Mother and Daughter Moments Redux

I have heard from a number of you that you have enjoyed my tales of some of my visits, and wondered if I had any more to tell. Well, there have been other visits of course, but the trick is to consider those which may appeal most to you, the reader. Perhaps this one may interest you...

I had reason to be in Leicester on business, and having finished early I had left my luggage at the station, and decided to visit the famous Asian district of the city. It’s a matter of historical record how the city became home to many Ugandan Asians, and they have had notable business success as well as creating their own little community.

While I was walking round, I saw this dark haired woman coming out of a shop, dressed in a pink tunic which had a silver pattern embroidered on it, a silver square collar and trim on the cap sleeves. She wore a matching pair of pink baggy pants with silver cuffs, and gold sandals, while a matching scarf was wrapped around her neck.

Holding her hand was a young nine year old girl, wearing a white dress with a blue bow on the front and blue trim on the hem of her skirt and the sleeves. She also had on a pair of white woollen tights and black shoes, and she was happily walking along with her as they made their way along, and turned down a side street.

Well, I hate to say it, but I was looking at her, at her gold jewellery on her fingers and around her neck, and I decided this was too good an opportunity to pass up, so I followed them from a safe distance, watching carefully as they turned off the street and the mother unlocked the door of a terraced house. From the number of keys she used, I guessed nobody else would be home, but I still waited a few minutes, and then saw the girl come running out of the house and down towards a shop on the corner.

I checked my rucksack, which I had over my shoulder, and then walked over and tried the door handle. I figured if the girl had gone out on her own, the door would be unlocked - and it was, which was nice. Anyway, I slipped in and heard singing in the front room, so I looked in.

Her mother was there, her back to me, so it was simple enough for me to walk in and hand gag her, whispering “Let’s stay nice and quiet now,” into her ear as she grabbed my arm. “We don’t want to scare your daughter when she comes back in, now do we?”

She nodded and said something in a tongue I did not understand, as I said “Now, when she comes in, you’re going to tell her that I’m here to play a game with both of you. I promise I won’t hurt either of you, so long as you play along. After all, the last thing we want is a panic, agreed?”

She nodded again at that, so I removed my hand and told her to sit down. A few minutes later, the girl came back in, and the woman said “Asma, this nice man had come to help me with a project for my college course, and we’re going to play a game as part of it. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“What sort of game, Mamma,” the girl said as she looked at me. I smiled and said “Have you seen that new film, the one where a mummy and her daughter are held captive by a gang of robbers?”

She nodded, so I continued “Well, your mummy has to write a story for her class on the same theme, and she wanted to play act it. But for it to work, she needs you to play along as well. Will you do that for her?”

I swear, the biggest smile crossed her face as she said “All right - where are we going to sit?”

Her mother looked at me and nodded as I said “why don’t you sit next to your mother, and then turn round so that you are looking at her. Then I can start to get you ready for the game.”

She smiled, her teeth showing as she looked at her mother, and I guided her wrists behind her back, crossing them before I tied them together with a length of soft rope. I took care to make sure she would not be hurt, but as I tightened the coils by passing the rope between her arms I knew she would not go anywhere.

“I need to stop you from moving your arms, like the girl in the film,” I said as I passed some rope round her waist, and pinned her wrists against her back. I could have done more than that, and cinching the band between her arms and her back, but she was still young, and I did not want to do more than stop them raising the alarm.

“Now it’s Mummy’s turn,” I said as I walked behind her, guiding her arms behind her back and starting to tie her crossed wrists together. As I did so, she and Asma talked to each other in what I presumed was Gujarati or Urdu, but Asma didn’t seem scared - she just seemed to be enjoying the game. Once I had her arms secured, I knelt in front of Asma and said “I need to make your legs secure now as well - then you won’t be able to hop away easily. So put your legs together and hold your feet out.”

She did as I asked, watching as I tied her ankles tightly together over her tights, and then used a longer length of rope to tie her legs together, above her knees and over her skirt. No way was I going to lift her skirt up. As for Mama, she had her ankles bound over the cuffs of her pants, and then her legs tied together below her knees.

“Now then,” I said as I ruffled Asma’s hair, “You stay here and sit quietly with your mother, while I have a look round.” I left them alone for a few minutes as I searched through the bedrooms, finding quite a lot of nice jewellery which I put into my pockets, and then went back downstairs. I had already taken the phone out of the wall and pocketed her mother’s mobile phone while Asma was at the shops, so I was pleased when I walked back into the room and saw them sitting next to each other.

“Are you enjoying the game,” I said to Asma, who nodded as she looked at her mother. She smiled in return, but the look she gave me as she looked at me told me she knew what I had done.

