Mother and Daughter Moments 4

Now, as time has gone on, I’ve met a fair selection of family groups, as you can imagine, but there has always usually been an older woman and a younger girl, at the very least. Having said which, I do remember one occasion when I found myself having to take part in a game that not only played into my needs, but also allowed a most useful addition to my income.

I’d been planning to visit this particular house for a couple of weeks, if truth be told - I had discovered it was the residence of a woman called Madeline Bowson, who was a well known writer of... Well, if you’ve ever been stuck in an airport lounge and tried to find something to read, chances are you’ve seen one of her books.

She had two daughters - a sixteen year old called Maddie and an eleven year old called Deborah. I was sitting in a cafe, watching them as they talked at a table a little way over from me. Mrs Bowson had on a leather jacket and trousers, with a white blouse underneath, and was holding court with her very bored looking family.

Maddie was wearing a round necked blue and white striped top, with a blue scarf tied round her neck, blue Capri pants and soft flat shoes, while Deborah had on a green and white smock top, grey leggings and brown boots.

“Very well then,” she eventually said as she stood up, “Time to get you both home.” She paid the waitress, and then shooed them both out, Maddie letting out a very clear gasp of exasperation as she did so. I watched them as they went past, and smiled to myself - perhaps they would enjoy what their mother would have happen to her later...

It was an afternoon in early spring, so the sky was darkening as I walked into the driveway that led up to the house they lived in. I could see lights on in the downstairs room, but I wasn’t too worried - once I had Maddie and Deborah were playing, then all would be well. I sneaked round the side of the house, past the curtain covered windows, and found myself at the rear door.

As it was, this meant I missed the car driving away from the front, but I was focused on opening the old wooden door as quietly as I could, letting myself in and closing the door behind me. I could hear laughter coming from another room, so I made sure the stocking mask was in place before I opened the door to the corridor and listened for a while.

I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and Deborah saying “Right, let’s get started,” before a door closed further down. I could see a few more doors along the way, so I started to make my way through them - and hit pay dirt with one as I found their mother’s office, and started to search through the cupboards and filing cabinets.

I was distracted for a little while, so it was only when I heard footsteps going up the stairs that I remembered we had not started to play my game yet. I went out, made my way down to where there was an open door, and slipped in, to find young Deborah was a little indisposed.

She was staring back at me over a folded blue cloth that was tied over her mouth, but that was not the most striking thing about her. Nor were the ropes that held her stomach to the back of a wooden chair, or her ankles together in front of her.

No, it was the clothes she was wearing. She had on a short sleeved blue leotard over a black body stocking, a pair of knee length black leather boots, and a black domino mask over her eyes. Her black hair was falling down her head and her shoulders, and she was gurgling at me, mainly because I had taken her by surprise.

“Well, well,” I said as I closed the door, “It looks as if you started playing without me.” I looked at her, and saw the way her wrists were tied together behind her back. It wasn’t too tight, but it would do as I heard footsteps coming down.

“Not a word,” I said as I stood behind her and placed my gloved hand on Deborah’s mouth, “or it’ll spoil the surprise.” I listened as I heard Maddie say “Now then, Blue Angel, it’s time to find out who y...”

She stood in the doorway, staring at me as I said “Come in, and close the door. Blue Angel is in my grasp now - you may call me the Gamesplayer. Who are you?”

Maddie had her hair pulled back in a pigtail, and was wearing a grey strapless leather dress over a white leotard, white tights and knee length silver boots. She also had a silver eye mask fastened over her eyes, but they were wide open as she saw me standing there.

“Shshssslfrghst,” Deborah mumbled under my hand as she tried to shake it off, but I had too firm a grip over her. Maddie eventually recovered, as she said “They call me the Silver Ghost - what is your intention towards me?”

“Well,” I said with a smile, “I’m going to rob your lair, Silver Ghost - and I think you like this Blue Angel enough that you both want to play along, all right?” I looked at Maddie, who realised what was going on fairly quickly.

“My god,” she finally said, “you have the Daemonite - the one thing that... that...” She fell to her knees, watching Deborah as she said “The Gamesplayer has defeated me, Blue Angel - but I fear he has nefarious plans for both of us.”

“Indeed I do,” I said as I let go of Deborah, walked round and knelt behind Maddie, whispering into her ear “Wise decision” as I slipped off my rucksack. She had a pair of grey satin opera gloves over her arms, and I felt I had to move fast, so I took out a roll of white tape and securely taped her wrist together, then around her waist.

“What... What are you going to do to us,” Maddie whimpered as I taped her arms to her side, and then sat her on the floor so that she could watch her sister. I put her ankles together, and then wrapped the tape tightly round her ankles, her legs and her thighs, the tape on her knees covering the top of her boots as I did so.

“There,” I said as I stood up, “that should hold you while I take care of the Blue Angel.” I walked over to kneel behind Deborah, untying her wrists and then taping them down to the side of the chair back, before taping her upper body to the seat itself.

Walking round, I untied her ankles, and then taped them to the front legs of the chair, before I taped her lap to the seat. Standing up, I untied the scarf that was over her mouth, but as she opened her mouth to say “Thank ummmmm” I pulled the scarf between her lips, keeping it thigh as I tied it under her hair, and then taped over her mouth with several strips of the tape.

“Now then,” I said as I walked over to Maddie, “You’re not going to give me any trouble, are you Silver Ghost.”

“I... I can’t stop you,” she said as she stared at me with her blue eyes through the mask, as I pushed a folded scarf from my bag into her mouth, and then taped over her lips. “Now to search your lair,” I said as I left them to struggle, and raided the house, leaving by the back door.

