Mother and
Daughter Moments 37
I do love it
when a whole family get to watch a film together, in silence unless they try to
move – and that all ages in the family get to play along as well. My most recent visit certainly met those
expectations – although the youngest girl was both very young, and very
surprising.
Steve and I had
been planning to visit the Morden family for some time, given their recent win
on a well know charity lottery. Harry
Morden was a long distance lorry driver, which meant he was not home for
periods of time – and also meant I needed to pay a visit early one afternoon,
and make sure the police were alerted in time to ensure they didn’t spend the
whole night securely silenced.
And so it was,
a couple of weeks ago, that I pulled up outside their detached house on a Saturday
lunchtime, and watched as they got out of their SUV. Ellie Morden, the mother, had long blonde
hair, and was wearing a grey cardigan over a black slip dress, white tights,
and long black leather boots. She also
had a woollen shawl wrapped round her neck.
The oldest
daughter, Tanya, was twelve, and like her mother had long blonde hair. She was wearing a yellow dress with white
polka dots, a white cardigan over that and a thin brown belt fastened round her
waist. She also had on long black boots,
the tops of a pair of purple socks visible over them.
Sara was six
years old, with short brown hair, and was wearing a blue dress with white buttons
down the front, and white sleeves from the elbow, tights which were red above
the knee, and red and white checks under, and mid-calf black leather
boots. I watched as they both ran in
from the car, and then as Ellie lifted the youngest daughter out of her car
seat. Robin was three years old, wearing
a purple dress with white sleeves, white tights and purple slippers.
This was my one
regret on this visit – a way would have to be found to keep Robin quiet and
with the others, but I could not secure her in the same way as the others. But I did want to make it a real game for
her, which would need Ellie’s cooperation.
So I checked my
supplies, and then got out of the car, putting the rucksack on my back as I
walked a way down the road. I was
wearing my black leather jacket over a jumper, leggings and over the knee black
felt boots – but as I went round the corner, I slipped my gloves on, and then
before I made my way into the rear garden of the house I slipped the stocking
down over my head.
I managed to
open the gate in the rear wall, and was glad nobody was in the garden as I
slipped in, and made my way around to the rear of the house. Glancing in the window, I could see Ellie
moving round the kitchen, and Robin sitting on a booster seat at the table as
she ate some food.
I calmed
myself, and then opened the door to the kitchen, Ellie looking over as I came
in and pointed a starting pistol at her.
She gasped, and then looked at Robin, as I said “I would not if I was
you, Mrs Morden. Remain calm, do as I
say, and you and your family will have a very special and close time together
this afternoon.”
“Who are you,”
she whispered as she looked at me.
“I’m the person
you booked to play the special game this afternoon, the gamer of robbers,” I
said as I looked into her eyes, hoping she would pick up quickly on my
intentions. Ellie looked at me for a
moment, and then nodded as she said “Oh yeah – I had forgotten that was today,
I thought it was going to be when Geoff was here as well.”
“He is away?”
“Back tomorrow
– but we can proceed. I take it you’re
going to make sure none of us can raise the alarm,” she said quietly, not
trying to show her fear as she looked at Robin.
“I will have
to, yes, but so long as you make it clear to the girls this is a big game, and
I am not going to hurt them, then I think they will enjoy it. Even the little one here.”
Robin looked at
me as she said “mamma, who is the lady?”
“She’s going to
play a very special game with all of us – but it does mean we’re all going to
have to stay in the one room and stay together.”
“So I stay with
you mamma?”
“Yes, you stay
with me,” Ellie said as I nodded, and said “sit down, and tell me where your
other daughters are.” As Ellie sat down,
she said “they’ll be coming in for their lunch soon – so what are you going to
do?”
“Let you
prepare and give them their lunch – once you give me your mobile phone,” I said
with a smile. “I can tell them what’s
going to happen while you eat…”
“So you’re
pretending to be a robber, and you’re going to tie us all up and keep us
quiet,” Sara said as she sipped her drink.
“That’s right –
but look at it this way. You girls get
to pick what you all watch, and you can even try and sing along as well if you
want to.”
“And we’ll all
be tied in the same way,” Tanya said as she looked at her mother.
“You girls will
be – but Robin needs to be with me, so the lady is going to do something a
little different with both of us, but I don’t think any of us…”
“No – me want to
be like you.”
I looked at
Robin, and said “I don’t want to tie your hands behind your back, little one –
that’s not good for you.”
“Okay – but we
all same,” Robin said as she looked at her mother, and Ellie looked at me. I nodded, and said “all right – I can do
something so you are all almost the same, all right?”
Robin nodded as
she sipped the last of the milk form her cup, and then put it down on the
table. “I’m ready,” she said with a
smile as she looked at the others.
“Well, if
anyone needs to go to the toilet, go now,” I said, Tanya and Sara nodding as
they walked to the downstairs toilet. As
they did, I opened my rucksack, and took a length of cord out as I said to
Ellie “we will start with you – put your hands behind your back please.”
“Is this the
game,” Robin asked as she watched me cross her mother’s wrists behind her back,
and then bind them tightly together, taking the rope around them I neat bands
and then between her wrists to tighten the binding.
“It is the game,
Robin,” Ellie said with a smile as I tied the ropes off, “watch what the masked
lady is doing to me.” I then took a
longer length of rope, and tied it round her arms and upper body, forcing them
against her sides as I made bands above and below her chest, then cinched them
with more ropes between her arms and body.
As I tied that
rope off, Sara and Tanya came back in, both of them looking at their mother as
Tanya whispered “and you’re going to do that to us?”
“I am – but sit
down for the moment. Robin, would you
like to see what I did to your mother?”
The youngest
girl nodded as Ellie walked over turned round in front of her daughter, while I
got two more lengths of cord form my bag.
“Now, the only difference between you and your mummy is I am going to
tie your wrists together in front of you, and then the rope around your
arms. Trust me – you will be just as
secure that way.”
