Mother and Daughter Moments 24

SweetCaroline
Hello – I wonder if it’s all right if I join the conversation

IvyTheTerrible
Of course it is – we’re an open group here. First time visitor?

SweetCaroline
That’s right – my name’s Caroline, and I’m eleven years old. I was told this was a place where we could come and share our experiences?

IvyTheTerrible
It most certainly is – so what happened to you Caroline?

SweetCaroline
Well, let me start with telling you something about myself. I live in Cardiff, with my mum and dad and my six year old sister Zoe. My dad is a bank manager, and my mum a teacher.

IvyTheTerrible
Okay Caroline – so how did your adventure start?

SweetCaroline
It was Pancake day – and Dad had to go away for an overnight trip, so Mum had agreed to make pancakes for both of us as part of our tea. I had some homework to do after we had eaten, so we all sat at the table and had the most wonderful pancakes with golden syrup and ice cream.

Mum was wearing a short sleeved black dress with a white pattern on it, black leggings and knee length black suede boots with a silver clasp on the outside. Zoe was wearing a red long sleeved dress with a long skirt that had three layers, and white ankle socks.

IvyTheTerrible
What were you wearing?

SweetCaroline
I had on a red and white checked blouse with a grey cardigan over that, and a thin brown belt wrapped round my waist. I also had on a pair of grey riding britches, grey socks and black lace-up boots. I’d been for a riding lesson earlier, and hadn’t bothered changing.

Anyway – we had pancakes, and a drink, and then I went upstairs to finish my homework. As I went up, Mum went with Zoe into the front room, and I could hear the television go on. She had already put the dishes into the machine that cleans them, so I put on some music and sat down to finish my maths.

I did hear the doorbell, and Mum taking to someone, but I didn’t pay much attention to what was going on as I had to finish this work. Eventually, however, I finished, and went down to the kitchen to get a drink.

And when I turned round – there he was.

IvyTheTerrible
Yeah – he did that to a lot of us. What did you think?

SweetCaroline
I didn’t know what to think. He was tall – taller them Mum – and dressed in black, including the thing he had pulled over his head that covered his face and kept his hair down. I could see his smile, however, as he asked if I was Caroline.

I nodded, and the he told me Mum had asked him to come and get me anyway. He said that Mum had arranged for the three of us to play a game of Cops and Robbers. Apparently, Mum was already playing with Zoe, and Mum wanted me to play as well.

IvyTheTerrible
So did you believe him?

SweetCaroline
At the time – yes. I had heard Mum and Dad talk about paying some games in case bad men came to the house, so I really thought this was one of those games. Anyway, he said he was going to take me in to join them, but first he had to do what a real robber would do, and stop me from moving my hands for a while.

Well, I nodded, and then he asked me to turn round. After I had done so, he crossed my wrists behind my back, and I felt him use something to keep them tied together. Later, I realised it was some sort of thin cotton cord, but all I knew then was it was tight, not uncomfortable, and it really did keep my wrists together.

He then tied some more rope round my arms, forcing them into my sides as it went round my tummy, and then after he tied it off he took it between my arms and body as well. When he had finished, I really could not move my arms, as she escorted me into the front room.

IvyTheTerrible
So what happened when you went in?

SweetCaroline
Mum looked at me and smiled as she said “Oh good – I see my friend found you. We’ve already started playing – you don’t mind, do you?”

Mum was sitting on the couch, with Zoe on her lap, but I could see that someone – presumably the stranger – had crossed Mum’s ankles and tied them together with the thin white rope, the band sitting on top of the suede. She had another band of rope holding her legs together below her knees, while Zoe’s feet were hanging over the top of them. She also had her ankles tied together, and there was a band of the rope around her legs, with the skirt of her dress gathered under it.

Zoe’s wrists were crossed and tied together in front of her, with one more length of rope between her wrists and her legs. As for Mum, she had her arms wrapped round Zoe, hugging her tightly, but I could see more rope around her wrists as well, and going round hers and Zoe’s tummies.

“We can’t move,” Zoe giggled as she tried to twist round, Mum nodding as the man helped me to sit down on the other end of the couch. He then went to a rucksack that was sitting on our low table, and took two more lengths of rope out

IvyTheTerrible
And then he tied your ankles and legs together, right?

SweetCaroline
That’s right – he took the rope around and between my legs, pulling my ankles together and then my legs below my knees. As he did, Mum and Zoë wriggled round, and I heard the sound the ropes made as they did so.

Once he had finished, he turned the television on, and we sat and watched a film while he said he was going to make sure the house was all right.

After he left, Mum smiled at both of us before she kissed Zoe’s head, and said this was a fun game to play. We both agreed, so I slid myself across the couch and rested my head on Mum’s arm.

IvyTheTerrible
Yeah – he does make sure you can all have fun together. So what happened when he came back?

SweetCaroline
Well, he came in, and he had three glasses of squash with straws in them. He allowed Zoe to have a drink first, and then me, before letting Mum have some.

He then said the time had come for the robber to make sure we couldn’t talk for a while. I asked him what he was going to do, and he took from his bag a wide roll of white tape. It made a funny squishy sound as he tore a strip off, and then he held it in his hands and told Mum to put her lips together.

She nodded, Zoe looking up and me looking across as he pressed the tape firmly down over her mouth. We could both see the shape of her lips as his gloved hands smoothed it into place, and once it was down she looked at us and tried to speak.

“Tsllrrtgrlsurtrrn.”

We both giggled at that, as he tore another strip off, and then pressed it gently down over Zoe’s mouth. Mum reached down and pressed her tape covered lips on my sister’s head, while the man tore on more strip off, and smoothed it firmly down over my mouth.

IvyTheTerrible
How did it feel?

SweetCaroline
Funny – it didn’t hurt, but I really could not open my mouth or move my lips, and I just watched as Mum kissed my head as well. The man turned the television up a little, and said he was going to leave us to enjoy the film.

I cuddled in next to Mum, and wondered how long we were going to be like that. When the policeman came in a couple of hours later, I thought it was all part of the game.

It was only when Dad came back I found out it wasn’t a game – but at the time, he really made it one. So much so, Mum and I play the game from time to time now.

IvyTheTerrible
Well, welcome to the group Caroline. Anyone else got a story to tell?

BostonAnnie
Hey – I’m Annie, and we had both of them call on us...

********

Coming back from the honeymoon, both Janna and I were keen to get back into the swing of things, but we also spent a few days catching up on other matters – and one afternoon, I looked over some of the transcripts of the TTT subgroup on the chat room.

I could see some of them had been talking to Katy the gymnast, the girls Janna had found in the boat and the ones who had been pirates, asking them why they like been in such situations. From the responses, it was clear it was the danger and excitement – for Katy, it was the fear of not knowing if she would cope, mingled with the assurance her mother would not let her get hurt. For the other girls, it was the feeling of total helplessness that added something else to the situation.

Some of the other girls said they played games with their mums now, but maybe they should try being a damsel as well, see if it added some excitement to it as well. Little did I know a week later I’d meet one of them...

Jessa Jones was a well known and successful middle distance runner, whose husband was a coach at the local athletics centre. She had won a few medals, a few awards, and was known on the local celebrity circuit, going to plays and thing with her husband and her daughter Jane. Jane was an up and coming athlete as well.

Anyway, I was aware her husband was at a meet on this particular day, and that both Jessa and her daughter would be at home, so I picked this particular day (having completed all my other checks) to pay her a visit. They lived in a semi-detached house, so I parked on the road outside, and made my way round the garage and up to the back door of the house.

Nobody was out back, but I had noticed the car in the driveway, so pausing only to don the gloves and the stocking I got to work on the back door, soon opening it and slipping inside.

The kitchen was also empty, but I could hear the sound of the television on in another room, and it sounded like a magazine program. Figuring that would be Jessa, I decided to have a word with her first before explaining the situation and inviting Jane to join her.