As I turned into the road, I saw a car coming along the road, and turning I saw it turn into the driveway. I walked a little bit quicker away - I was not in the mood to be caught that night.

Having said which - no, that’s another story...

********

Of course, there are times when, for various reasons, it’s not possible for me to call on homes to play the game when their mother is around - either because of time issues, or some other reason. As I gained in proficiency, however, I realised it was not necessary that there must be a mother and a daughter - an adult looking after a younger girl could be just as much fun. As I’ve mentioned before, there have been aunts and au pairs, housekeepers and nannies - but the ones that can be the most fun are babysitters, because they know they have to look after the kids.

Even when the kids themselves can be little horrors.

A couple of months ago, I was looking through the plans and notes I keep secured away, and I realised there was a family right on my doorstep that I had planned to visit, but never quite got round to. I had seen them around town, driving into the car park at the supermarket, or just in the street. The mum and dad must have been in their late forties, and were always smartly dressed, while the two daughters were - well, two typical girls. The oldest looked about fourteen, the younger one eleven, and they both had long brown hair - the older one had a slight ginger tinge, which she got from her father.

Anyway, I realised that I had a spare evening, and there was nothing on the television - and I was bored, so it seemed as good a time as any to see how willing they would be to play. So I packed my bag with my supplies, and - well, it was close enough that I could walk the distance to the house. As I turned into the street, however, I saw the mum and dad driving down the road, and for a moment I thought I would have to try again another time.

When I passed the house, however, the lights were on, so I knew the kids at least were home. I turned into the driveway, past the windows with the curtains drawn, and tried the front door. To my surprise, it opened, so I slipped inside and closed it, then pulled the usual stocking over my head.

I could hear voices, and in particular the younger girl saying “We got her! We got her!”

“That’s right,” I then heard the older girl say, “so you stand guard over our prisoner, while I go and prepare the ransom note.” As I watched from behind a fully loaded coat rack, I saw the older girl walk out of the front room and up the stairs. She was wearing grey top and black jeans, the sleeves of her top coming to her elbows and the legs of her jeans tucked into grey fur boots with buckles on the side.

Once she had got to the top of the stairs, I walked down the corridor and peeked into the front room. The younger girl was indeed there, sitting on a seat, kicking her legs up and down as she smiled. She was wearing a blue pinafore dress over a white short sleeved polo shirt, and vivid pink sneakers.

As for the object of her attention - she was sitting in a chair with her back to me, and I could see her wrists were crossed and tied tightly together with rope, and then tied down with a length of rope that ran under the chair to - something. There was also a band of rope around her waist, and another that held her arms to the back of the chair, and was wrapped around her upper body.

At least, I presumed it was an older girl - the person had long dark hair that was falling down the back of the chair, but these days who can tell? All I could see clearly were the grey sleeves of the top they were wearing, pushed up over their elbows.

The little girl got up from the chair while I was watching, and skipped over, standing beside her captive as she started to tickle their ribs at the side. I could hear muffled laughter, so I decided that was the moment to announce my presence, as I sneaked in and grabbed the girl, hand gagging her as I lifted her back to the chair.

Now that I could see properly, I realised it was a young woman sitting there, tied very tightly to the chair back. Her top had a round collar, and she was also wearing a knee length blue denim skirt. Her knees were bent on the edge of the seat, and as I looked down I could see she was wearing a pair of red leather boots with three inch stacked cork heels. Her ankles had been crossed and bound under the chair, then pulled back and tied to her wrists. Finally, her legs had been tied together below her knees, and several strips of duct tape had been pressed over her mouth.

I was glad of that, as she looked at me and started struggling, screaming “LTHHRRRRGGGG” at me through her obviously stuffed mouth.

“Hgdddeee,” the young girl said under my hand, so I whispered “I see - you like to play tie up games with the babysitter?” She nodded, so I then said “Well, I like to play tie-up games too - want to play one that involves you, her and your sister?”

The babysitter was shaking her head, but my captive nodded enthusiastically as her sister came in, saying “I’ve got the... Who are you?”

“Me? I was asked by your babysitter to come and play a game so that all three of you could take part, isn’t that right?” I said as I looked at her. She looked at me, at the two girls, and then nodded her head.

“Oh,” the older girl said as she looked at me, “Well, that’s different, but you need to know we’re really good at escaping.”

“And I’m really good at playing these games - you’re Emma, and this is Lizzie, right?”

The older girl nodded, then raised her hands and said in a sing song tone “Oh please, mister robber, don’t hurt us - we’ll be good honest.” Her sister giggled as I said “All right, Emma - I want you to go and find me three pairs of socks, then come back here. And no tricks, or your sister will be the one who gets hurt.”

“Yes,” she said quietly as she went back up the stairs, while I said 2If I take my hand away, will you scream and shout?” Lizzie shook her head as I said “Good - go and lie face down on the couch, put your hands on the back of your head, and don’t move.” I let go of her mouth, and watched as she did so, turning her head to look at the babysitter and say “Thanks, Tina - this is a great idea.”

“Yhttss,” Tina said as she looked at me, her head cocked to one side. “You did say you wanted it to be realistic - payback, I think you said,” was my reply to her mute question, as I opened my rucksack, took out some rope and began to tie Lizzie’s ankles tightly together, side by side. I knew we had plenty of time, and Lizzie and her sister had indicated their skills already.

Once I had cinched the rope between her legs, and tied her legs together in the same way below her knees, Emma returned with three pairs of long socks. “Very good,” I said to her as she smiled at me, “now - give one pair to Lizzie when she is sitting up, to put over her hands, and then I want you to tie her wrists together when she crosses them behind her back.