“Now, I have to go and get someone to come and free you,” I said as I took her mother’s scarf off her shoulders, Asma watching the whole time, “but I’m afraid the bad gang leader needs to stop you both from talking. I’ll do your mama first, so you can see it’s all right - open wide.”

As she did so, I pulled the pink scarf into her mouth, crossing it over her hair, then in her mouth again and back round before tying the ends off with a double knot. She closed her lips over the gag, and nodded at Asma as I showed her something I had found in her room - a similar purple scarf from an outfit in her wardrobe.

She smiled as I gagged her in the same way, then kissed her and her mother on the forehead before leaving. The papers the next day told me they had been found by Asma’s father an hour later, and I hoped she enjoyed her little game.

Now, as for some of the people I visited in the United States - that was a very different experience.

********

You see, when you think of the United States, you sometimes forget just how big a place it is, and how different parts of even the same city can be - as can the people. I was lucky enough with my job to spend three weeks in the outskirts of Philadelphia, and towards the end of the time there I had a couple of free days, so I did what I always did - visited some malls, took in some of the sights, and drove round some of the back streets.

I was staying in a little town called Conshohocken, and on the day I was due to leave I happened to be walking back from the station, my rucksack on my back, when I saw a young woman walking back from the McDonalds which was nearby. She had long ash blonde hair, and was wearing a sleeveless jerkin over a light cream maxidress, which was pink towards the hem of her skirt. The dress had a rose pattern o nit, and she wore a pair of sandals on her feet - as well as a collection of rings on her fingers, and a long necklace that sat over the neckline of her dress.

I could tell she had some money from the rings and the cut of her dress, so I decided to follow her, but as I got on the bridge a young thirteen year old girl ran by me and took the woman’s hand. She was wearing a long sleeveless pink dress with a white floral motif, and had a thin white band holding her long and curled chestnut hair away from her face.

Well, I knew then it was fated that I should pay them a visit. I followed them at a safe distance as they turned off the main road, and after a while I saw them walk into a timber and red brick house that stood a little way off the road. I watched for a while, noticing the lack of car, then walked up and knocked on the screen door.

The young girl came to the door, and said from the other side of the screen “Can I help you?”

“I hope so,” I said, “my car is broken down, and I don’t have a cell phone that works here - can I use your phone?”

She smiled and turned round to say “Mom - a man needs to use our phone. Is that all right?”

I saw the older woman come out, and - well, let me put it this way. I was a student, and I spent several fun weekends in Amsterdam. Suffice to say I know when someone has been smoking homemade herbal cigarettes.

“Sure,” she said, “Let him in. We were just going to play a game of scrabble, so I hope you don’t mind if we leave you to it?”

“Thank you,” I said as she opened the screen door, and showed me where the telephone was. I pretended to make a call, while pulling the wire from the wall, but as I did this I realised the girl was looking out of the doorway at me.

“Mom’s relaxed,” she said quietly, “and we’re going to play the game. Did you get through?”

“Yes,” I said as I put down the receiver, “but it will be a little while. I told them this address - I hope you don’t mind?”

She shrugged and said “Come and have a cold drink.” I followed her into the kitchen as she made me the drink, then stood and watched as I sipped it.

“Very nice,” I said quietly. “Does your mum usually smoke in the house?”

“Oh, you noticed,” the girl said with a smile. “Yeah - why do you ask?”

“Well, you see, I wondered if you and your mother would like to play a different type of game. I think you might like it?”

She looked at me in a strange way, then said “What sort of game?”

“Sunshine, darling, is the man still here?”

I looked at her mother as she stood in the doorway, so I said “Your daughter was telling me she wondered if she and you could play a game together with my help - one like those TV series.”

I took a grip of her arm in my hand, and she looked at me, realising for the first time who I was. “Yeah, Mom,” she said as she looked back at her, “I wondered if you would like to play a tie up game, like we used to when we were younger?”

“OH - it has been a long time,” she said as she looked at Sunshine and me, “but I don’t have any rope.” She then looked upstairs and said “I have scarves, let’s use them.”

“Do you promise not to hurt us,” Sunshine whispered as we followed her mother up the stairs. “I only want your valuables - you are perfectly safe with me,” I said in return as we walked into the bedroom, hangings on the walls. Her mother walked over and opened a drawer, taking out a pile of long and shorter scarves and dropping them on the bed.

“Go on, you nasty robber,” she said as she looked at me, “Do your worst.”

“Both of you lie face down on the bed,” I said, and as they did so I selected two long blue chiffon scarves. Taking Sunshine’s wrists, I crossed them behind her back and tied them together with the scarf, and then did the same to her mother, hearing her giggle as I did so.