As I passed the connecting door to the garage, however, I could hear some muffled sounds, and then a motor whirring. It almost sounded like someone calling for help, but...

Then I heard the muffled call, and I slowly opened the garage door – not expecting what I saw inside. Jane was in the garage, and – somewhat distracted. The photos I had seen of her had her in athletics gear, or casual clothes, so the fact she was wearing a dark green ball gown, complete with tiara, and green shoes was the first surprise. The second was her position, and the reason she was making muffled cries.

The muffled cries were down to the tight white cleave gag, that pulled the corners of her mouth back, but it was obvious that was also holding something in her mouth, from the way her cheeks bulged out. A white scarf was also tied tightly over her eyes, blindfolding her so that as I watched she was unaware I was in the garage.

Her arms were pinioned behind her back, with bands holding her wrists and her elbows together, and again I could see the tightness of the bonds, as the ropes bit into her skin. Her legs were held together with circles of rope running from her ankles to her waist, trapping the skirt of her dress against her legs, but that seemed to be just as tight.

As for her position – she was bent over, and I could see a rope running from her wrists, over a pulley and then to a small electric motor. As I watched, a timer pinged, and the rope was winched up a few more centimetres, making young Jane grunt and struggle more as her wrists were lifted higher, and she was forced to bend over, starting to stand on tip toe.

Now, in the past I would have wondered what was going on, but I am older, and I felt a chat with Jessa may prove – illuminating. So I went quietly back out, closing the door behind me, and walked slowly down to where the television was on.

Jessa was sitting on a long couch, wearing a pair of blue jeans and a blue jumper, with a pair of black trainers on her feet. I walked in, smiled as I took the gun from my pocket, and said “hello Jessa – my apologies for interrupting your viewing.”

She looked round at me, and then back at the television – and then looked round slowly again, as she whispered “oh my god – it’s you... The Games Player?”

“Well, my reputation precedes me again,” I said with a smile as I took my bag off, and sat down. “Naturally, you know not to call for help or make any loud noise, and normally I’d say we need to play a game to keep your daughter Jane calm – but something tells me that is not an issue here.”

“What do you...”

“I’ve looked in the garage.”

Jessa smiled and nodded. “Ah – perhaps I should explain. Jane found the chat room for those you have visited sometime ago – and she told me about a recent on-line chat with those you left in somewhat more – restrictive positions.”

“Ah – yes, I had heard something of that,” I said with a smile.

“Well, she was inspired, so she asked if I would do this for her – make her a true damsel in distress. At first, I refused, because of the risk...”

“What changed your mind, if I may ask?”

“She reminded me I was an amateur boxer once upon a time – and this was less risky.”

“I see – forgive me if I ask you to keep your hands where I can see them.”

“Don’t worry – I’m not going to cause any trouble. For one thing, you have the gun.” She reached down and took a sip of water from a glass, before continuing “anyway, we came up with what you saw – the princess kidnapped and held like that. Yes, it can get uncomfortable, but nothing she can’t handle, and the timer cuts off before it gets too painful.”

“Why the timer?”

“Well, we experimented, and somehow taking time to get her into that position adds to her experience. The ropes are tight because she feels that how a damsel should be tied, and she enjoys the sensation and the ability to struggle through it. So much so that she would be very disappointed if someone rescued her too early – even if it was the Games Player.”

“Well, I have never wanted to upset or disappoint the families I visit. I do, however, have to bind you and then rob you.”

“Well,” Jessa said as she stood up, “if you don’t tie me as tightly as I bound her, I will never hear the end of it. Also, I’m not ticklish – so don’t think that is going to work in getting me to tell you where my valuables are.”

“Then I will have to find a different way,” I said as I opened my bag, and took out a length of rope. “So, to work – kindly stand and turn round.”

As Jessa did so, I doubled the rope over, and then wrapped it round her arms, pulling her elbows together so that they touched as I took the rope around and between her limbs. I then did the same with a second band of rope round her wrists, watching as she balled her hands into fists as I pulled the rope tight.

“Normally, I would bind your arms to your sides,” I said as I tied the ends off, “but not today. Not yet. Turn round and sit down please.”

As Jessa sat down, I doubled over another length of rope, and secured her legs together above her knees, forcing her thighs together as the rope tightened around and between them. Another length secured her legs below her knees, and then a third length secured her ankles together, side by side.

“Well, it is tighter than I tied her, if that’s possible,” she said as she raised and lowered her legs, “so what now?”

“A little exercise,” I said as I helped her to stand up, and made her jump through the house to the garage door. As we came in, I saw the winch had raised her arms to the point where she was bent so that her upper body was parallel to the ground, and she was standing on the balls of her feet.

“I think,” Jessa whispered into my ear, “that you can lower her wrists and then let her see and talk – while you make me talk.”

As she stood by the wall, I nodded as I walked over to the winch and slowly lowered her arms. “Mssttmldddee,” she mumbled as she slowly went back to a standing position, and I untied the rope between her wrists which went to the winch.

“No, I am afraid you are going to be the damsel just a little longer, Jane.”

“Hssdttht,” Jane said as she looked in my direction, and then I removed her blindfold. She blinked for a few minutes, looked at my stocking covered face, and then at her tightly bound mother before she said “Hmgddd-tsrlleu?”

“Oh yes, it really is me,” I said as I untied the scarf and eased it from her mouth, and then took out the damp cloth that it was keeping in place. “And yes, I really am here to rob you. I trust you will do exactly what I say?”

“Oh my god,” she said as she literally bounced up and down on her feet. “IT really is you.”

“Yes, yes it is,” I said with a smile as I helped her to jump over to the wall. “Now, stay right there while I have a word with your mother.” Looking at Jessa, I said “so you still refuse to tell me where your safe is?”

“I will never tell you,” she said in a defiant voice, and with a wink to her daughter.

“Well, we’ll see,” I said as I took a sponge ball from my bag, “open wide.”

“No.”

“That’s going to work,” I said as I watched Jessa clamp her mouth shut, and then pinched her nose, Jane giggling as her mother tried to hold her breath, and then had to open wide – which allowed me to push the sponge in, and then as she closed her mouth over it I tore a strip of tape free and pressed it over her lips.

“Close your eyes,” I said with a smile, Jane watching as I used the blindfold she had worn to cover Jessa’s eyes, and then held her as she hopped over to the winch. I tied the rope round her ankles, and then started the winch, Jane watching as the rope was slowly wound up, forcing Jessa’s arms up as she was made to bend over, until she had her body parallel to the ground, and was standing on tip toe.

“Now then,” I said as I looked at Jane, “where are your valuables?”

“Don’t tell him Mum,” Jane called out, then giggled as I put my gloved hand over her mouth.

“I have no desire to hurt you or your daughter,” I said quietly, “but you will tell me where the valuables are.”

“NNnnnnn,” she said as she shook her head, and then I raised her wrists a few more inches, making her bend over as her arms were pulled up and back.

“LLLRRTTTLTTLLUUU,” she said as she tried to move, Jane giggling under my hand.

“Good – don’t move and keep quiet,” I said to her as I walked over, and removed the tape, easing the sponge out of her mouth and lowering her arms so she was back in the parallel pose.

“Now, where are they?”

“In.... In my bedroom.”

“Safe?”

She nodded as she said “the combination is...”

As she gave me the numbers, I smiled and said “thank you. Now, I need to make sure you two can’t disturb me. Why don’t I release you, and then you can both be hogtied on the floor of your front room.”

“No.”

Both Jessa and I looked at Jane as she said “no – you need to be mean to us and make sure we really can’t stop you.” She looked at the pulley, and then at me, as I nodded and said “If that is your desire. Open wide, Jessa.”

Jessa nodded as I pushed the sponge back into her mouth, and covered her lips with a fresh strip of the tape, before standing in front of Jane and holding a second sponge ball in my mouth. She smiled and then opened her mouth, allowing me to push the sponge in and then cover her own lips with the white tape, pressing it down so that it held firmly.