“What makes you think I can do that?”

I looked at Tina and said “because you did such a fine job on your babysitter. Isn’t that right?” She blushed and nodded as Emma said “Thanks - put these on squirt, it’s your turn now.”

“You really know what to do,” Lizzie said as she rolled over and sat on the couch, pulling the socks up her arms and then turning with her wrists crossed behind her back. I stood back and watched as her older sister tied her arms together, and it was obvious she knew what she was doing, as she tied the rope around and between Lizzie’s arms.

“Very good,” I said when she had finished, “now, have a look at how your sister’s legs are tied. Can you tie your legs together the same way?”

“Why don’t you?”

“Because,” I said with a smile, “If I did, your sister might try to hope away, and I don’t want that to happen. Now, can you do it?”

“Yeah,” Emma said with a smile, “but can I take these boots off first?” I nodded as she pulled her grey boots off, to reveal the socks her trousers were tucked into, before she bound her ankles together, and her legs below her knees, then looked at me before saying “I guess I have to put a pair of socks on as well - but what are the third pair for?”

“Guess,” I said as I watched Emma pull the socks up her arms, and then I tied her crossed wrists tightly together behind her back. I also tied them to her back with rope around her waist, making sure I cinched it between her arms and back, and did the same to Lizzie. She was deep in thought, and then shouted “I know! You’re going to gag us with them!”

“Gdddee,” Tina mumbled as she looked at them. “What did you use on Tina,” I asked Emma as I tied her arms to her stomach with my double figure of eight tie.

“the scarf that was around her neck,” Emma said happily, “You like to have it in your mouth, don’t you Tina?”

“eccncp, bttppsks,” Tina said as she watched me do the same to Lizzie as I had done to her sister, and then I said “A real robber would have to make sure all three of you could really not move or talk. I’m going to gag the two of you, and then I want you both to lie on the floor, facing in different directions, all right?”

“Gotcha,” Emma said as I balled the two socks up, and pushed them into the sister’s mouths. I had two small silk squares in my bag, and two bandanas, which I had intended to use as the gags, but I had a better idea. Rolling the silk squares into this band, I tied them between the lips of the two girls, and then folded the bandanas into triangles and tied them over their heads, covering their hair as much as possible.

The roll of duct tape they had used on Tina was on the floor, and she actually laughed as I wrapped it round their heads, covering the gag and the bandana as I made sure they really could not talk. I then tossed a couple of cushions on the floor, and helped them to lie down with Emma’s head at Lizzie’s feet, and visa versa. It was then a simple matter to pull Emma’s ankles back and secure them to Lizzie’s chest rope, and Lizzie’s to Emma.

“There now,” I said as I stood up, and checked the knots on Tina’s ropes, tightening them a little. “The robber had got his three captives well secured - now he puts the television on while he goes to see what he can find.”

Which is what I did - I put the television on, raided the upstairs rooms, and left them watching a film as I made my getaway.

Now, they may have liked to play tie-up games, but they were nice normal kids. Some of the others I have met were a little stranger - and one of them was a birthday party like I had never seen before...

********

Now, this was after I had played a few games with home visits, but I was still relatively inexperienced and not as thorough as I have become. I used to work at weekends when I was a student for a catering business, and I would help with setting things up and serving if needed be. This particular time, they had agreed to cater for the twelfth birthday party of the daughter of a very well known businessman - one of the wealthiest men in the area, as could be seen by the size of the house when I arrived with the crew.

As we were setting up the food and the birthday cake, her friends started to arrive with their mothers, all dressed up in their finest outfits. I realised fairly quickly that the party did have a theme - the mothers and daughters were all wearing their best party outfits, and they matched each other.

Take the birthday girl for example - Yvonne Blaine. She was dressed in a fifties style short sleeved dress, in a light blue and light check, and a thin red belt with red trim on the sleeves and collar, short white gloves and black heels. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a pony tail at the back of her head, and she had a string of real pearls around her neck.

Her mother was dressed in exactly the same outfit - the only real difference was the bright red lipstick she was wearing, unlike Yvonne. It was amazing what they wore - one girl came in the same black leather skirt and red top her mother was wearing, which was faintly disturbing when I saw it - but not as much as the matching mother and daughter Disney princesses.

Actually, that reminds me of another story I could tell - but that’s for another time.

Anyway, once the party was in full swing I played my part in serving and helping - but, and I’m not that ashamed to admit it, I was wondering if I could use this opportunity to get some gains for myself. I know, I know - it was a dangerous thing to think, but like I said, this was in my early days.

An entertainer had been hired, so as he was plying his trade and keeping the youngsters happy I helped to clear the food away, and then pretended to leave - but as I got to the van, I said “Damn - I forgot something. You go on - I’ll walk and see you guys tomorrow.”

I went back to the house, picked up the phone I had left as I said goodbye to mummy and daddy, and then walked down the gravel drive and out of the gates - only to double back, run to the back of the house and let myself into the kitchen. The party entertainer was still in full swing, as I crept past and up the stairs.

I was wearing a white shirt and black trousers, but I knew I would need to disguise myself somehow. On the first floor was a bathroom, and in there I found a single stocking - so I pulled it over my head and looked at myself in the mirror. “Perfect,” I said as I looked round for other things I could use.

Eventually, I hid at the top of the stairs, watching as young Yvonne gave out party bags to her departing guests, and the mothers talked. Finally, there was one girl and mum left, as Yvonne said “Thank you for coming, Lesley, and you too Aunt Rhona.”

