Harper’s Store – In The Beginning
“Okay, I get it
– it’s forty years since Harper’s opened in town, so we have a family
gathering,” Ellie said as she looked out of the car window, “but did you have
to come dressed like that?”
“Hey – I’m the
wild one, your Aunt Becky is the sensible one,” Vicky said as she drove the car
along the road. She turned and smiled at
her eighteen year old daughter, and said “why are you
dressed like that?”
“It’s
comfortable,” Ellie said as her father shook his head. The teenager was wearing a grey sports jacket
over a blue top, jeans and black ankle boots, and her blonde hair fell over the
shoulders of her jacket.
“Stop mocking
her, love,” John Graves said as he looked at Vicky. The forty two year old
was wearing an open necked white blouse, jeans and black over the knee patent
leather boots. “You know she’s not got
the same taste in clothes as you.”
“Ah but you
love me for it,” Vicky said as they turned off the road, and made their way up
the tree lined avenue to the large manor house. The family got out and walked up to the door
as it was opened by a blonde haired woman, with a hint of grey in her hair,
wearing a black top with a scoop neck and elbow length sleeves, a grey skirt,
dark hose and black heels. She may have
been in her mid-sixties, but she looked younger.
“Hey Gran,”
Ellie said as she hugged the older woman, “thanks for inviting us tonight.”
“Why wouldn’t
I,” Amy Harper said. “Come in – the
others are already here.”
As they walked
into the front room, their grandfather looks over and smiled. “Welcome, all of you,” he said as he hugged
each of them.
“Hey Cuz – how are you?”
“Feeling good,”
Ellie said as she looked at Joanne O’Hare.
The red haired teenager was the same age as Ellie, and was wearing a
black dress with a white inlaid Irish pattern, the sleeves short but with elbow
length chiffon extensions, and a similar band under the hem of the skirt. She was also wearing dark tights, and knee
length baggy black leather boots, as well as for some reason a red scarf tied
in her hair.
“Vicky – you
look fantastic,” the dark haired woman said as she stood up and hugged her
sister. Becky was a year older than
Vicky, and had long dark hair, which fell over her brown dress coat. Her legs were in dark hose, with a pair of
knee length black suede boots.
Her husband Steve
shook John’s hand as Alastair Harper handed drinks round, and said “before we
go into dinner – a toast. To forty years
of Harper’s Store.”
“To
Harper’s!” The eight of them raised
their glasses and then took a drink, before Amy said “well, let’s see if the
chef has…”
“DON’T MOVE!”
Alastair turned
to see the doors to the front room thrown open, and four masked men came in, armed
and carrying large bags.
“What the hell…”
“We said don’t
move,” one of the masked men said as he aimed a gun at Steve and John. “You want to die now?”
“Boys, stay
calm,” Alastair said, “I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“Wise move, old
man,” the man who seemed to be the leader of the gang said, “you three are
going to come with me to open the safe – hands on your head, and march. You two,” he said as he looked at two other
masked men, “stay here and make sure the ladies cannot raise the alarm.”
“If you hurt
them…”
“If they do as
they’re told, they don’t get hurt,” the leader said, “now MOVE!”
“It’s all
right,” Amy said as she looked at her daughters, then at her husband, “we’ll
take care of things. You go and do what
they say.”
Throughout the
whole conversation, Ellie and Joanne had been standing, too scared to move as
the gang forced their fathers and grandfather to go out of the room, closing
the door behind themselves.
“Right,” one of
the two masked men left said as he opened a bag, revealing more ropes than
either of them had seen, “you sit down, old lady, and put your hands on your
head.”
“There is no
need to be so rude,” Amy said as she sat on the couch, “we will do as you say.”
“Good – then
the mummies get to tie the girls up.” He
took out two coiled ropes and threw them at Vicky and Becky, as the second man
kept his gun aimed at them. “And make
sure you do a good job – if they get loose we’ll make sure they don’t.”
“All right,”
Vicky said as she looked at Ellie, “I know you’re frightened, but you need to
let me do this.” Ellie nodded as her
mother walked behind her, while Becky walked behind Joanne.
“Put your hands
behind your back, and try to relax,” Becky said as she put her hand on her
daughter’s shoulder, the young girl nodding as she moved her arms, and felt her
mother crossing her wrists. She watched
Ellie, as her aunt guided her cousin’s arms behind her, and then let out a soft
gasp as she felt the rope around her wrists, pulled firmly so that they were
brought together, and then wrapped around and between her arms.
As Becky tied
the rope off, she tried to move her fingers, find the knot, but she could not –
and whatever her mother had done, it was effective. She could see Ellie was thinking the same
thing, her jacket opening slightly as she twisted round.
“Good – now
take the longer ropes, and tie their arms to their sides.”
“You getting
some sort of sick pleasure out of this,” Ellie growled as Vicky passed the rope
around her daughter, and Ellie was taken by surprise at the way her arms were
pulled into her sides, before she looked at Joanne.