“Let the lady
do that to you Robin,” Ellie said, watching as her three year old daughter
crossed her wrists in front of herself, and I tied them securely together. I then let her put her hands down before I
tied her arms to her sides, like her mother with one band around her upper
arms, and one round her arms and stomach.
She smiled as
she wriggled round, Ellie nodding as I then crossed Tanya’s wrists behind her back
and tied them together, then those of Sara, before I secured their upper bodies
in the same way as Robin.
“Now,” I said
as I tied the rope off round Sara, “if I lift you out of your chair, can you
walk with your mummy and sisters into the front room, and we can make sure you
all sit in front of the television?”
Robin nodded as
I lifted her out, and she walked in front of Ellie, wriggling her arms and hands
round as we walked to the front room. I
kept the girls outside while Ellie went in and managed to draw the curtains
over the windows, and then she sat on one end of a two seater couch, watching
as I sat Robin next to her and the other girls sat in a second couch next to
that.
“now, I need to
make sure you don’t all jump off the couch,” I said with a smile as I took more
lengths of cord form the rucksack, and knelt down, crossing Tanya’s ankles and
tying them tightly together, the leather compressing slightly under the rope a is
used it.
“That sounds
funny,” she said as I tied her legs together below her knees, the cinched band
of rope on top of her socks, and she tried to move her legs, making her boots
rub against each other. I then did the
same thing to Sara while she watched, the two girls talking to each other as I
knelt in front of Robin and Ellie.
“Your turn now,
little one, and I’ll do the same to you as I did to your sisters,” I said,
Robin nodding and smiling as I used soft rope to tie her ankles together, and
then her legs below her knees – and then she watched as I did the same to
Ellie, so that all four were secured.
“Now, the bad
robber is going to leave you all for a few minutes, and you can talk about how
you feel playing this game,” I said as I nodded to Ellie, Robin wriggling round
as I left the room.
When I came
back in, Robin looked at me and said “thank you for making this a game we all
played.”
“Yeah – you’re
a nice robber lady,” Sara said as she wriggled and her boots squeaked.
“Well, thank
you, but now it’s time for me to make sure you all stay nice and quiet. Robin – what would you like to watch on the
television?”
“CBEEBIES” she
called out, Ellie nodding as I turned the television on and a new episode of
the Octonauts started. “I’m going to
put some special tape over your mouths,” I said as I took the roll of white
micropore tape out, “it won’t hurt, but it will stop you talking too much, all
right?”
“Do me first,”
Ellie said, the girls watching as I tore a strip from the wide roll and then
pressed it down over her lips. She
looked at the others and said “shssrhthtsfhnn.”
“You sound
funny Mummy,” Robin giggled, and then she watched as I put tape over the mouths
of both her older sisters.
“Are you ready
now, little one,” I said with a smile, Robin nodding as I smoothed the tape
down over her mouth, and she lay with her head on Ellie’s lap, smiling under
the tape as she watched the television.
I left them
there, enjoying their time together while I made my exit – and I did call the
police a couple of hours later to let them know what had happened…
CheekyClaire:
Hello – can I tell my
story here?
ViTheFirst:
Of course you can
Claire – tell us a little about yourself first.
CheekyClaire:
Well, my name is
Claire, I’m eight years old, and I live in the countryside with my
mummies. Our house is by a lake, and I
love living there – it is very quiet, and it really was last week.
ViTheFirst:
Sounds as if you had a
visitor…
CheekyClaire:
Yeah, we did. I’d bene to a friend’s party, so I was
wearing a white party dress with a yellow rose at the waist and a bolero
cardigan, white leggings and baseball boots, and a band in my brown hair.
It was Mummy Jo
who drove me back – she had on a red V-necked top with short sleeves, black
pants and sandals. We talked about
things as we drove back, the sun setting over the lake as we finally got
home. I got out and walked in my, hand
in Mummy Jo’s – and then we both saw Mummy Alice.
ViTheFirst:
Was it the man or the
woman?
CheekyClaire:
The man – he was
dressed in black, and had a nice smile under whatever he had over his
head. Mummy Alice was sitting on a chair
– her hands were behind her back, and she had some sort of tape over her mouth.
Mummy Jo asked
who he was, and that was when he said he was the actor they had booked for the
game. I looked at Mummy Alice, who
nodded and mumbled something, the tape moving over her lips as Mummy Jo looked
at the man. She then nodded, and said she’d
forgotten about that, then looked at me and said we were going to play a game
of robbers.
ViTheFirst:
That’s how it usually
starts – so what did you do?
CheekyClaire:
I looked at my mummies,
and said I would play the game as well, so he told me to come and sit next to
Mummy Alice, and asked Mummy Jo to stand in front of him. As I sat down, I saw Mummy Alice had her
hands tied together at the wrists behind her back, and that the tape over her
mouth was the same colour as her skin.
In fact, it looked as if it was her skin, with the shape of her lips
visible on the tape.
While I was
looking, the masked man tied Mummy Jo’s wrists together behind her back, and
then he used more rope to tie her arms to her sides, two bands, framing her
chest.
ViTheFirst:
Sorry Claire – what was
your other mummy wearing?
CheekyClaire:
Mummy Alice? She had on a blue denim blouse over an orange
top, jeans and hiking boots. Mummy Jo
sat on the other side of me as the masked man used more rope to tie Mummy
Alice’s arms to her side, her blouse opened up as he did so.
He then looked
at me, and said “it’s your turn little one” before he pressed some tape over
Mummy Jo’s mouth. “Stand up, turn round,
and put your hands behind your back.”
ViTheFirst:
How did you feel when
he said that?
CheekyClaire:
A little scared – both my
mummies were looking at me, their eyes wide open and nodding, but it was also
exciting. I wanted to be the same as
them, so when the masked man crossed my wrists and started to tie them together
I said I hoped we could all play the game together.