“This is fun,” she said as I took two more long scarves, and tied their crossed ankles, then a third pair of scarves to tie their legs together above their knees, the skirts of their dresses held tightly to their legs.

“Oh, make it tighter,” her mother said, and Sunshine sighed as she looked at me. “Sometimes I think I’m the adult here,” she said as I tied her arms together with a pink scarf, and then did the same to her mother, actually making her elbows touch.

“No father?”

She shook her head and said “Grandma should be home in an hour or so - I guess we’re going to stay here until then.” I nodded and then searched the house, taking what I could find before coming back and easing the rings off her mother’s fingers.

“Oh he really does play along,” she said to Sunshine as I folded two silk squares into pads. “I do,” I whispered as I leaned over, “and now I need to keep you both quiet. Open wide and say thank you.”

“Fnnkuuu,” she said with a giggle as I pushed the silk pad into her mouth, and then tied a bandana over it to keep it in place. “I promise you it only is uncomfortable for a little while,” I whispered into Sunshine’s ear before gagging her, and then making my escape.

Four hours later, I was at Philadelphia Airport, waiting to board my plane and hoping Sunshine’s mother learned a lesson. I liked her - unlike the other young madam I had to deal with on my next trip over. She was a completely different event...

********

That particular time I had to spend a week in upstate New York, and was due to fly out on a late flight on the Saturday night. I had business wrapped up by the Friday afternoon, which meant I could have my case packed, enjoy the Friday night, and spend the Saturday indulging my hobby, if you like.

So Saturday mid-morning found me enjoying a coffee on the main street of this small town, when I saw a likely target pulling into the train station car park across the way. It was a family of four - father, mother, daughter and son, but the father and son had Yankees jackets on - and I knew this was the day of the NY Yankees game against Boston, which told me they would be away for the rest of the day.

Mummy dressed in a way my parents used to call power dressing - a purple jersey dress with a knotted style collar that came to her knees, a black jacket with padded shoulders, and heeled black shoes. As for the daughter - she was about 12, and was wearing a black cardigan over a dress - the dress had a black top, a satin waist, and a dress made of purple material with discs. She was also wearing a pair of purple shoes with a rose buckle.

So I watched them wave the menfolk off, left a tip and drove after them as they left the station, eventually pulling into the driveway of a Colonial style house a good half hour drive away. I watched as they walked in, and waited a little while, just to make sure nobody else was around. I then got out of the car, walked round the back and sneaked up to the window. Looking in, I saw the girl watching TV, and her mother sitting across from her.

I took a moment to pull a stocking over my head, and then let myself in through the open kitchen door and crossed the cooking area. I could hear the television, but also footsteps, so I stood back and watched as mum walked out of the room and up the staircase.

I allowed myself a little smile - then I sneaked into the room, looked in and saw her watching the television, and came up behind her, clamping my hand over her mouth.

My god - she screamed into my hand, so loudly I had to press my hand even more firmly against her mouth. She then struggled like mad, and managed to get free, running for the door. I barely managed to catch her, holding her with my arm and hand gagging her, when her mother came in and put her hands to her mouth.

“All right, mummy,” I said as I looked at her, “You need to tell your little daughter here to stop screaming while we play a game of robbers. Do it or she may get hurt?”

I hated lying like that, but I wanted this to be over and done with a minimum of fuss. I pressed my hand even more firmly over her mouth, making her yelp as the mum finally said “All right, all right - just please, don’t hurt her.”

“Then you’d better tell her,” I said as I looked at her. “Olivia, darling,” she said quietly, “this man is going to play a game with us. I know it seems a bit scary, but do as he says, all right?”

I looked at Olivia as she stared at her mother, and then said “llrrtmme.” Looking over at a dining table through the alcove, I said to her “Bring one of those chairs over here, and sit it so she can see you, then sit on that couch, hands on your head, and don’t move.”

We watched her as she walked over, picking up a chair and bringing it over before setting it down on a rug to face the beige couch. She then sat down, putting her hands on her head as she said “Please, what do you want?”

“We’re going to play a game, you and your mummy,” I said to Olivia. “I’m going to make sure neither of you can move for a while, and then you can pretend I’m taking your mummy’s valuables. Now, are you going to play with us?”

Olivia looked over my hand at her mother, then nodded as I said “Good - now I’m going to take my hand away, and I want you to sit on the chair, all right?”

She nodded again, but as I took my hand away she started screaming “HELP!!!! HELP!!!!!” - which meant I had to hand gag her again, while from my bag I took a red bandana, which I had already rolled into a band and tied a knot in. I picked this and another one cheap at a shop the day before - so as I removed my hand, and before she had a chance to scream again push the knot into my mouth, I had to say “Now see what’s happened? You need to stop shouting now, or you will do something very very bad. Isn’t that right Mummy?”