“What on earth
are you doing, Aunt Becky,” she said as her aunt wrapped the rope around
Joanne, pulling her arms into her sides as she wound it round above and below
her chest, forcing and framing it as her breasts were made more prominent.
“It may not
seem like it,” Vicky said behind her, “but we’re making sure you don’t get
hurt.” She pulled the ropes one last
time and tied them off, before she helped her daughter to sit on the floor,
Becky helping Joanne to sit beside her as the cousins looked at each other.
“Not bad –
their legs now,” the masked man said as their mothers knelt next to them and
took more rope. As Ellie and Joanne
watched, they doubled the length of rope over before crossing their ankles, and
wrapping the rope around them, feeding the ends through the centre loop before
they pulled back, forcing their ankles together.
“Where did
you…”
Ellie looked at
Vicky as she shook her head, and wrapped the rope round, keeping the bands
neatly arranged, and then tucked the ends in before separating them and pulling
them round and between her legs. That
had the effect of making the binding tighter, as she tied the ends off and
tucked them out of sight.
“Mum,” Joanne
whispered as she wriggled round, “why…”
“Hush – we’ll
explain later,” her mother said as she was handed yet more rope, and she
secured her daughter’s legs together below her knees, the band sitting on top
of her boots before she adjusted her skirt to cover it.
“Not bad at
all,” the armed man said. “Now, you
girls lie back.”
“Let us help
you down – we’ll put cushions under your head,” Vicky said quietly as Amy
passed them each a cushion, Ellie and Joanne looking at each other as they lay
on their hands and arms.
“This isn’t
exactly comfortable,” Ellie said as she wriggled round, her jacket slipping to
the sides.
“Not a problem
for long – keep them quiet,” the man said as their mothers were each handed a
cloth.
“Listen, open your
mouths was wide as you can, and don’t struggle,” Vicky said to Ellie. “It will feel strange at first, but you get
used to it.”
“Hwoodlduknnn,” Ellie said as her mother gently pushed the
folded cloth into her mouth, and then took the strip of duct tape she was
handed and pressed it over her daughter’s mouth. Three more strips followed, as she looked
over to see her aunt gagging Joanne in the same way. They were then rolled onto their stomachs, as
they felt their ankles been pulled back and tied to the chest ropes.
“Right,” the
masked man said as he took the gun from his partner, “go and get two chairs
from the dining room. It’s Mummy’s
turn.”
“Whhrruddngtthhss,” Joanne mumbled as the cloth pressed her
tongue down, the tape keeping her lips together.
“To stop you
two screaming for help – take a leaf out of your mum’s books, they are keeping
quiet.”
They raised
their heads and looked at Vicky and Becky, who both nodded as the masked man
carried two chairs in, and set them on the floor.
“All right,”
the first man said as he looked at Amy, “get up. You’re going to make sure these two don’t get
out of the chairs. You both sit down,
and put your arms by the side of the chair back.”
“Be brave,
girls,” Vicky said as she sat down, Becky sitting next to her as their mother
was handed rope. “Make sure their wrists
are tied to the chair back as well,” the masked man said, Amy nodding as she
guided Becky’s arms around the chair back, and started to tie her wrists together.
Ellie and
Joanne were wriggling on the floor, both of them able to feel their heels with
their fingers, wondering why their mothers has done this to them. It didn’t hurt, but it was tight, and they
could feel the tape pulling on the skin around their mouths. Looking up, however, they saw Vicky with her
arms around the chair back, and their grandmother behind Becky’s chair as she
worked, obviously securing her wrists as well.
“Are you girls
all right,” their grandmother said as she looked over, the teenagers looking at
each other and nodding, determined not to show how afraid they were. The masked intruders laughed as Amy was
handed another length of rope, and they said “okay – tie their upper bodies to
the chair back.”
“All right
then,” Amy said as she passed the rope around Vicky’s waist, pulling her against
the chair back and then wrapping the rope around her upper body, the second
band below her chest as she wound it round, and then taking it under one arm,
up and around the back of her neck as she lifted her blonde hair out of the
way, and then under the other arm. Ellie
could see the way it held her in place, and also how her blouse was stretched,
as Amy moved over to her other daughter and repeated the process.
Joanne was
unable to take her eyes off her mother and aunt as Amy knelt down, folded back
the hem of her mother’s dress, and secured her legs together below her knees,
the rope going around and between her stocking covered legs as she did so, and
then folding the hem back before she crossed and tied Becky’s ankles
together. She then tied one more length
of rope between her ankles, and pulled them up under the seat before she tied
the other end to the chair back.
“Are you all
right,” she said as she stood up, Becky nodding as she looked at her daughter
and said “don’t worry Jo – I can cope with this.”