They seemed to
like that idea – at least, they nodded and tried to say something, but it came
out all funny. While they did this, the
man finished tying my wrists together, and then tied my arms to my sides with
two bands of rope, just like my mummies.
I then sat down
between them again, while he took more of the rope from his bag. I felt it with my fingers – it was soft, but
it was tightly tied, even though it didn’t hurt me. I was glad of that as he tied my ankles together
in the same way as my wrists, and then tied my legs together below my
knees. I felt his fingers tickling the
back of my legs as he did that, and giggled, but he smiled back at me, so I
don’t think he was upset.
ViTheFirst:
Yeah, that does feel a
bit funny, even when you have leggings on.
So what did he do next?
CheekyClaire:
He tied rope round
Mummy Jo’s ankles and legs, then around Mummy Alice’s. We all wriggled round after he had done that,
trying to see if we could get our legs apart, but he had done it too tightly –
and then I saw he had a strip of tape in his gloved hands.
ViTheFirst:
Which he pressed over
your mouth?
CheekyClaire:
Which he pressed over
my mouth. It felt really funny, and it
tugged a little on my face, but it wasn’t too bad. I watched the man as he collected his
rucksack, and then he turned the television on so that we could watch
something, telling us he was going to pretend to leave, and when the program
finished, we could try and get free.
Well, I was sat
between my mummies, but a little while after he left they were really
struggling to get free. Mummy Jo then
tried to say something to me, and I really could not understand what it is, so
she looked at Mummy Alice – and then they both pushed themselves forward and
sat on the floor.
They did this
so quickly, I slipped onto my side and lay there, watching as they managed to
get back to back and started to try and untie each other. It was funny to watch them, the ropes keeping
their legs and arms in place, as they tried to use their fingers on each other.
ViTheFirst:
So did they get free in
the end?
CheekyClaire:
Yeah, but I don’t know
when – I fell asleep, and I was woken up by Mum Alice untying me, and Mummy Jo
kissing and hugging me, and telling me I was an incredibly brave girl. Mummy Alice then told me the man was a real
robber, who had surprised her, and made her pretend it was a game.
That was a surprise,
but I really was not scared then – it was a really exciting thing to do, and I
have to say, I’d do it again…
******
The more I
visit families, and the more I play the games, I have to say the thrill never
goes away, but the surprises do keep coming, and I love the way the children
adapt to what is happening.
It was about
half four on a Friday afternoon, in a house on the outskirts of Nottingham, a
place called West Bridgford – a nice tree lined narrow street, but in the front
room of this house, Aileen Colgan looked at her twins and said “are you
enjoying this game?”
She was
standing in the main room, the curtains drawn, and was wearing a brown dress
with little white polka dots over a white sweater. The dress had a lace top and cap sleeves, and
was buttoned down the front with a thin black leather belt round her
waist. The tiered skirt came to just
above her knees, and she was wearing very dark brown tights, long over the knee
white socks, and shiny black riding boots.
Her arms were behind her back, her wrists held tightly together with
rope, and there was rope around her upper arms and body as well.
“Yeah,” her
five year old son Steve said as he wriggled round, “it’s fun mummy.” He was wearing a red zipped top over a black
short, grey pants and socks, but his hands were also tied behind his back, and
he had rope around his arms and stomach, as well as his waist.
“You’re very
good to play this with us,” his twin sister Karen said as she looked at me,
while I finished tying the rope around her arms and stomachs. She had on a long white cardigan over a red
jumper and grey jeans, and light blue socks.
Both of the children had short brown hair, their mother’s long hair
falling over her shoulders
I had surprised
them when they came back from school, and told them I had been hired to play a
game of robbers with them. Today, I was
smartly dressed, in a black blazer and skirt, a white blouse, and dark glasses
as well as gloves, with knee length black leather boots. Because this was a residential area, it made
sense rather than the stocking mask.
Anyway, I had
secured their mother and let her explain the situation, and now the children had
their arms tied they all sat on a long couch, Aileen talking to Karen while I
knelt down and tied Steve’s ankles together.
I had told them they would stay here and watch television for a while,
and when their mother came back into the room they’d all be able to have some
fun, and then try to escape together.
After I had
made my escape, of course. Anyway, I
secured Steve’s ankles and legs below his knees, and then did the same to Karen
as Aileen told them they were playing the game wonderfully. When I was done, I stood up and said they
were both wonderful hostages – and asked if they promised to be quiet until
their mother came back. They both nodded
as Aileen smiled – and then looked behind me as her face went pale.
I turned round
to see an older woman standing there, wearing a grey cardigan over a roll neck
white sweater, and blue jeans with the legs tucked into knee length black
leather boots. With her was a ten year
old boy, wearing a grey and blue baseball jacket with a grey hat, orange pants
and sneakers. He was looking at the twins,
and then said “cool – why are you guys tied up like that? Are you playing a game, Aunt Aileen?”
I looked at her
- she knew what she needed to do, and I relaxed as she nodded and said “that’s
right Robert – why are you here with Grandma?”
“Alex has to
work late – we just dropped in,” the older woman said as she looked at me, “and
you are?”
“An actress,
hired to play a robber – Aileen did this as a surprise for the kids, but I
guess you need to join in the game now as well.
I was about to leave the kids to watch television – so perhaps Grandma
should stay here with Robert as well.”
The older woman
slowly nodded as Robert removed his hat and Aleen stood up, saying “You can sit
with George and Karen, but the lady is going to have to tie your arms just like
them, and you have to promise to sit quietly.”
“Why?”
“Because,” I
said as I looked at the young man, “if you don’t I need to make sure you cannot
call out, and both George and Karen have promised not to. Now, put your hands behind your back.”
“Aileen is this
really a game,” her mother said as I tied Robert’s wrists together, watching
her nod as I then then tied the rope round his waist to keep his wrists against
her back, before tying rope round his arms and stomach to lock them in
place. He then sat between the twins as
I took his grandmother’s hands behind her back, and tied her wrists together.