The mother and daughter in question were one I had noticed when serving. Lesley had long blonde hair, and was wearing a dress that had a sleeveless top in black with “I♥U” in pink and orange going round it. The skirt was purple with a black belt, and was drawn upon her thighs so that the hem sat just above her knees. The outfit was completed by sequinned and black ankle boots, while her hair was held back by a white hair band.

As for Aunt Rhona, she was wearing a very similar outfit, save for the top which had different coloured panels and black stripes. As they stood there, I saw Daddy come out with another man.

“I’m sorry, Debs,” she said to Yvonne’s mum, “but Bob and I need to go to the office. We’ll be back in an hour or so.”

“We’ll stay them,” Rhona said as the two men walked out, followed by the entertainer. “You girls go into the front room while Rhona and I have a coffee.”

I waited until the girls were chatting, then crept down and saw them talking next to her presents, before I walked to the kitchen. Debs was sitting next to Rhona, their backs to me - perfect.

I crept in, and hand gagged Rhona, saying to Debs “Please, not a word, not if you want your darling sister here to stay safe.” Debs stared at me, and then said “Wha... What do you want?”

“There’s an extra party game I want to play with both of you and your daughters,” I said quietly as I looked at her, “Cops and robbers. Play along, and we all get along just fine. Do you understand?”

“Plsss,” Rhona mumbled under my latex gloved hand, and Debs slowly nodded her head. “What are you going to do - it’s my daughter’s birthday, and I don’t want to spoil it for her.”

“We won’t - we go in, and you say this is a special surprise game, just for her and for her cousin. I’m going to make sure you can’t move or talk, then pretend to rob you before I tell you to start trying to free each other.”

“And you’re really going to rob us?”

I nodded in agreement with Debs, and said “Yes - but make them believe it’s a game. Your husbands will be home soon, and I’ll be long gone by then. Now, do you have any string or twine?”

Debs stood up, my hand still on Rhona’s mouth, and went to a cupboard, taking out a roll of brown twine. I had other things under my shirt, as I said “Good - now, walk in front of me, hands behind your heads, both of you, and let’s start playing.”

The two girls looked up as their mothers came in, and then saw me behind them. “Surprise,” Debs said as she looked at Yvonne, “I’ve got an extra game for you. This man is pretending to be a robber, and he needs us to keep quiet and in one place for a while. We’ll play it until Daddy gets home, and then we’ll go for your birthday night out, all right?”

Yvonne looked at me, then smiled as she said “What are you going to do, mister robber?”

“I need to tie you up with your mummies and keep you quiet,” I said as Lesley looked at me. “Now, you and your mum come and sit on this couch, and hug each other tightly all right?” I pushed Rhona forward a little, almost making her fall in those ridiculous booties, before she said “Come and give Mummy a hug, darling.”

As Lesley went and sat with her mum, I said to Debs and Yvonne “As for you lovely ladies, sit on the couch for me, hands on your laps, and I’ll make sure you cannot move.” Now, remember I said there was a TV programme I saw as a kid that influenced me? That was what I had in mind for mum and daughter one - as I took Yvonne’s wrists and crossed them on her lap, then tied them together with the twine, before playing it out and tying her ankles together.

I did the same thing to Debs, and then looked at Rhona and Lesley on the other couch. After a few moments, I said “I’m going to do the same to you now - so please, put your hands on your laps.”

It only took me a few minutes to bind the other two in the same way - simple, yes, but remember this was some time ago. As I tied Lesley’s ankles together, she said “I bet this will make all the girls at school jealous - especially Angela Bowden.”

“Oh - not a friend,” I said as I cut the twine with scissors, and looked at her.

“Oh she is - we’ve played games like this at Guides and for theatre club,” Lesley said as she looked at the line of twine against her purple skirt. “So how are you going to keep us quiet?”

I had picked up four silk scarves from what I presumed was Debs’ bedroom, so I rolled them into bands, one at a time, and then used them as cleave gags, watching as each of them closed their teeth and lips over it before I tied the end together at the backs of their necks. “Right,” I said quietly, “get used to it, and I’ll tell you when to start.”

I quickly searched mummy’s room, finding a lot of nice pieces, then came down, looking in the doorway and saying “Go!” Wasting no time in getting out of there, I actually reached the corner of the street before I saw the father coming back, and - well, you can guess the rest.

********

Sometimes, you have to offer something else in return for playing the fame with me, and if that happens, and time permits, I am more than happy to oblige.

One March evening I was planning to call on the home of a woman whose husband was, shall we say, having a holiday on Her Majesty’s Pleasure. She had written a very successful book on her life, and had just won a prestigious prize, so I knew she had some wealth that I could share in.

I knew she had a twelve year old daughter, but I was sure she would agree to my suggestion once Mum had explained it to her, so early on the Tuesday evening I walked up to the house, pretended to ring the doorbell, and then slipped round and let myself in the back.

I could hear them talking in the front room as I made myself ready.

“But Mum- this is so hard...”

“I know, Joan, but you need to revise to pass the test. I’ll go and get a drink.”

I just had time to pull the stocking over my head before she came in. She was in her early forties, with shoulder length blonde hair, was wearing a white zipped top over a round necked shirt, and white slacks. As soon as she walked in, she saw me, and the first thing she said was “Sh...”

“No bad language, please,” I said as I took her arm and drew her away, “We don’t want to scare your daughter do we? Now, just do as I say and everything will be just fine, do you understand?”

“Yes,” she said quietly as she looked at me, “Wha... What do you want?”

“Your money, your valuables,” I said candidly. “Now, I’m going to tie your hands, we will go and see your daughter, and you will tell her that I am here to play a game of robbers. I’ll explain after that, all right?”