“Hwwwwm” Joanne mumbled as Amy went and knelt by Vicky. Ellie watched as she moved her left leg to
the chair leg, and tied her ankle to the wooden support, as well as her leg
below her knee. She could hear the sound
of squeaking, and suddenly realised it was coming from three directions – not just
her mother, but also her Aunt Becky as she moved her legs – and from Joanne as
she twisted round.
Amy secured her
other daughter’s leg to the other chair leg, and then stood up. “I suppose you want me to gag them as well,”
she said, the masked man nodding as he handed her two cloths. Folding them, both teenagers were amazed to
see their mothers opening their mouths without being told to, their own
grandmother pushing the cloths in and then taping over their mouths as well.
“Where have you
taken my husband and sons,” Amy said as she looked at the two masked men.
“MY friends
will make sure they can’t cause any trouble as well,” he replied as his friend
took more rope out, “can you guess what is going to happen now?”
“I think I
can,” Amy said as she put her hands behind her back, the four captives watching
as her wrists were secured, hands palm to palm, and then a second length of rope
used to pull her arms together at her elbows.
Amy let out a soft groan, as more rope was then wrapped around her upper
body, her chest framed in the two bands as her top stretched over her breasts.
It was
stretched even more as the rope was taken over one shoulder, under the lower
band of rope and then back up, lying on top of the neckline as it was tied
off. Amy nodded as she was told to sit
on the couch, and crossed her ankles as the intruders secured her ankles and her
legs below her knees in the same way as the younger girls.
“Uggtnneedeewhtsgnnn,” Joanne said as she looked at Ellie, “nddhwthstteseclm?”
Ellie shook her
head as she looked at her mother, her blouse stretched as well, and wondered
the same thing. Vicky was sitting
quietly, twisting a little from time to time, as Becky twisted a little as
well.
“so what
happens once you have secured me,” Amy said as she was helped to lie down. “Are you planning anything else?”
“Only to keep
you quiet – open wide.”
“I will talk to
you all later,” Amy said before the folded black cloth was pushed into her mouth,
and then strips of silver duct tape pressed firmly over her mouth. She rolled over as the masked man pulled her
ankles back, and secured them to her chest ropes, before she rolled onto her
side and said “bbrrfflffuu.”
“Ugtttmmm,” Becky said as Vicky nodded, the teenagers
looking at each other before they nodded as well. The door to the room opened, as the other two
masked men came in.
“Well?”
“They’re all
secured and quiet,” the man said as their leader checked all five of them.
“Good work –
the menfolk are not going to stop us now.
Time to move out.”
“Are you sure…”
Amy shook her
head as the leader looked at her. “No –
we got what we came for, we don’t need the extra trouble. Move out.”
All five women
watched as the masked intruders walked out, then at each other as they waited
to see if they were coming back.
Eventually, Ellie and Joanne looked at each other and started to
struggle on the floor, trying desperately to get free as they tried to
comprehend what was going on.
After a while,
they noticed their mothers and grandmother watching them, as Ellie said “nttugnngtfrrr?”
“nned,” Amy said, as she looked to the door and they all
heard footsteps approaching, before the doors were thrown open and their
grandfather came in.
“I knew hiding
that knife was a good idea,” he said as he walked quickly over and removed the
tape and cloth from Amy’s mouth. “You girls
all right? They didn’t try anything?”
“No – but I
think you should get Ellie and Joanne free first,” Amy said as the two younger
girls nodded. “The police?”
“John’s calling
them – let’s get you free.”
“It was the caterers,
wasn’t it?”
“I think so –
the kitchen is empty and nothing’s been cooked.
So we get you free,” he said as he released Ellie and Joanne from their hogties, “talk to the police, and then we’ll order
take out.”
As he peeled
the tape from Ellie’s mouth, she spat out the soaking wet cloth and said “How
can you all be so calm? And ehre on earth did you learn to tie someone like that Mum?”
Joanne mumbled
“ewwnttknswll” as she looked at Becky.
“Girls,” Amy
said, “we’ll talk later – right now, let’s get all of us released.”
“Well – we’re
listening,” Ellie said as she and Joanne sat at the table, the remains of the
Chinese takeaway dishes in the middle as their mothers and grandmother looked
at them.
“Alastair, can
you men give us the room for a while?”
“Come on,” he
said as he stood up, “we know what’s going to be said.”
As he left with
their fathers, and closed the door, Amy said “Okay girls – we were robbed
tonight, but it’s not the first time we have been robbed.”
“It’s not?”
“By no means,” Vicky
said as she looked at Ellie, “by no means.”
“Okay – that
explains how you remained calm,” Joanne said, “but how did you learn to tie
like that? Neither of us could move or
speak!”
“Practice,”
Becky said, “lots of practice, and it was your grandmother who started it.”
“It was? Why?”
“Well,” Amy
said, “to answer that, we have to go back to when we first opened the store…”
To be continued…
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