“This isn’t a
game,” she whispered as I secured her wrists, and then tied rope in the same
way as with Aileen round her arms and chest.
“No,” I
whispered, “but you need to play along, to keep the children from been
afraid.” She nodded as I pulled the rope
tighter and tied it off, and then she said “well, miss Robber, I will call for
help if you leave me able to.”
“I need to keep
you quiet then – kids, when we come back, all of you are going to be like your
grandmother, so watch carefully, all right?”
All three nodded as she sat down, and I secured her ankles and legs
together, before I took from my bag a black scarf, rolled it into a band and
tied a knot in the middle, and then eased the knot into her mouth before I tied
the scarf round her head.
“Htssnhtshhbhd”
she mumbled as I secured Robert’s ankles and legs then turned the television on
as they wriggled about, while I took Aileen for a walk round the house…
When we came
back, her mother’s cardigan had opened up a little, but more to the point Karen
had somehow jumped onto her lap, lying with her head against her grandmother’s
chest as she looked at me. I smiled as
Aileen sat between the two boys, watching as I tied her ankles and legs
together.
“Your legs
sound funny,” George giggled, Karen nodding as she moved her bound legs and her
boots squeaked. Her grandmother nodded
and then moved her own legs, making her own legs squeak as well.
“Right, time
for you all to be quiet,” I said with a smile as I took a second black scarf
from my bag, rolled it into a band, tied a knot and then cleave gagged Aileen
as she looked at the boys.
“Hubhfrhdeee,”
she said, Robert and George nodding as I gagged them in the same way, and then
finally gagged Karen, her lips closing over the black silk knot before she
rested her head against her grandmother.
And so I felt
them to have a fun time escaping – eventually…
********
It was a bright
July evening as I pulled up outside the home of Giles Hope, a well known
television journalist and author, and recent award winner, so the papers had
profiled him and his family. I had done
the research with Janna, and now, it was time for a visit.
Giles lived in
the mansion with his wife Elaine and their three children – eleven year old
twins Steve and Flora, and a four year old daughter Flower. All three children had their mother’s blonde
hair – and I suspected that I could use the natural rivalry twin brothers and
sisters have to my advantage.
Anyway – I made
my way from the car to the rear of the house, dressed in black, and walked to
the rear of the house before I pulled the stocking down over my head, and let
myself into the kitchen. I could hear
laughter from another room, and closed the door quietly behind myself, then
walked over and stood behind a doorway as I heard footsteps. The room was in darkness, but as the door
opened the light went on, and Elaine Hope came in. She was wearing a dark brown cowl necked
sweater, and crimson jeans, the legs tucked into a pair of short black leather
boots.
She walked over
to the dishwasher and put some dirty plates in – and then turned, staring at me
as she said “oh my god…”
“Please, don’t
scream,” I said as I walked forward, “I promise you, if you do as I say, then
you won’t be harmed. But I need you to
listen to me, and then I need you to do what I say, understand?”
“Who are you…”
“I believe the
papers refer to me as the Games Player,” I said with a smile, “which means that
I am here to rob you, but if you follow my lead, you and your children will
have an adventure rather than being scared.”
She slowly
nodded as she said “I… I’ve heard of
you. You tie up families, and make a
game of it?”
“Essentially,
yes – if the children believe it is a game, they are less scared, and things go
so much more easily, Elaine. I see
you’re having your evening meal – have they had dessert yet?”
Elaine shook
her head, as I said “well, let’s not keep them waiting – and when we go in,
this is what I want you to say…”
“Mummy – who is
the masked man?”
“He’s a special
actor your Dad and I have invited to come and pay a game with us,” Elaine said
as she put a bowl of jelly in front of Steve and Flora, sitting down as I put a
bowl in front of Flower and then gave the last one to her. Flora was wearing a long white cardigan,
fastened with three rows of toggles in front, black leggings and burgundy
leather boots, while Steve had a burgundy red fleece over a checked shirt,
jeans and trainers.
Flower had on a
burgundy blouse and leggings, with a matching fleece gilet, and short black
boots. “He looks funny Mummy,” she said
as she put her spoon in a bowl, “like a robber.”
“Well, that’s
what I’m pretending to be,” I said with a smile, “and that means that after
dinner, you go to the toilets, and then I’m going to make sure you all stay in
a room, and that you can’t talk to each other, as if I was a real robber. Then you can try to escape, and see who will
be first.”
The children
looked at each other, before Flora stuck her tongue out at her brother, and
said “I bet I get free first.”
“no you won’t,
I’ll get free first,” Steve said as Elaine shook her head and looked at me.
“Well, we’ll
see – eat up your pudding now…”
When they had
finished, I said “now, the first thing I have to do is tie your wrists together
behind your back, so all of you, sit nice and still, and when I come to you do as
I say.”
“Does it hurt,”
Flower said as she looked at me.
“No, it won’t
hurt – let me show you on your mummy,” I said as I walked behind Elaine, and
guided her arms behind her back, crossing her wrists as she leaned forward and
then tightly securing them together with a length of rope taking it around and
between her wrists as well. The children
watched and nodded as I went round and made sure their wrists were tied
together behind their backs as well, before I said “thank you – now, I’ll pull
your chairs back and help you all to stand up, and the next thing the bad
robber has to do is make sure your arms are tied to your bodies, so that you
cannot move your wrists and try to get them free.”
“I suppose a
real robber would do that,” Steve said quietly as I helped Elaine to stand, and
then pulled the chairs for the children back, watching Steve and Flora as they
slipped off the seats and then lifting Flower up to stand with them.
I started with
her, wrapping some rope round her stomach and arms to lock them into place, and
then tying another band of rope around her upper arms. She wriggled round as I took care of her big
brother and sister in the same way, and then tied a longer length of rope round
Elaine’s arms and body, framing her chest as I did so.