“But she’s revising - I can’t let her stop.”

“I know a way to help her,” I said as I turned her round, crossed her wrists behind her back and tied them tightly together. “Shall we?”

As we entered the front room, her daughter looked up from the floor, where she was lying on her stomach in front of a pile of books. She had on a white vest top and grey shorts with brown stripes, and a pair of flip flops on her feet. She saw her mum, saw my masked face, and was going to scream before her mum said “Joan, it’s all right - this man’s here to play a game with us, and help with your revision.”

“That’s right, Joan,” I said quietly. “We’re going to play a game of robbers, you and your mum, but I’ll also help with your history revision. What period are you studying?”

“The Tudors - who are you?”

“A friend,” I said as I helped her mum to sit down. “Now, you keep reading your books while I get your mother ready to play. IF you have questions, ask them. I know a bit about the Tudors.”

Joan looked at her mother, her brown hair pulled back, and then said “All right - who was the first Tudor monarch?”

“Henry VII, 1485 to 1509,”I replied as I tied her mother’s arms to her side with rope above and below her chest, forcing the zipped to open a little more, and then tying the rope under her arms and round the back of her neck. “Who did his daughter marry?”

“James IV of Scotland,” Joan said as she watched me bind her mother’s crossed ankles together, and then her legs below her knees, and then help her to lie on her side on the couch.

“Very good - which made her?”

Joan thought for a minute, then said “The grandmother of Mary Queen of Scots?”

“Correct - now, I need to get you ready to play the game as well. Just keep reading the book, and let me know if you want me to turn the page.”

Joan nodded and talked to herself as she read her book, while I tied her wrists tightly together, then passed some rope under her waist and used it to fix her wrists to her back, cinching it between her arms and her body. I then tied her arms together, below her elbows, before I crossed her ankles and tied them together, and bound her legs below her knees.

Turning her page, I looked at them and said “Now, you two stay here while I pretend to search for the jewels. When I return, I’ll have something to stop you raising the alarm, and then you can try to get free.”

“But I need to be tested on this! And this is a game, right?”

I looked at Joan, and then said “Right - so keep studying.” I knew I had time, and I had a perfect idea.

I was out of the room for about thirty minutes, and came back to find them both where I had left them. I had collected two washcloths and a roll of white tape from the bathroom, and knew how to use them.

“All right, mum first,” I said as I held the cloth in front of her mouth. “Be gentle,” she whispered before I pushed the cloth in and gagged her, wrapping the tape round her mouth. “As for you Joan,” I said as I knelt next to her, “I will make a statement, you nod for yes and shake your head for no. Let’s see how you do.”

“All right - and then we start to try to get free, and if we can’t you release us?”

I nodded, then pushed the smaller cloth into her mouth before wrapping the tape round her head.

“All right,” I then said as I picked up the book, “Let’s begin. Was Henry VI known as the Defender of the Faith?”

Joan shook her head, as her mother sighed and relaxed on the couch. “Very good. Now, was Catherine of Aragon beheaded?”

Once more Joan shook her head, much to her mother’s pleasure as she mumbled “Wldnn.” I continued like this for a total of twenty questions, praising her when she was right, showing her what the error was when she was wrong.

Eventually, I said “Well done - 17 out of 20. Now, once I leave the room, you can begin to try and escape - have fun.”

That was how I left them - so I hope they both had lots of fun before Joan realised the truth.

Of course, there has been the weird, strange and downright unusual times I have spent playing the games, and one of those had to be with Princess Victoria and her younger sister Princess Grace.

Let me start at the beginning with this one - their father was a local member of parliament, and his family ran a small department store in the local town. Not as big as your John Lewis, or even your local Debenhams, but big enough. I had researched their family as carefully as I do now - he was married, to a woman called Denise, and had a fourteen year old son, and two girls aged twelve and ten. I had watched them as they were picked up from school, and everything seemed nice and normal.

So come the Saturday, I was watching as their father left in his car, and then the boy went off on his bike, wearing his football kit - I knew he had practice all Saturday until the early afternoon. That meant Mum and the two girls would be at home - just what I liked.

Their house was a detached two story building, sitting in a walled garden, and it was easy enough for me to slip quietly in and up to the front door. I did not want to announce my presence just yet, so I quietly opened the front door, pulled the stocking down over my head and tucked it under the collar of the roll neck sweater I had on, and crept down the hallway.

One thing struck me immediately - this family had a serious liking of Disney, and the Disney princesses in particular. The wall of the hallway was lined with framed copies of the original movie posters, and I could see in particular some customised ones that had the face of the female character replaced with one of the two girls.

“Strange,” I muttered to myself, but it got even stranger as I looked in the first room. The walls were lined with bookcases, and they were filled with books, DVDs, CDs - every single one of them a Disney release, and all of them associated with an animated film. There was even a display case full of dolls, and as I went into the room to have a look I saw they were the Disney characters - all of them.

As I looked at it, I heard their mother saying “Come on Girls - we need to go and shopping and...”

“Now you know we have our duties to perform, Queen Margaret. You are out mother, and you know we have to do them.”

“Vicki, I swear...”

“Princess Victoria, mother. Princess Victoria and Princess Grace.”

“Well, your highnesses, we need to head into town soon, so will you please...”

A younger girl then said “But we’re watching this, Queen Mum.”

I heard a sigh of exasperation, and as I stood by the door I saw their mother walk out of the next room. She was wearing a long grey jersey dress, with grey fabric boots that had high cork heels, and was mumbling something about “their father gives them far too much” as she headed to the kitchen.