“Olivia, please,” her mum said as I pulled the scarf around her head and tied the ends together over her blonde hair, “Please, just let him help us to play the game, all right?”

I took young Olivia to the chair and sat her down, but before she had a chance to get comfy I took her arms between the bars of the chair back, crossed her wrists and tied them together with rope, before tying them to the chair back itself. She grumbled and moaned, but I said “Now watch - it’s mummy’s turn,” walking over to her and taking her hands behind her back, using the soft rope to tie her wrists tightly together.

“See, Olivia, I’m playing as well,” she said as I used another length of rope to tie her arms tightly to her side, taking the rope below her chest, making sure it kept them firmly in place. I then walked back over and said “Sit back,” waiting until she had her back against the chair before I wound the rope around her arms, tummy and the chair back itself, locking her in place. Something told me this would be a good idea.

Olivia now had her feet off the floor, so I tied her ankles tightly together, followed by her legs below her knees, before I said “Now sit still and don’t struggle. Mummy, put your ankles together.”

Olivia finally calmed down and watched as I tied her mum’s ankles together, then her legs below her knees, before I said “Right - if you promise to stay here, and keep quiet, I’ll leave you to talk to little Olivia here and keep her calm.”

“All right,” she said as she nodded, her blonde hair waving in the breeze, and she said “It’s all right, Olivia, he’s not going to hurt us...” I left them alone to start my search of the house, first pulling the phone from the wall and taking her handbag with me.

Now bear this in mind - every time up until now, I had left the mum and kid or kids, and nothing had happened. So what was different about this time?

Well, I came back down after fifteen minutes, expecting to see them both there, and I could see Olivia still in her chair, only she had a big grin on her face as she looked to the other side of the room. I looked in to see her mother, hopping towards the drawn blinds, and I could see she was trying to raise the alarm.

“I told you to sit still and keep Olivia calm,” I whispered as Olivia called out “MMMLKT!” Her mum turned and looked at me, only to trip over her feet and start to fall. I got lucky and caught her before she hit her head, but I was mad and said “Now look what’s happened - I need to make sure you can’t move.”

Rolling her over, I pulled her ankles back and tied them to the chest rope with a new length, then I used the second knotted bandana as a gag on her, the black cloth sitting between her lips. She struggled like mad, but I was too strong for her, as I looked at Olivia.

“Are you going to do something silly, like your mummy,” I said in a menacing voice, and she shrank back into the seat, shaking her head and moaning. “Good - now sit still until someone comes to free you,” I said as I picked up my bag. By now, there was no point in continuing the pretence - they both knew I was a real robber, so I got the hell out of there.

This taught me a couple of things - one was to make sure both mummy and the kids were properly secured. Another was to stop them talking. That proved to be a good lesson, when I was in North London a few months later...

********

Actually, there was one other lesson - one I learned from a cute young lass who I visited when her cousins were staying, and that was to keep them really quiet before I left. The pre-knotted scarves were part of that, but - well, let’s start at the beginning.

I was in the Harrow area, and I had noticed on previous visits this little jewellery and clothes shop. Nothing fancy, nothing special, but it seemed to do brisk trade, and I had noticed on a number of occasions the owner locking up and heading past all the banks - so I wondered if she was actually storing her takings at home.

By this time I had a series of fences and contacts set up, but I also wanted to see what would happen if I was to use my methods to get a larger sum of money as well as jewellery. Not kidnapping - but the same sort of gentle coercion I liked.

I also knew she had a daughter, about thirteen, who liked to dress in the fashion of the day, so there was my way in. On this particular day, I watched as she locked up the shop, her daughter beside her. The kid was wearing a white t-shirt with one of those padded jerkins over it, a tiered denim skirt, and what looked like knee length boxing boots, made of gunmetal grey with purple laces criss-crossed up the front. She had curly brown hair, and stood a good six inches shorter than her mother,

As for her mother, she had on a denim jacket over a white blouse, the tail of which came down over the bottom of her knee length brown corduroy skirt, and knee length brown leather boots. She was built much like her daughter, not thin but not fat either, and her dark hair was covered by a floral headscarf that was tied over it.

So I followed them from a distance, my rucksack on my back, as they made their way home from this store, mummy clutching her floral patterned bag tightly to her side. As I had guessed, she walked past all the banks, all the building societies, and then crossed the main road, me following far enough back to see them as they made their way to a terraced house and let themselves in.

I waited a few minutes, before crossing the road. I had this woollen scarf round my neck, so before I got to the door I pulled it up over my nose and mouth, and then tried the door handle.