She looked at
the three children as she wriggled round, and asked if they were excited,
smiling as all three of them nodded while I picked up my rucksack. I then said we should go and have a look for
nice things I can take, before I made them ready for the escape challenge.
So we walked
out of the front room, and up the stairs, the children all sitting on the beds
in the rooms as Elaine told me where to look.
As I did so, however, I could hear Steve and Flora goading each other,
claiming they would get free first, and Elaine telling them to calm down and
keep quiet.
So I looked at
them, and said if they could not be quiet,
I knew how to keep them quiet.
Flora looked at me and said how – famous last words, as I took two small
sponge balls from my bag, compressed them in my gloved hands, and told them
both to open their mouths.
Flower giggled
as she said “try talking now” as they closed their mouths, Steve and Flora
looking at each other as the sponge expanded in their mouths, and then I
pressed a long, wide strip of white tape over their mouths as Elaine
watched. “don’t worry – your mother and
sister will be the same” I said as we kept looking. I then led the family into a guest bedroom,
and said “I think we will have the twins in here. Both of you, lie down on the bed.”
Elaine and
Flower watched as they did that and I took more ropes out. Starting with Steve, I tied his ankles
tightly together, taking the rope around and between his legs, and then secured
his legs below the knees. I did the same
to his sister, and then ran some ropes from their ankles to the bottom of the
bed.
“Now, I’ll come
in and tell you when it is time to try to escape,” I said as I looked at them,
the twins nodding as Elaine walked over and gently kissed them both on the
head.
“We’ll see who
wins later,” she said as I walked her and Flower out, and then into the master
bedroom. As they both sat on the bed, I
tied Flower’s ankles and legs together, Elaine laughing as she twisted her legs
round and her boots rubbed together.
As I tied her mother’s ankles and
legs, she rubbed her legs together as well, both of them laughing as I looked
at them.
“A sponge is
too big for your mouth,” I said as I looked at Flower, a folded cloth in my
hand, “so I’m going to use this for you, and a sponge for your mother, and then
put some tape over your lips. All
right.”
Flower nodded
as she opened her mouth, and I eased the cloth in, watching as she closed her
lips and smiled before I pushed the compressed sponge into Elaine’s mouth. The tape was then firmly pressed over their
mouths, Flower wriggling round and then resting her head on Elaine’s chest as
her mother nodded at me.
I went and
searched the rest of the house, and then walked back up, smiling as I saw
Flower’s chest rise and fall, her eyes closed as Elaine muzzled against her
head with her cheek.
I then went to
the other room, looking at Steve and Flora as they wriggled round on the
bed. “Go on, start trying to get free,”
I said with a smile under the stocking mask, the twins nodding as they started
to struggle, and I left the house…
********
There have been
occasions when the mother and daughter – or daughters – have worn matching
clothing. There have even been occasions
when the younger generation have worn matching clothing. But – well, this was a first. And, given the circumstances, it could have
been even stranger…
Moira Dundas is
a wealthy business owner, and she lives on the outskirts of Sheffield with her
husband and their two children, ten year old Colin and twelve year old
Annette. The day I had chosen to visit –
after planning it out with Steve, of course – I knew her husband was away on
business – the question was, would she be at home as well?
As I walked up
the back garden, wearing my black leather jacket, jumper, leggings and over the
knee boots, that was still the question I needed to have the answer to. Pausing only to pull the stocking down over my
head, I tried the back door, and was relieved to find it unlocked so that I
could slip quietly in.
It was as I was closing the door I heard a voice say
“what the…” and I turned to see a woman in her early twenties, wearing a peach
coloured smock top with tassels on the sides, and faded jeans artistically
ripped at the sides. She had on a pair
of sandals, and a loo on her face I knew too well.
“Not a word,” I
said as I showed her my gun, “who are you?”
“I… I’m Carol, the au pair. Oh god – look, take what you want…”
“I will – who
else is home?”
“Just Colin and
Annette…”
So no
parents. I nodded and said “well, this
is a robbery, but if you want the kids to remain calm, you’re going to tell
them this is a surprise game their parents have organised, and they are to do
what I say, understand?”
As Carol slowly
nodded, I took my rucksack off and opened it, producing a length of white cord
as I said “good – come over here, and stand with your back to me. Once I have your arms secured, we can go and
start the game, all right?”
She nodded as she
walked over, and I quickly secured her wrists together behind her back, before
I wrapped rope around her arms and chest, securing them to her sides as
well. As I tied the ropes off, I said
“where are the children?”
“In… In the front room, but they’re not very
happy.”
“Why not?”
“their mother
picked their clothes for today – you’ll see when you take me to them.”
“Okay then –
remember what I said,” I whispered as I picked up my rucksack, and we walked
into the front room – and then I saw what Carol meant.
They we
resitting watching a film – Colin was wearing a fawn coloured jumper, with a
white snowflake motif and a toggle at the neck, over a checked shirt, light fawn
coloured shorts, red socks and brow shoes, and he stared at me as we walked in.
My sympathies,
however, were more with his sister Annette.
She was wearing a jersey dress of the same colour and design as her brother’s
jumper, but with a button rather than a toggle at her neck, and a faux belt
round her waist. She also had red tights
on, and flat brown slippers, with a pink scarf round her neck.
“Kids,” Carol
started to say, “this lady is…”
“I’m the Games
Player,” I said as Carol looked ta me, “and I’m robbing your parents. The mother who made you dress like this. I’m going to tie both of you up, as well as
Carol here, gag you and leave you to watch television while I steal your parent’s
valuables.”
“Why are you telling
them that,” Carol said as she looked at me.
“Because
they’re fed up, and I think they want to teach their parents a lesson, right?”
“Oh yes,”
Annette said with a smile, “sorry Carol.”
“You won’t hurt
us,” Colin asked.
“Not at all –
but you will not be able to move or speak.
So, let Carol lie face down on the couch you are sitting on, and then
come over here and put your hands behind your back.”