I slipped out of the room and looked to see the two girls lying on their tummies on the floor. The older one was dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast - a dusky yellow ball dress with a ruffled skirt, a pair of long yellow opera gloves, and white heels. She also had a tiara perched on her long blonde hair.

As for the younger girl, I recognised her outfit as from Cinderella - a pale blue floor length ball gown, and I could see the clear plastic slippers she was wearing as she kicked her legs up and down. She had some sort of long white sleeves over her arms, and a tiara on her head as well.

They were watching a film I knew very well - the original Snow White, and it was obvious from the equipment and the quality they were watching the remastered BluRay. Sometimes, I do wonder what would happen if I took more than just jewellery and money - but I had a game to start, so I made my way to the kitchen.

Their mother was sitting at the table, writing some numbers on a pad, so she did not even know I was there until I grabbed her head and pulled it back, gagging her with my gloved hand as I did so. “Don’t panic,” I said as she mmphed into the leather, “I just want to play a game with you and the girls, and maybe take a few of your nice things.”

She said something like “Whhru,” into my hand, so I said quietly “Seriously, if you promise not to scream and shout, I’ll take my hand away, and then we can talk.” I felt her nodding under my hand, and then let her head go, taking the seat next to her and looking into her eyes.

I saw her dress had a large cowl neck, which hung down over her chest, as she looked at me and said “You’re not joking are you?”

“No, I’m not Margaret,” I said quietly as I took my gun out of my pocket and left it on the table where I could see her, “I am going to rob you, but I need your help. I want you to convince your daughters that this is all part of a game you have arranged, so that they will co-operate. In return, I promise none of you will be harmed.”

“How did you know my name?”

“I heard them talking to you,” I said with a smile, “They really love Disney, don’t they?”

“You have no idea,” Margaret said with a wry smile. “It’s an obsession with them! I would not mind so much if it was an occasional thing, but every minute they spend in this house Victoria wants to be a princess - I even have to call her Princess Victoria! And it’s worse now than Grace wants to join in as well.”

“I heard,” I said quietly. “I take it you do not approve?”

Margaret shook her head and said “If it was only one day, or two nights - but every day from coming home from school to bedtime they are living in the royal palace, or trapped in towers, or waiting for their princes to come and rescue them. And it costs a fortune - my husband indulges them, my son plays along - honestly... “

She looked at me and said “why am I telling you this? You’re going to rob us, aren’t you?”

“I am - and I am afraid I need to make sure you and your daughters are safely kept out of the way and unable to raise the alarm.” Margaret visibly paled as I said that, but then I had an idea.

“We need them to believe this is a game, so if you are agreeable, this is what we are going to do...”

Twenty minutes later, I heard the film finishing, and the older girl saying “I love that film Princess Grace - what shall we watch next?”

“How about Sleeping Beauty - then we can pretend Prince Philip will come and rescue us from the tower were the evil queen had held us captive!”

“I’m afraid Prince Philip will not find you there, my little princesses.”

The two girls jumped up and turned round as they saw me standing there, with my hand on Margaret’s arm. I had already bound her wrists tightly together behind her back, crossing them and then tying them to her waist with a second length of rope, while I had over her mouth a strip of clear tape.

“Who are you,” Victoria said, “and what have you done to Queen Margaret?”

“I am the wizard Mordred,” I said as I looked at them, “and I have come to take you and Queen Margaret to my lair, there to hold you until your father the King pays for your release.”

“Wow,” Grace said as she clapped her hands, “so we’ll really be damsels in distress?”

Margaret nodded as I said “Now, I need to keep you both silent - Silencio!”

Both girls clapped their lips shut as they looked at their mother. “Excellent - the silence spell works,” I said before I actually cackled evilly. “Now, we must secure your hands as the first part of preventing your escape.” I walked behind them both, took four lengths of rope from my back pocket and said “Bindus armus!”

They both stood still as I took Victoria’s hands behind her back, crossed her wrists and tied them tightly together over her gloves, and then wrapped some rope around her waist to hold them tightly against her back, cinching the binding between her arms and body. I did the same thing to Grace, before I said “Now, to transport you all to my lair, and make sure you will not escape until my ransom is paid!”

I looked at Margaret, who nodded as she turned and walked to the door, her daughters following as I went behind them. The three of them walked up that staircase, and then Margaret stopped outside one of the bedroom doors.

I opened it to see the room was a shrine to the Disney Princesses - even more than the downstairs rooms, in that the room was furnished like a room in a palace. The large double bed had a yellow bedspread on, the pillow cases and sheets were gold, and the curtains and furniture all had that Disney mark.

“Welcome to your new home, your highnesses,” I said as I looked at Victoria and Grace. “Do not move while I tend to your mother the Queen.” I sat Margaret down at the white dressing table, and said again “Ropus Securus!”

I then took some rope and tied her ankles tightly together, before lifting the skirt of her dress up and tying her legs together below her knees. “Now,” I said as I returned to the girls, “I will allow you to speak, but not to move until I tell you you can. Silencio End!”

Victoria looked at me, and said “Why are you doing this, you foul wizard? I demand you let both of us and the queen go.”

“You are in no position to make demands of me, Princess Victoria,” I said as I ran some rope around her arms and stomach, securing them in place, “you are my captives, and here you will stay until the ransom is paid, or someone actually manages to defeat me, the Faceless One.”

I then tied some more rope around her shoulders, securing her arms still further and cinching that band with two smaller lengths between her arms and body, before doing the same to Grace. “You won’t hurt us, will you,” she said as she watched Victoria try to move round.