To my immense relief, it opened, so I quietly slipped in and listened for a few minutes. I could hear movement upstairs, and also the sound of the radio in a downstairs room, so I walked quietly down to the door the sound was coming from and looked in.

The girl was there, her jerkin on the floor as she looked at a magazine. I could see on a bookcase past her a picture of her and her mother, with a younger girl. They looked alike, but I had never seen the other girl.

Still, I had business to attend to, so I walked up behind her, surprising her as I do with a gloved hand over her mouth, and my other arm round her waist. She squealed at first, before I said “Just stay calm, I want to play a game with you and your mother. If you do as I say, you won’t be hurt. Nod if you understand.”

“hrruu,” she mumbled as she nodded her head, but I said instead “If you promise not to scream and shout, I’ll take my hand away, all right?” She nodded again, and as I took my hand away she whispered “What sort of game are we going to play?”

“What’s your name,” I said as I slipped my rucksack off my back and opened it up.

“Hyacinth.”

“All right Hyacinth - I’m going to be a robber, and I need to keep you and your mum out of the way while I do my work. Do as I say, and it will be a big game. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she said as she looked straight ahead, “but you’re not going to hurt me, are you?”

“No I’m not,” I said as I heard her mother call down “Are you all right Hyacinth?”

“Say yes,” I whispered, so she swallowed and said “I’m all right Mama.”

“Good - I’ll be down in a minute,” she said, as I put my hand on her shoulder and said “Well done. Now, I’m going to do some things to you, and then I’m going to do them to your mother, to make sure you can’t move while we play the game. Put your hands behind your back.”

Hyacinth did as I had asked her, allowing me to cross her wrists and then tie them tightly together with soft cord. As always, I made sure it was comfortable, but also tightly cinched so that they were held together, and then I tied some rope around her wrists and waist, holding them to the small of her back as I crossed and cinched the ropes between her arms and body.

It was while I was tying the rope off that her mother came back in, saying “so shall I order some...” She saw Hyacinth, her arms behind her back, and then me as I stood up and put my hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

“Please,” I said calmly and quietly, “Don’t call out or shout. Hyacinth and you are going to play a game with me, isn’t that right Hyacinth?”

She looked at her daughter, who nodded as she said “that’s what he said Mama - he wants to play a game with us.” She looked at me, and knew what was going on, but she smiled and said “All right then - we’ll play with you.”

“Thank you, Mama,” I said as I let go of Hyacinth. “I want you to stand beside your mama Hyacinth, while I do what I promised to do to her.”

“Does it hurt,” she said as I guided her hands behind her back and crossed her wrists, before taking more cord and starting to tie them together. “stay calm, breath normally, and you’ll be fine,” I said as within a few minutes I had her wrists bound and secured to her back.

“Now,” I said as I took another skein of rope from my rucksack and shook it loose, “I’m going to really make sure you cannot use your arms to try and raise the alarm. Just stand still and it won’t take a minute.”

After that encounter with the three kids I mentioned earlier, I had taken on board that in places like this, where there are a lot of houses nearby, I needed to make sure my playmates really could not move, so I started with Hyacinth, wrapping the rope around her arms below her elbows and her tummy to make sure her arms were locked in place. When I had finished, I started with Mama - but she was a little older, so I was a little stricter, wrapping rope around her arms above and below her chest, and making sure they were really locked in place.

Sitting her down in the other chair, I looked at Hyacinth before saying “now I need to tie your legs together.” I looked at her boots, and then realised something - the purple laces at the front were for decoration, and they actually zipped up the inside.

“Nice boots,” I said as I abandoned the idea of using the laces, and took out a length of rope instead. Kneeling in front of her, I told her to clamp her legs together, and then used the rope to tie them tightly to each other just below her knees.

Once that was done, I took the rope down her legs in a criss cross pattern, forcing them together as the brown contrasted with the purple and grey, and then tied her ankles tightly together as well. When I was done, it looked like they were held in a net - which Hyacinth said as she looked at them.

“Nice,” she said, “doesn’t it look nice Mama?”

“It does, dear,” Mama said as she looked at me, while I knelt in front of her and bound her legs in the same way, the rope squeaking over her leather boots. I had used this once or twice, and it seemed to be right for this occasion.

“Now then,” I said as I looked at them, “I’m going to look for money and jewellery. I think upstairs might be a good place to look, but I need to keep you two quiet while I do so.”

“And how are you going to do that,” Hyacinth said as she looked at me, then saw the two silk squares I took from y rucksack and said “Oh.”

