, shoes gloves – and a stocking pulled down over their heads.  Each of them had a rucksack on their back – the older one holding a gun and pointing it at me with a gloved finger to his lips.

 

The other man was younger – about my age, with short brown hair.  He smiled as he closed the door, and then walked behind me, pulling my hands behind my back.  I felt the rope as he pulled it tightly round my wrists and tied them together – very tightly, and very quickly.

 

“Anyone else here,” the older man said very quietly.  I moved my head to the main room, as we walked back in.

 

“Mother?”  I heard Mom say that, and I replied “It’s…  It’s not Grandma.”   She turned and stared at us, as the older man pointed his gun at her and “Don’t say a word - started cooking yet?”

 

“Oh…  Only the turkey,” she said as the older man walked over.  “Good – dinner is going to be delayed.  Turn round, put your hands behind your back.”

 

I watched, the young man’s hand on my shoulder as Mom turned round and crossed her wrists.  He took a length of white cord from his pocket, and very quickly, very tightly bound her wrists together.  It was then I realized we both would be in trouble, as he turned me round and walked behind me.

 

“Take her to her room, search it, make her tell you where things are.”

 

The young man then turned me round and walked me out as he said “come on – let’s make this as painless as possible.”

 

“What are you going to do to me?”  I heard his partner say “my kid will look after her – now don’t move,” as I was walked into my bedroom.

 

“Stand still for a minute,” he said as he slipped off the rucksack and put it on the bed, opening it and taking out a much longer length of rope which he shook loose and doubled over.  “I want to make sure your upper body is secured before I start.”

 

“How thoughtful of you,” I laughed – a hollow laugh as he wrapped the rope round me and pulled it tight.  It felt funny, my robe was forced to the sides as my chest was forced out – but he kept going, wrapping the rope round in two bands above and below my chest, and then securing the ropes behind my back.

 

“how does that feel?”

 

“As if you’ve tied me up.”

 

He laughed - and it was a good laugh – as he said “yes, I have – a necessary evil.  Now, have a seat – and tell me where your valuables are.  It is Thanksgiving, and we really do not want to make a mess, do we.”

 

We both heard the doorbell ring again, and then some voices.  “I think my grandmother has arrived,” I said quietly as I sat on the bed.

 

“Well, she will be as you both will be…”

 

“Can I ask you a question,” I said as I watched him open the first drawer.

 

“Sure – what?”

 

“Do you get off on tying up women?”

 

He turned his head, looked at me and smiled as she said “only the really beautiful ones.”

 

“And am I one of them?”

 

“Yes.”

 

I stared at him as he emptied a jewel box into a sack, and then said “don’t lie to me.”

 

“I’m not lying – you are beautiful,” he said as he found another box and emptied it.  I blushed, and said “nobody had said that to me before.”

 

“Pity,” he said as he looked at me, “I’d ask you for a drink, except – well, I do not want to be arrested.”

 

“Your loss.”

 

“Most definitely,” he said as he opened my wardrobe and then looked through it.  I felt he really meant it, and blushed as I wriggled round.  “Your outfit is nice as well – you really show it off.”

 

“I wish we had met in another way now,” I said as he closed the door, and folded up one of my long chiffon scarves.

 

“I know – I regret this as well,” he said quietly, “open your mouth as wide as you can.”

 

“Do you have to keep me quiet?”

 

“I do.”

 

“One thing – if we are all going to be bound and gagged, the turkey needs to be  turned off.  Will you check it for us?”

 

“Sure,” he said as I allowed him to push the scarf into my mouth, closing my lips over it and then opening my eyes wide in surprise as he kissed me on my lips.  He then took out a strip of flesh colored tape, removed the packing paper, and then pressed it down over my mouth as I looked into his blue eyes.

 

“Shall we?”

 

I nodded as we walked back to the main room, and I saw Grandma sitting on the couch.  She was wearing a blue dress and brown boots, - and had her feet upon the coffee table, white rope round her ankles, her legs above her knees, her arms and chest.  She also had the edges of a grey scarf sticking out from between her lips.

 

“GHrhddnmh?”

 

She looked up and nodded as my captor said “So this is your grandmother?”  I nodded as he walked me over, helped me to sit down and said “Right – copy your grandmother.”   I nodded as I put my feet up, crossing my ankles and resting my heels on the coffee table.

 

“Huhhhlrhhtt?”

 

“Hhmmghrhmh – uh?”

 

Grandma nodded as I saw the dark grey material between her lips, and then felt the rope as it was pulled tight round my ankles.

 

“Shkhfhhnhbntht?”

 

I nodded as I felt more rope round my legs, pulling them together below my ankles as I looked down.  The black material of my boots seemed to be getting lighter under the tight ropes.

 

“Hskhnddhfchthswhl.”

 

I looked at Grandma and blushed, then I turned and saw the man tying me up smiling as he stood up.  “I’ll go and check now,” he said as he left us alone.

 

“Cuht?”

 

I nodded, embarrassed as I tried to twist round and find a knot.  “Nhwhthghtlhs?”

 

“Nhtfhrmh, uh?”

 

It was useless, so I shook my head and relaxed as he came back in.  “You were right,” he said with a smile, “I’ve turned it off.”

 

“Fhnkshs.”

 

We all then heard footsteps, as the older man came back with Mother.  She also had the tape over her mouth as she looked at both of us.

 

“I turned the turkey off,” the younger man said as she was sat down in an armchair, and the young man walked over with two lengths of rope, crossing and binding her ankles together and then her legs below her knees.

 

“Good work, son,” the older man said as he did that, and then the he walked over to us with a strip of the tape in his hands.  He pushed the wet scarf fully into Grandma’s mouth, and then peeled the backing paper off before he pressed it down over her lips.

 

“You get what we wanted?”

 

“Yeah, Dad,” the younger man said as we looked at each other, and they walked out with their rucksacks. Leaving the three of us to think over what had happened, and what to do.

 

I was giving thanks for one thing however – someone thought I was beautiful, and I knew he was telling the truth….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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