They both stood
up and walked over as Carol lay down, and as I guided Colin’s hands behind his
back he said “neither of us wanted to wear this, but Mum insisted.”
“Well, you’ll
be tied the same way as well,” I said as I tied his wrists together, and then
his arms to his sides, before I did the same thing to Annette, the two of them
talking while I did so.
“There – now,
sit on the floor while I tie your legs,” I said quietly, both of them sitting
in front of the couch and watching as I secured their ankles tightly together,
and then their legs below their knees. I
then secured Carol’s ankles and legs in the same way, before I pulled her legs
back and tied her ankles to her chest ropes.
“Are you going
to do that t us,” Colin said as he looked at the au pair.
“I am,” I said
as I put two large cushions on the floor, “but first I need to keep you two
quiet. Annette – do you like that
scarf?”
“I hate it –
why?” She watched as I untied, removed
the scarf, and folded it, and then said “open wide.”
“Talk to you
later bro” she said with a wink as I stuffed the scarf into her mouth, and then
covered her lips with white tape. For
Colin, I used a white scarf from my bag, and then the tape, before I helped
them both to lie on their stomachs and hogtied them.
I then pushed a
sponge ball into Carol’s mouth and taped her lips over, before leaving them to
watch television as I went about my business…
******
My weekend report, by Bobby Holmes,
Class 4E
When I left
school on Friday, I thought this was going to be about what my Mum and I got up
to in our home while Dad was away on business for the weekend – but instead, it
was a much more exciting time.
After breakfast
on the Saturday morning, Mum suggested that we go for a walk in the woods
behind our house, and look for some wild animals. I love doing that sort of thing, so I went
and brushed my teeth. I already had on a
blue striped rugby shirt and jeans, so I only need to pull my blue padded
jerkin over my shirt, put on a pair of black wellies, and then put a hat on my
head to cover my hair and ears.
When I came
back into the kitchen, Mum was pulling on her old jacket. She was wearing a pink roll neck jumper over
a white top and jeans, but now she had put on her long walking boots, which
covered her legs to her knees, as well as leather gloves and a tartan cap. She smiled at me, and then we went out of the
house, Mum locking the door behind her as we went into the woods.
We did see a
lot of squirrels, rabbits and birds, and that was exciting enough, but the
really exciting thing started to happen when we got home. Mum opened the back door and we walked into
the kitchen, stomping our feet to get rid of some damp leaves – and when I
looked up, there was a man sitting there at our table, smiling under some sort
of mask as he looked at us.
He didn’t look
much older than Mum or Dad, and he was wearing a black leather jacket, jumper
and jeans – and he had a rucksack on the table.
Mum looked at him, and asked who he was, and then he stood up, walked
over, and said he was the actor that she and my Dad had hired to play a special
game with me and her.
I looked at
Mum, as the man put his hand in his jacket pocket and lifted something out –
just a little bit, but Mum nodded as she said she had forgotten – and he should
tell me what the special game was.
Smiling, he
looked at me and said he was playing the part of a robber, and he was going to
pretend to rob the house. But in order
to do that, he had to make sure that Mum and me could not raise the alarm, so
he said he was going to use some rope to tie us up!
Now, I was a
little scared at the idea of that, but Mum said he would do things to her
first, then to me, as she took her cap and jacket off, and put them on a
chair. As she did this, the man in the
mask opened his rucksack up, and took out a length of white rope which he held
in his hands. Mum told me to watch
carefully as she turned with her back to me, and he started to tie her wrists
together.
He wound it
round and between her wrists, her palms together, and then tied the ends off
out of reach of her fingers, before he told me to have a look. I saw it was tight, but Mum said it didn’t
hurt, and he was going to do the same to me now. So I put my hands behind my back, as I
watched her gloved fingers wriggle round.
Mum was right –
it didn’t hurt as he tied my wrists together behind my back, it felt strange –
when he had finished, I tried to move them apart, but I wasn’t able to. He then took a much longer length of rope
out, and started to wrap it round Mum’s arms and body, making a band around her
stomach and one round her upper arms as he did so.
When he had
finished, he took a second long length out, Mum turning round and smiling at me
as he tied the same sort of ropes on me, forcing my arms against my sides as I
stood there. He was a very good actor –
as if he did this a lot – but he certainly knew what he was doing.
When he tied
the ropes off, he told us both to walk into the front room, and when we went in
I saw the curtains had been pulled across the windows. Mum sat down on a couch, and he told me to
sit down in an armchair next to her. I
pushed myself onto it and got comfy, as he took more ropes out of his bag, and
knelt down to tie Mum’s ankles together.
I watched as
the rope made her rub her legs, making a funny sound as her boots rubbed
against each other, while he took some more rope and tied her legs together
below her knees.
When he stood
up, Mum smiled and wriggled round, before he walked over, took some more ropes
from his rucksack, and then knelt in front of me. My feet were hanging off the edge of the
seat, but he smiled at me as he wrapped the rope round my ankles, and pulled
them together, taking the rope around and between my legs so they were snugly
tied.
He then tied my
legs together as well below my knees, as I twisted my ankles round, laughing at
the squeaking sound the wellies made as the rope rubbed on them, and they
rubbed on each other. Mum laughed as
well, as she twisted round while the masked man stood up. He told us to be quiet, as he turned the
television on and left the room, saying he was going to pretend to look round
for things to take.
Mum looked at
me as we both heard him walk up the stairs, twisting round as she asked if I
was enjoying the game. This is gonna
sound strange, but I really was enjoying this game, even though I was sitting
down and could do little more than wriggle round.
A few minutes
later, he came back down, and smiled as he said the bad man now needed to make
sure that me and Mum could not call out for help. Looking in the rucksack, he took out a white
cloth and folded it into a pad, smiling as he told Mum to open her mouth. I watched, my eyes wide open as he put the
cloth into her mouth, and she closed her lips over it, before he tore a strip
of silver tape form a roll and pressed it over her mouth.