“now,” I said as I pushed one into each of their mouths, “Keep those in there, and I won’t be long. I can trust you to do that, can’t I?” They both nodded, and watched as I made my way upstairs with my rucksack.

I found the money easily enough - stuffed under the bed. There was a goodly amount, but I wasn’t greedy - I only took half of it, and that was a few thousand, as well as some jewellery from Mama’s boxes. I made my way back downstairs, and saw they were still sitting, watching each other and trying to talk.

“Well, Hyacinth,” I said as I knelt next to her and stroked her face, “I need to go soon, and someone will come to end the game. But I need to make sure you’re going to stay silent, so...”

“Why are Mama and Hyacinth like that?”

I saw Mama’s eyes open wide, and as I turned round I saw the other girl in the picture. She was about seven, and was wearing a denim jacket over a purple leotard, as well as tights and a pair of ballet shoes. Her hair was tied back and held in place by a purple ribbon.

Now, I know I tie up kids, but younger ones are always the ones that give me a little problem, so I smiled and said “Hello - what’s your name?”

“I’m Daisy,” she said as she looked at me, “Are you playing a game?”

“Yes we are,” I said as I looked at the other two, “aren’t we?” Hyacinth and Mama both nodded, as Mama shook her head while looking at me. I had to make sure she could not raise the alarm as well - but I didn’t have any more rope, just...

“Listen,” I said as I looked at her, “Would you like to play robbers as well? I can do something else to keep you safe and quiet. Will that be fun?”

“All right,” Daisy said as she looked at me. “What do I need to do?”

“Take your jacket off,” I said as I looked at her, “and then sit on that couch. I need to finish with your big sister and mother first, all right?”

As she did that, I took a second scarf from my rucksack and tied it between Hyacinth’s lips, then smoothed a length of special medical tape over her mouth. I did the same to Mama, then took from my rucksack a roll of purple tape that I had picked up in - a specialist shop.

“Put your hands in front of you, Daisy,” I said, and as she did so I taped them together, then down to her tummy with the tape round her waist. I was never going to be as strict with her as the others, so I helped her to lie down and then taped her ankles and her legs together.

“Do I get tape over my mouth as well - and something in it,” she said as I put a pillow under her head. I could hear Mama saying “NNNN” and saw her shake her head, so I said “Mama says no to something in your mouth, but I will put tape on it. Put your lips together.”

I tore off some lengths of the purple tape, smoothed them over her mouth, and then said “Can you breathe through your nose?” Daisy nodded as I stood up, looked at her mum and sister - then left the house and got out of there.

I really do have to steel myself to tie up younger kids, even though I know I need to do it - and Daisy was not the youngest I’ve ever had to keep still and quiet. That came a little later...

********

Now, don’t get me wrong - to get what I want, I will bind the mother and the kids, but when they are really young I tend to feel really bad doing it, so by and large I avoid those situations. The time I’m thinking of I was looking to visit the wife of a local jeweller in the North East of England. She was a young woman, in her late twenties, with long brown hair and a thin figure, and I knew she had a ten year old daughter. So I laid my plans carefully, and decided on this day I’d break into their house while they went on a shopping trip, and then surprise them when they came in.

So on the day in question I watched them get into the car and drive off, having ensured her husband was at his place of work. Mummy was wearing a grey fleck coat with leather half sleeves, over a grey jumper, white t-shirt and black leather skirt, with dark tights and black biker boots. Her daughter had on a powder blue jerkin and pants, the legs of which were tucked into knee length white leather boots. I watched as they went out of sight, then walked up their path, opened the door with ease, and went inside, disabling the alarm and the phone once I had done so with a pair of wire cutters. Then I waited for them to come back.

I only had to wait half an hour for the sound of the car returning, and I had everything ready I thought I would need, so I waited in the kitchen for them to come into the house. As they did so, I heard Mummy say “Go and get yourself a drink, Rosie,” and then footsteps running down.

That was my first clue - their daughter’s name was Charlotte, but before I could do anything the door opened and a five year old grill ran in and past me. She had on a long grey coat with black leather sleeves, and I could see the ham of a red tartan dress under it, with dark tights and short black leather boots.

Now, I was stuck there, and I had to follow my plan through - but a five year old girl with long blonde hair? I could hear Mummy coming down the corridor, so I grabbed Rosie, her eyes wide as I sat in the chair with her on my lap, and waited for the older woman to come in.

“Rosie, what’s...” She came into the room, having taken her coat off, and stopped as she saw me with my stocking mask and my gloved hand over the little girl. “Let’s not scream now,” I said calmly, “you don’t want to scare Rosie do you? Where’s your daughter?”

“She... She’s at a party, but who are you, and why do you have my niece like that?”