“Why should I harm you? Behave, and we will not have a problem,” I said as I tied her arms to her side, their mother watching all the time. I looked over and nodded at her, then said “Do you wish your mother the Queen to speak to you?”

They both nodded, so I walked over and said “Silencio End!” as I pulled the tape away from her mouth. She worked her jaw for a minute, then said “Are you both all right, my little princesses?”

“We will cope mama - it is out royal duty to do so,” Grace said as I walked the two girls over to the bed, and then sat them on the end, kneeling down to tie their ankles together with more rope. I then lifted their skirts up a little, and tied their legs together below their knees, before I returned their skirts and looked at them both.

“Now for the Queen,” I said as I walked behind her, and said “Ropus Securus!” Victoria and Grace actually cheered as I then wrapped rope around their mother’s arms, above and below her chest, before tying it off behind her back and securing it with shorter lengths.

“Now, your majesty,” I said as I looked at the girls, “I will cast a spell to keep the young Princesses still and quiet until their rescue comes!”

Walking over to the bed, I took from my bag two silk squares, two long chiffon scarves and a roll of white micropore tape. “Silencio!” I said again, then whispered “Please, open your mouths and I will be able to stop you both speaking for a while. It’s all part of the game.”

They nodded and allowed me to push a silk square into each of their mouths, followed by a knotted chiffon scarf between their lips, and then the tape wrapped round their heads. I then picked them up, one by one, and lay them on the bed, making sure their heads were resting on the pillows before I tied their ankles to the foot of the bed. I then removed their tiaras, and was surprised to see they were made of real silver, and the gems in them were real as well!

“My phantom guards will keep you company,” I said as I helped their mother to stand up, and frog marched her to the door. “Be brave, my little princesses,” she said as I walked her to her room, and helped her to sit on her bed.

“I suppose I should thank you,” she said as she watched me search through her jewellery box and pocket some items, “for not scaring them.”

“How long do you think they will play along for,” I said as I looked at her.

“Now? Until their father gets home - and thank you.”

“For what?”

“For not taking their jewellery - you saw it was real didn’t you?”

“Another indulgence from Daddy?” Margaret nodded as I helped her to lie down, then rolled he rover and pulled her legs back, the skirt of her dress falling down as I tied her ankles to her chest ropes.

“I told you, I would make it a game for them,” I said as I took two scarves from her cupboard, rolling the larger brown headscarf into a band and tying a knot in the middle of it, “but now I am afraid it is time to silence you as well.”

Margaret nodded and let me push the smaller scarf into her mouth, then gag her with the knotted one, before I wrapped the tape around it as well. Checking she was all right, I looked in on the girls, saying “Well done my faithful servants” as they laughed at each other, and left the house - talking some money and other things from downstairs as well.

********

Now of course, there are all sorts of games that kids play nowadays, although many of them seem to be based either on games consoles or computers – and that in itself was something I was able to turn to my advantage one time.

This was on one of my business trips to the US – if I remember rightly this one was in Georgia, and I had the weekend off, so I was in the main mall when I saw a mum with two kids. The mum was a real soccer mum – in her late thirties, dressed in a sleeveless white blouse and shorts, with a pair of black heels on her feet. She had her brown hair pulled back in as ponytail, unlike her older daughter. Her long hair was down her back, while the younger one had her hair lightly permed and frizzed.

From the looks of their bags, they had made some serious purchases, and I was tempted to follow them and pay them a visit that day, but her husband joined them. Still, I was intrigued enough to follow them to their house in the suburbs, and to want to return the next day for a visit.

I spent the morning and the early part of the afternoon watching from my hire car, until at about two I saw the man of the house come out and get into his car, before he drove off. I waited for a few minutes, and then got out of the car, retrieved my rucksack from the trunk of the car and made my way up to the house.

It had a screen door, but that opened easily, and the front door did not have the lock engaged, so I made my way in and peeked into the front room. The two girls were sitting on the floor, playing some sort of game on a PlayStation – it seemed to involve Donald Duck, from what I could see.

The older girl was wearing a long sleeved blue top with brown pants, and was bare foot, as was her sister. She seemed to be sitting with her legs crossed, while the younger girl was kneeling, the bottom of her red top covering the waist band of her jeans. The top had a white and brown pattern on it as well.

Anyway, they both seemed to be engrossed by the game, so I left them to it at the moment and checked the kitchen. Nobody was there, so I started to make my way up the staircase. As I reached the top, I heard their mother singing to herself in one of the bedrooms.

Standing in the doorway, I looked carefully round. She was folding some clothes on one of the kid’s bed, dressed in a pair of brown cord shorts and a white t-shirt with a black waistcoat over it. So, taking a deep breath, I walked in and hand gagged her as I grabbed her around her waist.

“WHHTTFFF” she screamed into my gloved hand, so I said quietly “Stay calm, stay quiet. I don’t want to hurt you – and we don’t want to scare the girls downstairs do we?”

She stopped struggling when I mentioned the girls, and then said “whtrugngtd.”

“Well, if you agree to keep calm and quiet, I’ll start by taking my hand away, all right?” She nodded and then gasped as I kept my promise.

“Now, all I want is to rob you and make sure you and the girls cannot raise the alarm,” I said quietly, “so we’re going to go downstairs in a few minutes, and you’re going to tell them I’ve come to play a game of robbers with them. All right?”

I waited until she nodded, and then said “What’s your name?”

“Lorna.”

“All right Lorna – I’m the bad robber who tied you wrists and arms before I took you to calm the children down, so please, put your hands behind your back.”

I let go of Lorna and guided her hands behind her back, crossing her wrists before I tied them tightly together with some rope from my bag, and then wrapping another length around her waist to keep them firmly in place.