“Close your eyes.” As Jane did so, I covered her eyes with a second strip of the tape, and then helped her to jump over to where Jessa was standing, before I used some more rope to tie her wrists the same way as her mother, making her bend over.

“Now, don’t go anywhere,” I said as they both struggled, and tried to talk to each other, while I robbed them. On my way out, I looked in and said “thank you for your cooperation. I’m sure someone will come to your rescue soon.”

“FNKKEEWWWW,” Jane said as they both wriggled round. I made my escape, wondering what I would find next.

Be careful what you wish for...

********

Married life was certainly different, in the sense of having to remember to use my married name now for all sorts of things, so when Steve saw I was getting a little tetchy he suggested a family to visit. He passed the information he had over to me, and so it was on a Thursday afternoon I was parked outside the house of the Crammond family in the north of Newcastle.

The man of the house was a bank manager in Cramlington, but he lived in this lovely detached house with his wife Anna, who taught at a local secondary school, and his two daughters, Emily who was 14 and 11 year old Letty. Now, our research showed the dad usually had to work late on a Friday, and Anna would get home at about five, but both Emily and Letty would get home at about four. So the plan was to get the girls playing first, and then when Mummy came in, make sure she played along as well. I had been there for a while as I saw them both walking down the road, Letty with a hair clip under a white flower in her blonde hair, and Emily with long light brown hair. Both of them were wearing black coats, as Emily unlocked the door and they made their way inside.

I sat there for a few minutes, preparing myself for the visit. I was dressed in my normal way – black leather jacket, leggings and boots, as I slipped my gloves on and then got out of the car, collecting my bag before I walked up to the house. Trying the front door handle, I found it was unlocked, so I paused to pull the stocking down over my head before I let myself in.

I could see the two coats hanging up, and heard noises in the front room, as I walked slowly along. Looking in the door, I could see Letty sitting on the couch, looking at the television. She was wearing a white short sleeved blouse, grey skirt and black and white tie, while she had a pair of black tights on and mid-calf black leather boots with a grey fur trim.

I decided to let her sit there for a while, because if I could explain the situation to Emily, there was less chance of problems. So I made my way down to the kitchen, and saw Emily sitting at the table. She was wearing a black sweater and skirt, dark tights and knee length black suede boots, and was writing in a text book.

“Hello.”

She suddenly looked up and stared at me, putting her pen down as I came in and closed the door. “Don’t panic,” I said with a smile, “I promise you, I’m not going to hurt you, but I do need to get your help with something.”

“Oh god,” she whispered, “Are you a robber?”

“I am indeed,” I said quietly, figuring she was old enough to know the truth, “but I think whoever I am, you don’t want your little sister to be frightened, right?”

“No, I don’t want her to be scared,” Emily said. “What are you going to do to us?”

“Well, what time are you expecting your mother home?”

She looked at the kitchen clock, and said “about an hour – 5.15.”

“Okay – I need you to pretend this is a game, and you’re both going to play along. Do you think you can do that for me? I’m sure your mum will think you have both been very brave girls if you do so.”

I watched as Emily slowly nodded, and then said “will it hurt?”

“No – but I’m not going to do anything until we talk to Letty. Why don’t you get a couple of drinks, and we can go through to talk to her?”

I watched as she went to the fridge and took two cartons out, before we walked back through to the front room. Emily turned and looked at us, looked back at the television, then turned and looked again as her sister said “it’s all right Letty – this lady is here to play a game with us, one Mum is going to play as well when she comes home. Here – have a drink, and she’ll explain.”

“What sort of game,” she said as she began to sip through the straw.

“Well, I’m pretending to be a robber who has come to your house,” I said, “which means I need to make sure both of you and your mum stay in one place. But it’s all just a big game – I’ll make sure none of you can move or talk for a while, but it’s just playing, not real.”

“So why are you wearing the funny mask?”

“It’s all part of the game – like dressing up,” I said with a smile. “So, I want you both to finish your drink, and then I’ll show you what’s going to happen with Emily.”

Both girls watched me as they finished their juice boxes, before I said “now then, both of you get comfy, because I think you’re both going to be here for a little while.”

I watched as Letty and Emily shuffled back, Letty’s feet just hanging over the edge of the seat as Emily’s went over.

“Now, both of you, link arms,” I said as I opened my rucksack, “and then put your hands together in front of yourselves. I think we need to make sure sisters stay together, all right?”

“Okay,” Emily said as she and Letty linked their right and left arms, and then put their hands together, watching as I took two lengths of cord from my rucksack, and then tied their wrists together in front of their stomachs.

“Now, does that hurt,” I said as I tied the cords between Letty’s wrists.

“No – it feels funny though,” she said as she tried to lift her hands, giggling as she saw Emily move with her.

“Now, can you both put your ankles together. Then I’ll make sure you cannot move your legs apart.”

As they did this, I took some more cords, and tied their ankles together side by side, making sure the rope went around and between their ankles as it sat in top of their boots. I then took a second length of cord and tied their legs together, below their knees, before I used a third length to tie their wrists to their legs.

“There,” I said as I tied the last knot off, “think you’ll be able to move now?”

They both shook their heads as I heard a car pull up outside. “Now, I’m going to stand behind the door until your mum comes in,” I said quietly, “not a word until she comes into the room, all right?”

They both nodded as we heard the front door open and close, and then their mother say “are you in the front room girls?” I put my finger to my lips, and smiled as they nodded, looking at the room door as it opened.

“Girls, I asked if... Oh my god...”

Anna Crammond had the same colour and length of hair as Emily, and was wearing a black cardigan over a blue top, and a thin black leather belt loosely hanging round her waist. The top hung over a knee length charcoal grey skirt, while she also had on dark hose and a pair of knee length grey leather boots.

“Girls! What happened!” She stared at them through her glasses, as Emily said “the bad robber has tied us up Mum – and she’s right behind you.”

“Hello,” I whispered into her ear as I took her arm, “I hope you don’t mind that the girls started playing the game before you got back.”

“Playing... Playing the game?”

“That’s right Mum,” Emily said as Letty giggled, “the special game of robbers you organised?”

“Oh, oh yes, I forgot,” she said as she turned and looked at me. “Have they enjoyed playing so far?”

“Very much so,” I said as the girls nodded, “but now that you are home, we can go to the next part. Girls, I’m going to put something in your mouths that is going to mean you cannot talk for a little while. If I do this, and I promise to give you a drink when your mum and I get back, do you promise to keep what I put into your mouth in there?”

Both girls nodded as I said “before I do, I need to make sure your mum can’t move her wrists either, but I’m going to do Mum’s behind her back?”

Anna nodded as I guided her wrists behind her back, crossed them and tied them together, and then folded up two squares of cotton before putting them in the mouths of Emily and Letty. They had no stray threads, so that they were able to giggle and sit quietly while I put the television on, and then guided Anna out of the room.

“A game? You’re one of them aren’t you – the Games Player?”

“That I am,” I said with a smile, “so I think you know the best thing to do is to play along. Emily already knows this is a real robbery, so the aim is to keep Letty unafraid, agreed?”

As she nodded, I said “so, let’s go for a little walk, you show me where the valuables are, and then you get to play along with them, all right?”

“Okay,” she whispered as we walked up the stairs, and we spent some time carefully looking through her valuables. She sat on the bed as I selected various items, and put them in my bag, before I smiled and said “now, I regret to say I must make sure you cannot raise the alarm. I think the girls are sufficiently secured, but you must be as well.”

I took more rope out of my bag and started to wrap it round Anna’s torso, forcing her arms to her sides as I took it above and below her chest. Her cardigan opened up as her chest was forced out, but I made sure her modesty was preserved as I cinched the bands under her armpits.

“Now, I presume you wish to be silenced properly at the same time as the girls,” I said with a smile, “so, let’s go downstairs, I can collect two glasses from the kitchen, and then we move on to the next stage.”