“Your niece,” I said as I looked at her, then at Rosie, “So this is your auntie, is it?”

She nodded and said “Tssm nt rf,” under my hand.

“All right, Ruth,” I said calmly as I looked at Mummy again, “I’m here to play a game with you and Rosie - one where you get to give her big hugs for a very long time. You’d like that, wouldn’t you Rosie?”

I felt her nod her head up and down as I said this. Yeah, I was thinking on the hoof, as it were, but I already had a plan for what to do.

“I tell you what, Rosie,” I said as I took my hand away, “Why don’t you take your coat and boots off, and get that drink, while I have a quick word with your Aunt Ruth, all right?”

She jumped off my lap as I looked at Ruth. “If you play along,” I said quietly, “than I promise you and Rosie will be unharmed, all right?”

“So long as you don’t hurt her,” she said as she looked at me. “you’re going to rob me, aren’t you?”

“I am,” I admitted, “but there is no reason to upset Rosie, is there? Now, let her have her drink, and then we’ll all go through into your front room.”

“What will we do in there,” Rosie said as she came over, her blue wool tights covering her feet.

“Well, we’re going to play the game - I’m going to make sure you and your Aunt are hugging, and can’t move for a while, and I’m going to have a look round the house. Then I’ll leave you to see who can sit still the longest, all right?”

“Can we watch CBeebies while we play,” Rosie asked. I looked at Ruth, who smiled and said “of course you can - now, finish your drink, and we’ll start the game.”

I picked up my nag and waited until Rosie had finished, and then escorted them into the front room, drawing the curtains closed while Ruth put the television on. As Mr Jolly came onto the screen, I said “Now, I want Aunt Ruth to sit in that comfy armchair, and I need you to stand in front of me, and put your hands together as if you are praying, Rosie.”

“Like this,” she said as she clasped her hands together in front of her. “Yes, just like that,” I said a SI took some soft cords and tied her wrists together, over the cuffs of her dress, and making sure they were held firmly, yet comfortably.

“There now,” I said as I looked at her, and brushed her hair from her blue eyes, “That’s not too bad is it? Now, I want you to go and sit on your Aunt Ruth’s lap, all right, and then she’s going to wrap her arms really tight around you.”

“Are you all right, Rosie,” Ruth said, and as her niece nodded she kissed her head and wrapped her arms tightly round her waist, watching as I tied her wrists to her forearms either side of the young girl. “See,” I said, “I told you your aunt would hug you tightly for a long time. Now, you both need to shuffle forward a little - I’m going to make sure you stay sitting where you are.”

“Let’s slide forward,” Ruth said as she shuffled to the front of the seat, watching as I wrapped some rope around their tummies and held them firmly together. “And back again,” I said as I watched her slide back, Rosie giggling as her aunt’s leather skirt squeaked. I waited until she had moved right back in the chair, Rosie’s feet hanging over her knees, before I took some rope and knelt in front of them.

“Now Rosie,” I said to her, “it’s your aunt’s turn to go first - I’m going to make sure she can’t move her legs, and that way you really cannot slide off, all right?”

“That sounds like he really wants us to stay together, Aunty,” Rosie said with a smile as she snuggled her head against Ruth’s top, while I took two lengths of rope, tying Ruth’s laced boots together at her ankles, and then her legs below her knees, making sure both bands were cinched between her legs.

“There now,” I said as I smiled at them, “Now I need to put your ankles together Rosie - so that you don’t think I’ve forgotten you, all right?”

“Is that all right, Aunt Ruth,” she said as she looked into the older woman’s face. She looked at me, and mouthed “thank you” as I tied Rosie’s ankles firmly together, side by side, the white cord neatly coiled over the blue tights.

“There now,” I said as I stood up, and Rosie wriggled round, making a squeaking sound as she got comfortable, “I need to go and have a look round the house now. You’re not going to try and call out are you?”

“No,” Ruth said as she looked at me, “I promise we won’t.” I nodded and left them to watch the program as I went upstairs and searched the house.

Well, she was married to a jeweller - so I found a nice little haul, but I knew there was one last little job I would have to do before I go. Coming back into the room, I saw that Zingzillas was on.

“Do you like to sing along, Rosie,” I said as I looked at her, and she nodded. “Well, I will be going soon, and making sure someone comes to see you, but I’m afraid I need to stop you and your aunt talking properly for a little while. It won’t hurt, but you’ll have to hum along instead, all right?”

“Will you hum with me, Auntie Ruth,” Rosie said, and she smiled as Ruth nodded in reply. “Now then,” I said as I took a roll of brown sticking plaster from my bag, and tore off a strip, “Put your lips together, Rosie, and stay still for me.”