“You promise that you will not hurt my babies or me,” she said to me as she looked round and over her shoulder at my stocking covered face.

“So long as you play your part, and they behave themselves, they’ll have fun,” I said as I wrapped some more rope around her upper body, pulling her arms into her side as I passed it above and below her chest. “There now,” I finally said as I pulled the two bands together behind her back, “Now what are you going to say?”

“That you are here to help us all to play a game of robbers, and to do as you say.”

“Correct – shall we,” I said as I motioned to the bedroom door. Lorna walked in front of us as we descended, to the sound of “I win again!”

“Another game? That’s ten all now!”

“Sara? Rebecca? Would you look at mommy please?”

The two girls turned round to see me holding their mother’s arm, as I said “Hello girls.”

“This man,” she said as she looked at me, “would like us to play a game of robbers with him. Would you like that?”

“No,” the older girl said as she turned round, “I still need to beat Rebecca.”

“You can’t beat me,” the younger girl said, “no way.”

“Girls, I want you to stop playing – you’ve hardly stopped since before breakfast, and you spent all yesterday afternoon and most of last night on that game!”

“But we love it Mum – and it keeps us quiet!”

“I can see that,” I said as I watched them start the game again, “and I can see you are very good at it, but your mum is right – a different game will do you the world of good.”

“Nah – I want to beat Becca. In fact, I could do it with my hands tied behind my back!”

That gave me an idea, as I said “I don’t believe you – nobody could play that game with their hands tied behind their backs!”

“I could,” Sara said, “and win easily.” Rebecca looked at her and said “no you couldn’t.”

“Then I have a game idea that can combine both – if you’ll pause that for a minute,” I said. They both stopped, the game paused, and they turned to look at me.

“Your mum,” I said as I looked at Lorna, “asked me to come and play a game of robbers with you, where I make sure none of you can raise the alarm, and then I pretend to steal things from you. But I don’t want you to be bored, so how about you accept a challenge – try to play the game with your hands tied behind your back. In fact, I’ll make sure you cannot move at all, and that you cannot speak very clearly to each other, or to your mum, or your mum to you. That way, whoever wins can say they did it all on their own!”

Sara and Rebecca looked at each other, then at Lorna before Rebecca said “Is that all right, Mum? Can we play both games?”

Lorna turned and saw me nod, before she said “All right – but you have to do what he says, all right?”

Both girls nodded and put their controllers down, then said “What do you want us to do?”

“Sit on the couch,” I said to Lorna, watching as she walked over and sat down. “All right, girls,” I said as I put my rucksack down behind them, “I want you both to kneel down, and put your hands behind your back.”

Kneeling behind them, I picked up a controller and held it behind Sara’s back, and gave her the controller to hold as I tied her wrist together – not next to each other as I normally would, but with a little length of rope between them so that she could hold the controller comfortably. I also did not tie her wrists to her back, but I did wrap some rope around her arms below her elbows and her stomach, as well as round her arms. The net result was she could hold the controller, but she could not move her arms away from her body.

I then did the same to Rebecca, as Sara looked at her mother. “Will you be watching us as well,” she said as I finished tying her sister’s arms to her body.

“I’d like that, if it's all right with you,” she said as she looked at me. I nodded and then said “All right girls – get yourselves comfortable while I make sure your mum can’t move or help you.”

Walking over to Lorna, I crossed and tied her ankles tightly together, making sure I passed the rope between her legs, and then tied them together below her knees, before I went back to my bag and got a few things out.

“You’re really going to keep us quiet,” Lorna said as she looked at me. “I am, but it won’t hurt,” I said quietly as I brushed her hair out of the way, and held the folded handkerchief in front foe hr mouth. “If you don’t make a fuss, then the girls won’t be scared when I do it to them.”

She nodded, looking at them as she allowed me to push the cloth into her mouth, and then tie the thin red scarf between her lips to keep it in place. The girls only started looking when they heard me peel the end of the roll of white micropore tape free and then wrap it round their mother’s head, trapping her hair even as it gagged her.

“Wow – does that hurt,” Sara said as she looked at me. “No it doesn’t,” I said with a smile, “want to try it on your mouth?”

She nodded as I tore off a strip and placed it over her lips, then did the same to Rebecca. They had both sat with their legs crossed in front of them, so they watched as I tied their ankles tightly together, passing the rope around them several times and then between them. As they were sitting next to each other, I also tied Sara’s right knee to Rebecca’s left knee, before I placed their controllers in their hands and said “All right – you two play and see if you can get used to the controllers, while I go and pretend to steal your mum’s jewellery.”

I watched for a few minutes as they got used to trying to use the controllers, before I went and searched the upstairs rooms. When I came down fifteen minutes later, they actually seemed to be getting the hang of it. They weren’t as fast as they would be with their hands in front of them, but they seemed to be coping.

“Are you two thirsty,” I said as Lorna looked at me, and the kids nodded. I went to the kitchen, got two cartons of juice and put straws in them, then came back in and removed their tape gags so that they could drink.

“Thanks,” Rebecca said as she finished her drink.

“You’re welcome,” I said as I put the cartons down. “Now, girls, I need to make sure you are as quiet as your mother before I leave, and then you can see who will be the best, all right?”

They both nodded and allowed me to put a small sponge ball in their mouths, and then tie a length of pink ribbon between their teeth, before I wrapped the tape tightly round their heads as well. Helping Lorna to lie on her side, I saw then carrying on as if it was the most normal thing in the world to play these games like this. So I left them to enjoy their game.

I wonder who did win?

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