We walked down the stairs, my rucksack over my shoulders, and poured two glasses of water before we walked back into the room.

“Thttwsfnnneee,” Letty said as I took the cloth from her mouth, and then let her have a drink of water. As she finished drinking, and I gave Emily a drink, she looked at her mother and said “You can’t move your arms, can you mum?”

“No I can’t,” she said as she wriggled round.

“Sit in the chair,” I said as I put the glasses on the coffee table the girls watching as I took more cord and bound their mother’s ankles tightly together, the rope going around and between her legs as it pulled the grey leather round them. A second band held her legs together, before I said “now, the bad robber needs to keep you all quiet. Watch.”

I took a scarf from my bag, rolled it into a band and tied a double knot in the middle, before Anna opened her mouth and I eased the knot behind her teeth, tying the band round her head to make sure it stayed in place. I then used two bandanas from Anna’s room to gag the two girls, both of them giggling as they tried to talk to their mother.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll manage to get free eventually, but Dad will be home soon,” I said with a smile, “which will be the end of the game. Until then, have fun?”

Anna looked at me and nodded as she wriggled round, and the girls tried to take the scarves from their mouths, with little success. As for me, I left them to their fun, feeling back in the game as well...

********

Sometimes, just sometimes, I think I have seen everything that you could see, and then I find out I am wrong. By now, you would think I realised that, but – well, let me explain...

To begin, I need to tell you about Andi Walker, who is the chief travel writer for one of the Sunday broadsheets, and the author of a number of travel books which were fairly popular. The most recent one had her exploring the backwaters of America, including some of the places Janna and I had visited on our honeymoon.

That wasn’t the reason I had been planning to visit her home, however – that had more to do with the collection of awards she had, and the jewellery both Janna and I had noticed from the various photos on line. She was married, and had two daughters – twelve year old Morag and ten year old Doreen.

We had done the research carefully, and knew the best time to hit was a Saturday morning – her husband worked Saturdays, and looking at her schedule this would appear to be a day she was working at home. So, this particular Saturday, I was parked outside their nice Tudor farmhouse, with a genuine thatched roof, smiling as I saw the car parked outside.

I took a moment to check my bag, and then got out, walking quickly up the driveway and then round the side of the house. The sides of the house had high oak tress along them, so I had the right sort of shelter to pull my gloves on and the stocking down over my head. There was nobody in the back garden, and the back door was unlocked, so I let myself into the kitchen and quietly closed the door behind me.

I had expected to hear the girls talking, or their mother, but the only thing I could hear was the television, and when I looked in the front room there was an old black and white film on the screen. The other thing in the room was two suitcases, standing on their feet, the carry handles pulled up. Now, bear in mind as far as I knew she had no trips planned, so I prepared myself for the possibility there would be more than the family playing, and decided to try and find them.

As I turned to leave the room, I thought for a moment I saw the smaller of the two cases rock, but I figured it was just a trick of the light or a draft, so I went out of the room and checked the rest of the downstairs rooms. There was no sign of either Morag or Doreen, so I made my way slowly up the stairs. Again, there was no sign of the girls in the bedrooms or the bathroom – which left one room.

Slowly opening the door, I saw it was an office, and Andi Walker was sitting at a table, typing away at a laptop. She looked up as I came in, and said “oh my god...”

“Good morning Mrs Walker,” I said with a smile as I closed the door, “please, save what you are typing, then very slowly close the laptop, and keep your hands where I can see them.”

“Okay,” she said quietly as she did that, and I looked at her. Andi was in her mid forties, with blonde hair rather untidily styled in a fringe, and was wearing a black and red Aztec style dress, with elbow length sleeves and a black lace inset at the neckline, dark tights and knee length black leather boots.

As she slowly lowered the laptop to close it, she turned and looked at me, her hands palm down on her lap. “So,” she said quietly, “am I talking to the Games Player?”

“My reputation precedes me,” I said as I slipped my rucksack off, and opened it. “In which case, you know what I’m going to say, correct?”

“You are going to rob me, but if I tell my girls this is a game, it will scare them less?”

“Something like that – talking of which, where are your daughters?”

“Morag and Doreen?” Andi smiled as she said “they’re playing somewhere in the house. Why – haven’t you seen them when you came in?”

Now, there was something in her eye when she said that that I should have seen, but I was busy taking some white cord out of my bag, walking behind Andi and guiding her hands behind her back. I crossed her wrists and started to tie them together, the rope going around and between her arms as I made sure they were held firmly together.

“Well, I can see you are as good as the reports I’ve seen,” Andi said as I took a longer coil of rope from my bag, and then started to bind her arms to her side, taking the rope above and below her chest.

“So, where will the girls be?”

“Oh I don’t think they will be that difficult to find,” Andi said as I pulled her arms into her sides, and then took the rope under one arm, around the back of her neck and under the other arm, before tying it off. “In fact, I’ll come with you and see if you can find them.”

“Well, I need you to explain what is happening to them,” I said with a smile as I picked up my rucksack, “so let’s go and have a look.”

I checked all the other rooms upstairs with Andi accompanying me, but there was no sign of either Morag or Doreen, so we went downstairs. I had checked the rooms already, but there was still no sign of them, so we went back into the front room, where the two suitcases were.

“All right,” I said quietly, “where are they?”

Andi just smiled, and then I looked at the two cases.

And looked at them again.

“Oh no, don’t tell me... Sit down...”

Andi sat down, crossing her legs as I knelt in front of the larger of the two cases, and slowly opened it up. As I moved the top away, I saw twelve year old Morag sitting inside, a black eye mask acting as a blindfold, and ear pods in her ears, the wires coming from under the blindfold to an iPod which was tucked into the pocket of her grey cardigan.

Under the cardigan was a black round necked top, while Morag was also wearing black jeans and knee length fabric boots. Her wrists were tied tightly behind her back, with ropes around her arms and chest. Her ankles were also tied tightly together side by side, with rope tied round her legs below her knees, but there was another band holding her thighs to her stomach, and one from her wrists to her ankles, so that she was balled up in the case. Finally, a strip of brown sticking plaster was pressed firmly over her mouth, as she turned her head towards me.

I looked over at Andi, who was shaking her head while I opened the second case. Doreen was inside, wearing a grey striped top and leggings, as well as a pair of black leather ankle boots. But she too was ball tied, gagged, blindfolded and with ear pods in. She had a large white headband in her blonde hair, while Morag had hers falling freely.

“Sttummm,” Doreen tried to say as I lifted her out, and sat her on the floor in front of the couch, releasing her legs from her chest and allowing her to stretch them out. I then lifted Morag out of her case, and allowed her to stretch her legs out as well.

“Mmmwhtssgnnn?”

“Girls,” Andi said quietly, “I have a surprise for you.”

“Wht... hmggddd!” As I removed their blindfolds, they blinked and then looked at me, before they looked at their mother.

“Yes, this really is the Games Player,” Andi said as I gently peeled the plaster away from their mouths. “They found the chat room dedicated to you, and have read a lot of the stories. A few weeks ago, we were watching a film where a girl was kidnapped and transported in a case, so they persuaded me to do that to them as well. I made sure there were air holes and things in those two cases, and then tied and gagged them before putting them in.”

“I see,” I said as I looked at the two girls, “and when you are in there?”

“It was a bit scary at first,” Morag said, “but that just made it more exciting. Then we added the blindfolds, and the music, and we knew we were stuck there until Mum came to free us.”

Doreen nodded, as she said “we can struggle a bit, but we’re there until Mummy says so – but if you’re really here, then this is a real robbery, isn’t it?”

“Well I’m afraid so – but we can still make it a game,” I said with a smile. “First, though, I need to make sure your mum can’t move around for a while, so you two stay there.”

They both nodded as I took some rope from my back, and tied Andi’s ankles tightly together, as well as her legs below her knees. I also checked the ropes on the girls, before I said “can I trust the three of you to be quiet while I go and look for valuables?”