I asked if he
was going to do that to me, and he nodded as he folded a second cloth, and told
me to open my mouth. It tasted funny on
my tongue, but it also stopped me talking – as did the silver tape as he
pressed it over my mouth. I thought it
was that stuff you get to fix things with – duct tape – but it felt softer, and
it also kept my lips firmly together.
The man looked
at both of us as he picked up his rucksack, and said he was going to pretend to
leave now, but we should sit for a little while and then try to get free. We both watched him walk out, and then I
looked at Mum as she started to struggle.
After a few minutes,
she looked at me and mumbled something, then nodded to her side. It took me a few minutes to figure out what
she wanted, but then I got it, so I pushed myself forward and managed to stand
on the floor, then jumped over and jumped onto the couch next to Mum, smiling under
the tape as she rubbed her cheek on my head.
We sat together
for a while, looking at each other and trying to talk, until Dad came in and
saw us. He ran over and peeled the tape
away, then took the cloths out of our mouths, and that was when Mum told me it
hadn’t bene a game – the man was a real robber, and he had robbed us!
You can imagine
how I felt then, as Dad untied us and then called the police. We spent the rest of the weekend talking
about what happened, but like I said – it was really exciting!
********
My most recent
visit was one where I had to be very careful, in the way I acted and dressed,
on order to minimise the upset, but also so that I caused as little offence as
possible.
The family in
question were from Senegal, and the father had a prosperous business in their
home town. His wife Diatta did not work,
but kept house for him and their three daughters – fifteen year old Fama, ten
year old Aicha and four year old Mena.
They lived in a detached house on the outskirts of the town – and they
were a devout Muslim family. Steve and I
had spent some time watching them, Diatta and Fama always wearing the
hijab. Aicha, possibly because of her
age, was more adventurous with her clothing, and Mena was a little girl.
Anyway, this
particular Saturday I was parked outside the house, watching as their father
drove off with Diatta in the front passenger seat, and I caught a glimpse of
Mena in the car seat behind her. This
was not unexpected – on Saturdays, this usually happened, and Diatta and Mena
would return an hour later.
Which gave me
time to start the game, as I stepped out of the car and picked up my
rucksack. I was dressed as I usually am,
in brown with my gloves, but this time I did not use the stocking or a
balaclava. Instead, I had a brown scarf
tied over my hair, to cover it, and I wore a pair of large sunglasses as well
to cover my eyes.
Walking up to
the house, I smiled as I tried the front door, and was pleased to find it was
unlocked, slipping inside and closing the door quietly as I listened for any
noise. I could hear music coming from a
room upstairs, so I made my way up, opened the door and looked carefully in.
Aicha was lying
on her bed, reading a book as her radio played.
The young girl was wearing an orange and brown striped t-shirt with a
shiny heart on the front, dark jeans and black cowboy style boots with a brown
top, her hair pulled back in a pigtail, and wearing glasses. She looked up and saw me, her eyes wide as I
put my finger to my lips and closed the door.
“Hello Aicha,”
I said with a smile, “I’ve been hired to play a very special game with you and
your family, and you get to be the first to take part.”
“You have,” she
said quietly, “what’s the game called?”
“Robbers – I’m
a robber, and for the game I have to make sure that you, your sisters and your
mother can’t stop me taking any valuables.
Now, your mum and dad have hired me to do this as a surprise for you
all.”
“You’re
pretending to be a robber? Does that
mean you have to tie us up?”
“It does,” I
said as I saw the excitement in her eyes, “does that scare you?”
“A little, but
I want to play the game. Have you seen my
sister yet?”
“Well, let’s
get you started, and then we can find her, all right,” I said with a smile as I
put my bag down, opened it, and took out a length of white rope. “Now, can you stand in front of me, and put
your hands behind your back?”
“Okay,” she
said as she jumped up and stood in front of me, “what are you going to do?”
“Tie your
wrists together,” I said with a smile as I wrapped the rope around and between
her wrists, making sure they were held comfortable but firmly together before I
tied the ends off. Aicha smiled as she
wriggled her fingers, and said “so what are you going to do next?”
“Let’s make
sure you can’t move your arms,” I said as I took a longer length of rope out,
and wrapped it round Aicha’s body, holding her arms against her sides as I made
two bands around her stomach and her upper arms, then tied two shorter lengths
between her arms and her body to cinch the bands. “There now – does it hurt?”
“No,” she said
as she wriggled round, “it feels like I’m getting a big hug. So do we get Fama to play as well now?”
“We do indeed,”
I said as I picked up my bag, “take me to her room, then you can tell her what
is going on. All right?”
Aicha nodded as
I opened the door to her room, and we walked down a couple of doors, the young
girl waiting as I opened the door before we went in. Fama was working at her desk, the black hijab
covering her head and shoulders. The
scarf lay on top of a pink dress, which came to above her knees. I could see the thin black belt, and the lace
underskirt as she turned round. The
dress itself was over a long sleeved black top, and she was wearing black leggings
with felt ankle boots.
“What is it
Aicha…” she stopped talking as she saw me, and Aicha said “look at me Fama –
Mum and Dad have hired this lady to play a game of robbers with us, and I’m
playing already!”
“That’s right,”
I said as I looked at the teenager, “and it’s your turn to join in now. I’m going to do to you what I did to Aicha,
and then we’ll go down to the main room.
When we’re in there, I’ll finish getting both of you ready, so that
little Mena and your mother can join in when they get back. You are going to play, aren’t you?”
Fama looked at
me, and at Aicha, before she nodded and said “of course I will play. Are you going to tie my wrists and arms like
hers?”
“I am indeed,”
I said as Aicha sat on her sister’s bed, “so please, stand up and come over
here.”
Fifteen minutes
later, I opened the door to the front room and allowed Fama and Aicha to walk
in, both of them twisting round as the ropes held their arms to their sides.