All three nodded, and then the girls started to ask their mother how she was feeling as I left the room, and made my way back upstairs.

A short while later, I came down to find the three of them still talking.

“We’ve got a request to make,” Doreen said as she looked at me.

“Oh – and that is?”

“We think Mum needs a taste of what its like,” Morag said, “to be in the case. After all, she’s done it to us a few times now.”

“They do have a point,” Andi said as she looked at me, “and I’m curious as to what it is like. There’s a large case in the cupboard under the stairs you can use.”

“Well, if that’s what you want,” I said with a smile, “it’s what I’ll do. Before that, however, I need to make sure you all stay quiet, so I’m going to put something in your mouths, and then tape over your lips. Open wide now.”

I started with Andi, pushing the sponge ball into her mouth and making sure it went behind her teeth before she puckered her lips, and I covered them in a wide strip of white micropore tape. The two girls got the same gag, before I went and fetched the case, then set it up on the floor before I helped Andi to jump over, and sit on the floor. Bending her legs up, I used a length of rope to tie her thighs to her chest, and then her ankles to her wrists, before I eased her into the case.

“Close your eyes.”

As she did so, I put two cotton wool pads over her eyes, and then used more tape to complete the blindfold.

“I suppose you both want the same,” I said as I looked at Morag and Doreen, who both nodded before I blindfolded them, ball tied them, and put them back into their cases, putting the ear buds in before I closed all three.

As I went back to my car and drove off, I wondered what I had done to deserve seeing that today. It had been easier given they were playing, but what would I run across next?

********

Steve’s not the only one who has come across the more adventurous variety of games playing family recently. In my case, it wasn’t quite as strenuous a tie, but still...

Brenda McLennan was the wife of the owner of a small art gallery – local artists, that sort of thing, but successful and well respected. We had looked at the pictures of them at local events, seen the jewellery she was wearing, and decided between us she was worthy of a visit.

They had a twelve year old daughter, Xandra, who looked a lot like her mother – save with chestnut brown hair and glasses as opposed to the black hair of Brenda. Anyway, I pulled up on the Saturday morning to see Brenda pulling away in her Skoda Rapid, leaving the driveway of the house clear.

There hadn’t been anyone else in the car, so I suspected she had left Xandra at home to do some work. If she was in the house, then I may as well get started, so I got out of the car and collected my rucksack.

I was in my usual black clothing, smiling as I walked up the side of the house and managed to open the back door. As I walked in, and closed it behind me, I pulled the dark stocking down over my head and listened to see where Xandra might be.

But there was no noise, and a search of the house revealed nobody was home. Given past experiences, I looked out of the rear windows, but there wasn’t a greenhouse or shed, and there wasn’t a cellar either.

So the question was, had she gone out and Mum would be on her own? Well, I was in the house anyway, and I had found a nice looking safe, so I decided to wait and see when Brenda would come home.

A half hour or so later, I heard the garage door open, and glancing out of the window I saw Brenda pull in. I could see some bags on the rear seat of the car before it disappeared into the garage, and then made my way along the corridor as I heard the door from the kitchen to the garage open.

Looking carefully in, I saw Brenda bringing the bags in and placing them on the kitchen table. She took off her cream jacket, placing it on the back of a chair as she stood in her brown wool jumper, jeans and black trainers, and then started to put the shopping away.

Well, I know how important it is to make sure things are put away quickly, so I waited until everything had gone where it was meant to go, and Brenda had put the kettle on, before I stepped in. She didn’t hear me or even know I was there until I put my gloved hand over her mouth, and heard her say “Hmggsshssthr?”

“Don’t scream, don’t struggle,” I said quietly, “remain calm, do as I say, and you’ll have a story to tell your friends. Nod if you understand?”

I waited until she slowly nodded, and said “good – I’m going to take my hand away, and then I want you to keep looking out of the window, and put your arms behind your back, all right?”

She nodded again as I slipped my rucksack off, and removed a length of cord, before I took my hand away and crossed her wrists behind her back.

“Who are you,” she said as I took the rope around and between her arms, and tied it off out of reach of her fingers.

“Well, I’m here to rob you,” I said quietly as I turned her round, and she looked at me. “Once I have your arms secured, we’re going to go upstairs, and you’re going to give me the combination to your safe, as well as where any other valuables are. Do you understand, Brenda?”

“How do you know my name?”

“I do my homework,” I said as I took a long length of rope from my bag, and walked behind her, wrapping the rope around her arms and body as I secured them to her sides, the bands going above and below her chests. “I know for example that your daughter Xandra is usually home. When she comes back, I want you to tell her this is a special game you and your husband have arranged.”

“Oh my lord,” Brenda said as I pulled her arms into her sides even more, “you’re one of the games players?”

“That’s right,” I said as I fed the rope under her left arm, up and around the back of her head, and then under the other arm before tying it off. “So when are you expecting her home?”

“She is home,” Brenda said.

“No – I have searched the house. When is your daughter home?”

“She is home – she’s in the boot of the car,” Brenda said as I stared at her.

“In the boot?”

“Yeah – look, it’s her daughter, but it might be easier if she explains. The garage door is closed, so you can take me in safely.”

We walked into the garage, and as Brenda stood to the side I opened the boot of the Rapid. Xandra was in there all right, as she turned her head and mumbled “sttmmlrdeemm?”

The tape over her lips and eyes made sure she was gagged and blindfolded, as she lay on her side, her ankles and legs taped and then her ankles taped to her thighs. I could see the bands of tape around her waist and chest, as well as the tape holding her arms together behind her back from her elbows to her fingertips. She was wearing a white Arran jumper, jeans and blue trainers.

“Xandra,” Brenda said, “I’m going to remove the blindfold, and I want you to take a good look before you say anything.”

The young girl nodded as I reached in and peeled the tape away from her eyes. As Xandra opened her eyes, she blinked as she looked at her mother, with her arms bound to her sides, and then at me with the stocking over my head.

“Hmmmgddd,” she whispered, “tsrrlllew? Thgmsplrrr?”

“It is,” I said as I reached in and pulled the tape away from her mouth, “your mother told me this was your idea. Was it?”

“Yeah,” Xandra said as she looked at both of us, “I saw it on a television program, and pestered Mum like mad until she agreed to do it. But this – this is fantastic!”

“It’s true,” Brenda said, “before we leave to go shopping, I pretend to be an evil kidnapper, tape her like this, gag and blindfold her, then leave her in the boot with this.” She indicated a silver box and continued “we pretend that is a bomb that will go off if she screams.”

“So I stay in the boot,” Xandra continued, “and Mum goes shopping, then when we come back she leaves me here for a little while longer. But you’re the Games Player – so you’re here to rob us?”

“that’s right,” I said as I took a knife from my pocket, and cut Xandra’s legs free, “so I need you to come out of the car and come with me and your mother, while I make sure she shows me where her valuables are.”

“You’re going to make sure we can’t raise the alarm after that, right?”

I nodded as Xandra got out, and looked at her mum. “Well, I have an idea – if you can do it.”

“First things first – let’s go to where your safe is,” I said as we walked back into the house. As we reached the bedroom, I cut the tape from Xandra’s arms, and said “do you need the toilet?”

She nodded as she went in, and then when she came out I bound her wrists behind her back in the same way as her mother, and her arms with rope above and below her chest. They then sat on the bed, watching as I opened the safe and then put various items into my rucksack.

“So,” I said as I looked at them, “where am I going to leave both of you?”

“How about in the back of the car,” Xandra said, “so that we can’t get out or raise the alarm. You can leave a note for Dad and tell him where we are?”

“I guess I deserve that one,” Brenda said with a sigh.

“Well, then I really need to make sure you stay quiet,” I said as I took from the wardrobe two scarves, “open your mouths please.”

“Talk to your later, Mum,” Xandra said as I pushed the folded scarf into her mouth, and then used my own micropore tape, wrapping it tightly round her head to keep it in there. I did the same to her mother, and then helped them both to stand up as we walked down the stairs and back into the garage.

Once there, they stood and watched as I opened the car, removed the parcel shelf and pushed the back seats down, before I helped them both to sit in the boot. They watched as I tied their ankles tightly together, and then their legs below their knees, before they lay down and rolled over, trying to talk to each other as I pulled their ankles back and tied them to each other’s chest ropes.

“Have fun,” I said as I closed the boot, both of them looking at me and nodding as I went back into the house, and left a note for the man of the house on the kitchen table. Letting myself out of the back door, I headed to the car and away, shaking my head at the day...

********

There must be something in the air at the moment, because recently I seem to have come across some more and more adventurous families when I have visited them. It was bad enough with the family in the cases, but when there was a genuine water peril...

It was a typical midweek evening, as I made my way up to the detached house. The couple who lived here ran an outdoors supplies store – tents, all that sort of thing – and I knew the husband was away at an exhibition, which would afford me enough time to visit and get away.

Making my way to the rear of the house, I noticed the large shed at the bottom of the garden, with a light on behind the frosted windows, but figured there would be time to find if there was anyone there once I had taken care of whoever may be in the house. So I made my way in – the back door was unlocked, which just meant I knew someone was down there – and stopped to listen for any sounds.

I could hear the television was on, so I made my way down the hallway and looked in the front room. The woman of the house was sitting, watching the television but glancing every so often at a laptop which was set up on a coffee table in front of her. She was wearing a brown jumper, blue jeans and black knee length boots, and laughed to herself from time to time as she sat there.

Well, I couldn’t hear any other sounds, so I went in, closing the door behind me as I said “Good evening Elaine.”

She suddenly turned and looked at me, in my black clothing and stocking mask, before she said “Oh... My... God! Are you... Are you the Games Player?”

“That would be me,” I said quietly, “so I hope you understand that I am going to make sure you and your daughters are comfortable, but unable to stop me robbing you. Your role will be to help them believe this is a game.”

“Oh, I don’t think there will be any problem with that,” Elaine said as she looked at me. “Trust me.”

“You have me at a slight disadvantage,” I said, confused by the smile on her face.

“Have a look.” She turned the laptop so I could see the live stream on it. It showed her daughters – eleven year old Abigail and Toni – sitting on two chairs in what looked like a low sunk paddling pool. The two girls were wearing striped t-shirts and blue shorts, their brown hair pulled back in ponytails, but that wasn’t the interesting thing.

Neither was the fact they were facing each other, their arms tied behind their backs in a box formation and their front legs tied to the front legs of the chair, or the fact they each had a knotted scarf used as a cleave gag on them. It was the large clear tank suspended above them, in which I could see a sizable amount of water – and the clock counting down on the screen.

As they struggled, Elaine said “they’re big fans of that chat room of your – players, shall we say? So this is their damsel in distress game. If they can’t get free in time, then they are going to get very, very wet.”

“Well now,” I said as I saw the clock only had two minutes left, “perhaps we should rescue them.”

“Oh no – I did that once,” Elaine said, “and they complained that they didn’t feel as if they were really in distress. Four times out of five they manage to get free before the timer runs out. But I have a feeling, for whatever reason, this is going to be one of the times they fail.”

I watched the stream, transfixed as the two girls struggled and encouraged each other.

“Do they know how long they have?”

Elaine merely shook her head as the counter reached zero – and the bottom of the tank opened, the cold water hitting both of them as they screamed.

“Well,” Elaine said as she looked at me, “if you will allow me to free them, you can get to work after they have dried off and changed.”

“All right then,” I said as I took her arm, “shall we?”

As the door to the shed opened, one of the girls turned and looked at Elaine. “Wfflddthstmmm – hmggdddd!”

“Abby,” Elaine said as she looked at the first girl, and then the other one, who was staring at me, “Toni – this is the Games player, and he has decided he is going to rob us. You need to do what he says, and we’ll all play the game together – but first, you dry off and get changed, all right?”

The two girls nodded as she walked into the paddling pool, which had almost drained, and closed the doors of the tank before she untied one of the girls, and I untied the other. Once they were free, they removed their gags as Elaine handed them towels, Abby saying “Wow – it really is you isn’t it?”

“Yes it is – so all three of you are going to have to stay together while I look round your house, and then I’ll make sure you’re all in the same place, left so you can’t raise the alarm.”

The girls looked at each other, and then at their mum before she said “we’re going to go back to the house now, and you get dried off and changed. Understood?”

The two girls nodded as we went back to the house, and they went into their rooms, while I took Elaine’s arms behind her back and tied her wrists to her elbows, before wrapping rope around her upper arms and chest.

“I wondered if you would take care of me first,” she said as I tied the ropes off.

“Well, when the girls come out, I’ll do the same to them,” I said quietly, “and then we’ll go round and you can show me where things are.”

“I’m ready,” Abby said as she came out, Toni following her. The girls had changed into sweatshirts and jeans, with both of them tucking their legs into short black boots, meaning they looked a lot like their mother.

“Are you going to tie our arms again like that,” Toni said, and then smiled as I started with her, followed by her twin sister. Tying their arms to their sides like their mother, I then led the three of them into the master bedroom, all three sitting on the bed as Elaine told me where to look.

I also visited the girls’ room, taking some of their costume jewellery, before we went downstairs and they sat in the front room.

“Mister Games Player?”

“Yes Abigail?”

She smiled as she looked at her mother, and said “why don’t you leave us all as damsels in distress? The pool will have drained and dried out by now, and Mummy can show you how to set it up.”

I looked at Elaine, who smiled and said “Why not? Then we’ll all be together. Let me show you how to set things up on the laptop, and then we can do down while the tank fills...”

“There – everyone comfy?”

The three captives nodded as I tied the last rope off, securing Elaine’s left knee to Abby’s right one. The three of them were sitting in a circle, their legs in the lotus position and their ankles tied to their legs, while Abby’s left knee was tied to Toni’s right one, and Toni’s left to Elaine’s right.

As they struggled, I heard the water flow stop, and stepped back to look at the full tank.

“Right – I’m going to gag all three of you to keep you quiet, and then I’ll start the countdown on the laptop. I’m not going to tell you how long – so I hope you get free or rescued before the time runs out.”

I then pushed a sponge ball into each of their mouths, before wrapping white medical tape round their heads to keep the stuffing in place. I watched for a moment as they tried to move, and then went to the house, starting the countdown on the laptop before I made my way back to my car.

A half hour later, I gave the police an anonymous tip off, and learned a few minutes later the police rescued them – with two minutes to spare...

********

One of these days, I will understand the allure of cosplay – the idea of dressing up as someone from a cartoon or a film for your own entertainment and the edification of others. Having said which...

Eastwood is one of the so-called commuter towns in the north west of London, and on the high street of Eastwood you will find the premises of Crawford Clothes. The shop is run by a woman called Estelle Crawford, who is her late thirties, divorced with a thirteen year old daughter called Georgina. She has built up a reputation for fine workmanship, both in terms of the designer clothes she sells and makes, and also for the costumes she provides for the local area.

In fact, she has won some awards and accolades – which is how she came to the attention of Steve and me. We talked about possibly visiting them, but as I looked at a picture of Estelle, her light brown hair cut into a bob, and young Georgina with her long black hair, I could not shake the feeling that they reminded me of somebody...

Anyway, they lived in a detached house on the outskirts of the town, with a walled garden on all sides – so me walking up to their front door on this particular morning was not a problem. I was wearing a brown leather bomber jacket, zipped up, brown leggings and over the knee brown boots – but as I stopped outside the door, I put on brown leather gloves, slipped an American Tan stocking down over my head, and let myself in.

The house seemed to be quiet, and as I made my way round I realised neither Estelle or Georgina appeared to be at home. Our plans suggested they would be, so I began to wonder if we had got it wrong – and then I saw the door to the basement was slightly open. Walking over to it, I could hear noises downstairs – so I very quietly made my way down and looked round the corner.