“Now then,” I
said with a smile, “I want you both to sit on the long couch for the moment,
while I make sure your ankles and legs are tied as firmly as your wrists and
arms. Then we need to make sure this is
a surprise for the others.”
The two girls
sat down, Aicha’s legs hanging over the edge of the cushions as I took some
more ropes, and tied their ankles together, the rope going around and between
their legs as I did so. I also tied
their legs together below their knees as Fama said “this is going to be a big
surprise for Mum, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Aicha
giggled, “but she’ll play along as well.
Are you going to do this to Mena as well?”
“I may do
something a little different for her,” I said with a smile as I pulled the rope
between her legs and tied it off, “but now we need to make sure you two stay
quiet.” Going to the bag, I took out a
roll of white tape and tore a strip off, looking at Aicha as I said “put your
lips together for me.” As she did so, I
pressed the tape down firmly over her mouth, as she giggled while I did the
same to her sister.
“Now,” I said
as I heard a car pull up outside, “not a word, all right?”
Both girls nodded
as I stood behind the door to the room, waiting as the front door opened and
closed, and an older voice said “where are you girls?”
Aicha and Fama
looked at each other as the door opened, and Diatta walked in holding Mena’s
hand. The four year old was wearing a
black cardigan over a white dress with a black print on it – the dress had a
puffball skirt that came to her knees – and flat black shoes.
“Mamma,” she
said as she looked at her sisters, “why are they like that?”
“It’s because
they are playing a game your mamma and papa have arranged,” I said as Diatta
turned and looked at me, “and now you’re both going to play as well.” Their mother was wearing a black jumper and a
floor length skirt with grey, black and blue chevrons, a scarf in the same shade
of blue around her head and shoulders.
She had dark grey sandals on her feet, and for a moment she looked
confused as Mena went to look at her sisters – and I let her glimpse my gun.
“This is a game
of robbers,” she said quietly.
“That’s right –
I’m pretending to be a bad robber,” I said as I looked at Mena, “and I’ve
already taken your sisters captive. Now,
it’s time for me to take you and your mamma captive as well.”
“Are you both
all right,” Diatta asked as she looked at her older daughters, both of them
nodding as Mena said “am I going to be like them Mamma?”
“Well, I will
make sure you cannot move easily, but not quite like them,” I said with a smile
as I looked at her. “Would you like to
see how?”
“IT’s all right
Mena, we’ll all be playing,” Diatta said as Mena nodded. I looked at her mother, and said “well then,
I need your mamma to stand next to you, and then I want you to cross your
wrists in front of yourself.”
“Like this,”
Mena said as she stood in front of her mother, and I nodded as I took some rope
from my bag, and tied her wrists tightly together in front of her, and then
took the rope round her waist so that she could not move them away.
“Look at me
Mamma,” she said with a smile, her sisters watching as I then tied more rope
around her arms and stomach in a double figure of eight, so that her arms were
locked against her sides as well. As she
wriggled round, I whispered to Diatta “put your hands behind your back, please
– you are going to be bound the same way as your older daughters.”
“Can I sit with
them Mamma?”
“Of course you
can,” Diatta said as Mena walked over, Aicha and Fama moving to the sides as
she sat between them, then watched as I tied their mother’s wrists together
behind her back, then wound rope around her upper body so that her arms were
secured firmly to her sides. I then
tightened the two bands by taking the rope under one arm, up and around the
back of her neck, and then under the other arm.
“Now, I’m going
to take your mother for a walk round the house,” I said as I looked at the
three girls.
“Can I be like
them,” Mena said with a smile, so I took two ropes and tied her ankles
together, then her legs below her knees, before I tore a strip from the roll of
white tape and pressed it over her mouth.
“When we come
back,” Diatta said, “you may all have a drink before we play the next part of
the game.” All three girls nodded as I
turned the television on, and escorted Diatta from the room.
“I have heard
of you,” she said quietly as we walked up the stairs, “thank you for been so
gentle and understanding with them.”
“So long as you
keep them believing this is a game, they should be fine,” I said with a smile,
“now, tell me where you keep your jewellery and valuables…”
When we came
back, Diatta sat in an armchair while I put a tray with three glasses of water
down, and then peeled the tape from Aicha’s mouth before she took a drink
through a straw.
“Thank you,”
she said as she looked at me, “so what happens next?”
“Well, the bad
robber has to arrange things so that you cannot raise the alarm,” I said with a smile, “but when she is done, you
wait a little while, and then you try and get free.”
“So how does
she do that,” Aicha said as she looked at me.
“I put this in
your mouth,” I said as I held a folded cloth in my mouth, “cover your mouth
again, and then let you lie on the floor while I tie your ankles to your
chest. Your older sister will be with
you, but Mena will lie with your mother, all right?”
“Okay,” the ten
year old said as I put the glass down, put the cloth in her mouth, covered her lips
with a fresh strip of tape, and then helped her to jump to the other side of
the coffee table. I put a cushion down,
helped her to lie on her stomach with her head on the pillow, and then hogtied
her, before I gave Fama a drink.
She soon joined
Aicha on the floor, as I gave Mena a drink.
I didn’t put a cloth in her mouth, but I did put a long strip of tape
over her lips, and lifted her onto an armchair before I said to Diatta “lie on
the couch, with your head on the armrest.”
“Of course,”
she said as she got up and walked over, then lay down as the girls watched me
tie her ankles together – and then secured her legs over her skirt, so that it
was gathered around them above and below her knees. I then put a folded cloth into her mouth, and
covered her lips with the tape, watching as she rolled onto her side while I
lifted Mena up and lay her next to her mother.
Finally, I tied a length of rope form her wrists to her knees, so that
she could not move either.
“Now,” I said
as I looked at them, “wait for fifteen minutes, and then you can start to try
and escape. I’ll be watching.”
I walked out of
the room and watched from the doorway for a few minutes, Diatta kissing Mena’s
forehead with her covered lips as the two older girls wriggled round, and then
I slipped quietly out…
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