I found Estelle and Georgina – but not in the way I had expected, or even in normal clothes. They were wearing red bodysuits, with a black collar and briefs, a yellow belt, elbow length black gloves and thigh high black boots with heels. More to the point, the bodysuits had a symbol embroidered on the chest – one I recognised from one of my favourite films.

They were sitting facing each other, their legs in the lotus position and their ankles tied to their knees, while they each had their wrists tied together in front of us, and then hoisted above their heads by a second rope, one end cinched between their arms and then pulled over a pulley before it was attached to a winch.

There was a clock on the winch, which I could see was counting down. As it reached forty minutes, the winch started and pulled their wrists up a little, making them rise off the floor before they were lowered down. They didn’t complain about this – they couldn’t. Each of them had a plastic tube on which they were biting down, a rolled cloth running through the middle and tied round their heads.

The final detail was the black eye masks – and I knew that for all intents and purposes, I was looking at Helen and Violet Parr from The Incredibles. I watched as they were winched up again, and then lowered again, before I walked over and said “hello – you must be Helen and Violet.”

Estelle turned her head suddenly and looked at me, before she said “Hmggddd.”

“Hssthsss,” Georgia said as she looked at me, and then at her mother.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” I said as I walked over and switched off the winch. “I am called The Games Player. I was going to ask you both to play a game of hostages, but – well, you seem to have started without me.”

“Hmggddtsrrlleeuu?”

I nodded as Georgia started to giggle, while Estelle looked at me.

“Perhaps,” I said as I removed their gags, “you can forgive me for interrupting your game, and tell me what is going on?”

“Well,” Estelle said as she looked at me and blushed, “let me go first. You see, Georgie here has followed you for some time, and got me into playing some tie=up games with her. Doing that brought back some old memories...”

“Oh,” I said with a smile, “in what way?”

“Well,” Estelle said, “just after Georgie was born, The Incredibles came out, and a lot of my friends commented on how much I looked like Helen Parr. So I created this costume, and went to conventions while wearing it.”

“They’re right,” I said, “and that costume is excellent.”

“Well anyway – at those conventions, there were guys dressed up as villains, and I used to team up with them, allowing them to capture Elastigirl and hold her hostage. More often than not, I ended up bound and gagged – and I’m not ashamed or afraid to admit I found that exciting.

“After a while, I got asked to make costumes for others, and that’s how my business started. Georgie was growing up as well, so I retired the costume and got on with life.”

I looked at Georgina, who was still giggling as she said “it’s true – and then you and the man started to make names for yourselves.”

“Georgie told me of some of your exploits, and it brought back those memories, but I was too shy to hit the convention trail again. I have a regular customer who is an electrical engineer, and used to partner me, so I talked to him, and he fixed up this winch and the timer, as well as installing it. Well, while she was at school one day, I shut the shop up early, came home and put on the costume.

“I then came down here, and tied my ankles together, my legs and my thighs. After that, I used this rather crude gag, and then used a special loop of rope with one end attached to the winch, the timer set, and then looped over the wheel.”

“Rope handcuffs,” I said as I looked at Estelle, “simple to do.”

“Yeah – well, I put my hands through, pulled it tight, pressed the remote control and threw it onto a cushion – and then my arms were lifted up and I stood on tip toe. I was like that for two hours, and it was – amazing. It was like old times – helpless, unable to call for help, hoping Bob would...”

“MUM!”

“Sorry,” Estelle said with a smile. “Anyway, I enjoyed it so much I did it three more time over the next fortnight. The first two, fine... The third – well, there were about forty minutes to go when the door to the basement opened.”

“Let me take it from here,” Georgina said as she twisted round. “There had been a water main burst at school, so we got sent home early. Well, I got home, and called out for Mum, but there was no answer. I looked in all the rooms, and couldn’t find her, so I was beginning to wonder if something had happened to her – she’d hurt herself, or something worse.

“Anyway,” she continued as she reached up and twisted her wrists, “the basement was the last place I checked, and what do I find but my own mother, in this costume, bound and gagged and looking at me with wide open eyes. At first, I thought that someone had broken in and tied mum up, so I said to stay calm while I called the police. At which point she went very red and shook her head, and I realised with complete relief she had done this to herself.

“One minute later, I really laid into her verbally.” Georgian smiled and said “about a year ago, I’d come down here and managed to bind and gag myself so well there was no way I could get out or call for help. Cloth, tape, all saw to the sound, and I had managed somehow to put myself into a hogtie. Well, Mum came back, spent about an hour looking for me, came down here and saw what I had done. She gave me a scolding like she hadn’t done since I was a toddler, talking about safety and warnings, and then said if it happened again, not only would I have to spend a long time like this, she might even have to spank me!”

“Which, as you can imagine, was a real case of hoist on my own petard.” Estelle twisted round as she said “Georgie then said I could not lay down rules for her and then break them myself, and she was right. She also said I needed to be punished as I had threatened to punish her, So, she used the winch to lift me up so that I was standing on tip toe, extended the timer by another hour and...

“Well, I guess you can imagine what she did next.”

Looking at both of them, I had a very clear picture of what did happened next, so I just nodded.

“ANYWAY... When I was finally released, we talked and set up some new rules about how if either of us did this again, we would let the other know and what we were doing. But I noticed something else...”

She looked at Georgina, and said “her hair was short then, but she also looked a lot like Violet Parr, so I made her a costume, found a long wig at first, and a couple of months ago she wore it for the first time. Then about a month ago she suggested we could – well, be captives together. Want to know the really funny thing?”

“Go on,” I said.

“Well, after that first time, she said wouldn’t it be funny if the Games Player turned up while we were both like this?” Looking up at her wrists, she said “Well, here we are, and here you are...”

“Indeed,” I said with a smile. “Well, normally I make sure the family are nice and secured, and then we play the game, but seeing as you are both like this, I guess I get to monologue a bit, about how I already have you defenceless. So getting you to reveal the location of the valuables is going to be so much easier...”

“Do your worst,” Georgina said as she giggled, “My mother will never give away their location.”

“You’ll never get away with this,” Estelle said as she started to play along. “I will resist any torture you can use.”

“Oh – who said I was going to torture you Elastigirl,” I said as I picked up one of the tube gags, “when I already know your weakness?”

“And that is?”

“Why, your beautiful daughter Violet of course. I’m sure you don’t want anything to happen to her, do you...”

“You wouldn’t dare...”

“I would,” I said as I re-gagged Georgina, and started to tickle her ribs and armpits. “NNNDNTTTLLHHTMMMM” she called out as she wriggled round, but I could see in Estelle’s eyes she was only going to let this go on for so long.

“All right, all right, I’ll tell you,” she finally said as I stopped and ungagged her daughter. As she told me where the safe was, and the combination, Georgina said “this is an evil woman mother – we have to hope she doesn’t tie us in a different way and make us really helpless!”

“Violet! Don’t give the bad guy ideas,” Estelle said, but she grinned as she said it, as Georgian told me how to use the winch. I lowered them so that they were sitting on the floor, and then untied her legs, stretching them out before I started to bind her ankles tightly together.

Once I had cinched that band, I tied her legs together below her knees, and then at her thighs, taking the rope between her legs on each pass so that they were tightly secured together. “Maybe the cruel captor will hoist us up by our feet, make sure we really can’t get away...”

“Georgie...”

“We’ll see,” I said as I untied Estelle’s legs, stretched them out and then tied them at her ankles, knees and thighs as well. “You know,” I also said as I tied the mother’s legs, “you two should go to conventions as a pair. You can support each other, and advertise your store at the same time. I mean, these are exquisite outfits.”

“It’s an idea – what do you say Georgie?”

“Won’t we end up captives again?”

“Not like this,” I said as I untied her wrists, and then made her bend her knees while I took her hands under her legs, and tied her wrists together again. Once Estelle had been bound in the same way, I put them both on their backs, and tied the pulley ropes around their ankles.

“Now,” I said as I started the winch, watching as their legs were slowly raised and they were left resting on their shoulders, “you two can hang around here while I find what I came for.”

“You fiend!”

“Ain’t I a stinker,” I said as I pushed a sponge ball into Estelle’s mouth, and then wrapped white micropore tape round her head to keep it in. Georgina got the same treatment, as they watched me set the timer for two hours. I left them hanging there while I searched the house, and then returned.

“I’ll leave you a way out,” I said as I placed a pair of scissors out of reach, “but I don’t think you two will have any difficulty. Good luck.”

“Fnksss,” Georgian said as she twisted round, and I made my exit.

Earlier today, I checked the forum – Georgina was on there, talking about her experiences, and the fact she and her mother had been in London at a convention. They had ended up tied together there as well, but business was booming...

********

I know there have been a few occasions when Janna and I have ended up somehow making the days of the girls we pay a visit to, in one way or another. But this one... This one was just a little different, and for once I knew going in things had to be handled a little differently.

Gerald Walker runs a small jewellery store on the outskirts of Oxford. Nothing fancy, but our researches had shown he made a good enough living off it. Good enough for him to attend dinners with his wife, and social events with Sondra and their daughter Robin.

The thing was, Robin was in a wheelchair – she had lost the use of her legs in a riding accident, and unlike one family I had visited, the loss was permanent. She was a nice looking tweenager – twelve years old, with shoulder length brown hair.

So we agreed I would pay a visit on the Saturday, while Gerald was at work, and see what we could find. We would play the game as normal – even though the daughter was not going to be able to run away.

The thing about Oxford is, it’s one of those places you don’t want to drive into. Fortunately, they lived far enough out I could park in a nearby street, pay the ticket, and then walk with my rucksack on my back towards their detached house. I was wearing a black fleece over my jumper, jeans and trainers, and a pair of black leather gloves on my hands.

I could see the adapted vehicle they used to take Robin out and about parked outside, as I slipped around the side of the house, stopping to pull the stocking down over my head before I looked in the back garden. There seemed to be nobody about, so I tried the back door, and was able to get quietly inside. Closing the door, I could hear the television on in another room, but something told me that finding Sondra first would be the correct way to go.

I slowly made my way upstairs, reaching the top of the stairs as I looked along. The middle door on one side was slightly ajar, and as I approached I could hear someone singing inside the room. So I slowly opened the door and looked in.

Sondra Walker was standing in the room, making the large double bed. Her long blonde hair was falling down the back of her neck. She was wearing a white sleeveless jerkin over a brown sweater, tan coloured jodhpurs and over the knee brown leather boots with a two inch heel.

She was also quite nice looking, but I’m a happily married man. So I walked slowly up behind her, and grabbed her, one arm round her waist as my other gloved hand covered her mouth.

Well, she struggled like crazy, trying to twist out of the way and call for help.

“Calm yourself, Sondra,” I whispered into her ear, “the last thing you want to do is to upset Robin, isn’t it?”

Sondra suddenly stopped, and nodded slowly.

“If I take my hand away, will you scream?”

She shook her head from side to side as I said “good, now just do as I say, and you and Robin get to play a fun game.”

“A... Oh God, you’re one of those Games Players, aren’t you?”

“That’s right – so here’s what’s going to happen. I am going to make sure you and Robin are comfortable, and cannot raise the alarm, while I rob you, and you are going to help by telling Robin this is a game. Understand?”

“All right,” Sondra said, “I’ll do what you say. But you know she is in a wheelchair?”

“I know,” I said quietly, “but I think she will want to play along as well. Now, I want you to put your hands behind your back.”

As Sondra did so, I slipped my rucksack off, and drew a length of cord from the top. Doubling it over, I crossed her wrists and soon had them tightly secured together, the rope going around and between them, the knot out of reach of her fingers.

“Now then,” I said as I turned her round, “we go downstairs, and you tell Robin to play the game with you. Understand?”

She nodded as I picked my bag up, and we walked back down the staircase, Sondra going in front of me. As we entered the front room, I saw the young girl sitting in her wheelchair, watching the television.

“Hey Mum, any chance of a...” As she turned her head and looked at us, her eyes popped open as she whispered “oh my god...” Robin was wearing a blue denim blouse over a black roll necked sweater, jeans and a pair of knee length black leather boots.

“Robin,” Sondra said quietly, “I’ve asked this man to come and play a game of robbers with us while Dad is at work. He’s already started with me, and I want you to play along with me as well, all right?”

“Mum,” Robin said quietly, “he’s the real thing, isn’t he?”

Well, she’d rumbled me, so I said “yes I am Robin – but if you and your mother treat this as a game, then it’s not as scary as you might think. So will you do that for me?”

“Does that mean you’re going to tie me up as well?”

“It does,” I said as I rook my rucksack off. “So your mother is going to sit down, and watch while I make sure you can’t use your arms for a while.”

“I want to be the same as Mum,” Robin said, “if I am going to be tied up, I want to be the same as Mum.”

“Well, it could be uncomfortable in the chair...”

“Please?”

Nodding, I watched as Sondra sat on the couch, and walked behind her daughter. “Lean forward please,” I said, and then I took Robin’s arms behind her back, crossing her wrists and tying them together in the same was as Sondra, making sure it was cinched and the knot out of reach of her fingers.

“Are you going to be all right like that,” her mother said, Robin nodding as I took a longer length of rope, doubled it, and started to bind her arms to the sides of her upper body. As with anyone else, I took the rope around her shoulders and her stomach, the two bands holding her arms firmly in place as I tied the roes off, and then tied her wrists to the band. Finally, I used two short lengths of rope between her arms and body, making sure they stayed in place.

“This is different,” Robin said as I walked over and pulled the curtains across the window, “nice, but different.”

“Well, I need to do the same to your mother now,” I said as I took a second length of rope and wrapped it around Sondra’s body, taking the rope above and below her chest before tying it off. The rope then went under one arm, up and around the back of her neck, and under the other arm, tightening those bands as well.

“Now Robin,” I said quietly, “when I’m finished, I will take your mother’s jewellery, but I will leave yours if...”

“No – you are robbing us, so do the job properly.”

“Robin, please...”

“No Mum – if we’re doing this as a game, we both play. Remember – it’s my legs that don’t work, not my mind.”

I watched Sondra nod as I took some more rope from my bag. “Well then, we need to make sure your legs are secured as well,” I said as I knelt in front of Robin, crossed her ankles, and secured them tightly together, the rope going around and between her legs. She giggled at the sound of the rope rubbing on the soft black leather, before I tied that rope off, and then secured her legs together below her knees in the same way.

“Well, now I really can’t run off,” she said with a smile as I walked over, crossed her mother’s ankles and started to bind them together as well. Her legs were also secured below her knees, Robin laughing at the squeak as she tried to move them apart.

“Welcome to my world mum,” she said as I helped her to lie down on her side, and turned the television on.

“Now then, you said you wanted a drink?”

Robin nodded as I said “if you remain quiet for a few minutes, I’ll get you some water – but then I have to make sure neither of you can raise the alarm.”

“Okay,” Robin said as I turned the sound up, walked to the kitchen, and ran some water into a glass. Putting a straw in, I walked back nit the front room and held it as she took a long drink.

“Thank you,” she said as I put the glass down, “so now you need to keep us quiet?”

“That’s right,” I said as I took two sponge balls from my bag, and squashed them in my hands, “open your mouth please.”

I pushed a sponge into each of their mouths, Robin smiling as I then took a aide roll of micropore tape, tore a length off and pressed it firmly down over her mouth and lips.

“Tssllrhtmmm,” she said as I smoothed the tape over Sondra’s lips, and then made my way back upstairs to get to work.

When I came back down, I checked the ropes, and then smiled as I waved goodbye...

Return to the Relative Peril index

Return to the main index