“Like this,” Rosie said before she closed her mouth, and I smoothed the brown fabric over her mouth, sealing it before I gave her a little kiss. “Now it’s Auntie Ruth’s turn,” I said as I walked behind her, but I did a little more to Ruth.

First, I whispered into her ear “Open wide” and pushed a folded black scarf into her mouth, then used a thin belt from her dressing gown as a cleave gag. “Now close your lips over it,” I whispered again, and Ruth did as I asked, the thin band running round her head as I covered her mouth with a long strip of the sticking plaster. When Rosie looked up, she saw the brown cloth, and smiled as she cuddled in and hummed along to the songs.

I made my departure, and allowed myself half an hour to get away before I gave an anonymous tip-off to the police. Like I said, I did not want them to be like that any longer than necessary.

That, fortunately, was a rare occurrence, but it reminds me that sometimes it wasn’t mothers and daughters - sometimes there was more of a generation gap...

********

Mind you, that was not the only unusual thing about that day. I had spent a few days in Liverpool on business, and as had become my practice I spent my spare time looking round for some possible places to visit. Now, there is a flourishing Chinatown in that city, and I spent quite a bit of time there, watching the families as they milled round.

One in particular caught my eye - a taller woman than many, I saw her quite a few times walking round the markets and shops with her eleven year old daughter in tow. On this particular day, she was wearing a light pink jumper, with a white scarf that had thin black stripes on it round her neck, and under the jumper was a short dot patterned dress. Her legs were in a pair of black tights, while a pair of baggy brown leather boots completed her ensemble.

She had her hair done up in a bun, while her daughter had two pigtails falling down the front of her pink pinafore dress. She was wearing a long sleeved white top under the dress, and pink leggings, with her feet in a pair of brown fur boots that fastened at the side.

I followed them from a safe distance as they made their way through the streets, and then on a bus as it headed out towards the east of the city, to one of the more upmarket suburbs. I got on and sat a little way back from them, waiting as they got off and watching the road they went down before getting off at the nest stop and catching up. I was in time to see them turn into a fenced off garden, and then I waited for a little while.

A few minutes later, I saw the mother come out and leave, and as I stood there I wondered if there was a man in the house. I had not seen one while observing them, but it would not be the first time I had called off a visit for that reason. Eventually, I walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell.

I turned and waited for the door to open, but as I turned back I saw there was an older Chinese woman standing there, her grey hair cut in a short bob. She was wearing a peach smock top over a polka dot under vest, blue jeans and trainers, and she looked at me with her head to one side.

“My apologies,” I said with a smile, “but may I speak to the man of the house?”

“There is no man of the house here for the moment,” she said to me, “only myself and my granddaughter. I fear you must call again after eight this evening when he returns.”

“Excellent,” I said with a smile as I forced my way in, making the older woman stand by the wall as I hand gagged her, “then we won’t be interrupted. You’re not going to scream and upset your granddaughter, are you?”

She stared at me, and then slowly shook her head under my hand. “Good,” I said quietly, “now, here’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to join your granddaughter, and you’re going to tell her we’re going to play a game of robbers. Then I’ll make sure you can’t interrupt me as I rob this house, understand?”

“Indnstnd,” she mumbled, but I could sweat I saw a gleam in her eye as she said this. “Good," I said as I removed my hand, “now, where is she?”

“In here,” she said as I held her arm and we walked in - to find part of my job had already been done. The girl was standing in the centre of the room, and I could see rope snaking down her arms as they went behind her back. As I walked round, I saw that her forearms were tied together behind her back, and the rope went around her upper arms and body, holding them firmly in place.

“Hello,” she said to me as I looked at her, “Grandma was showing me some of the ways she used to be tied up by her brothers. Who are you?”

“I...” I was truly stymied - I had never come across anything like this before, but her grandmother helped by saying “Amy, this man has come so that I can play the game as well. He will not tie me as I have tied you, but we can have a race when he says so to see who can get free first. Does that sound like fun?”

Amy nodded enthusiastically, as I checked the knots and ropes. “This is very good,” I said to her, “so I need to try and do as good a job on your grandmother. Before that, however, perhaps she can tie your ankles and legs so that you really cannot move?”

“You were going to do that anyway, weren’t you Grandma,” Amy said as she smiled at the older woman.

“Yes, I was,” she said as she helped Amy to sit on the floor, and then took a length of the same brown rope that was around her upper body, tying her legs together above her knees and then taking the rope down to secure her ankles together. “Now then, young man,” she said as she looked at me, “We have your word you will not harm us?”

“You have my word.”

“Excellent,” she said as she turned round and crossed her wrists behind her back, “then you may begin. I suspect you do not know the Chinese way, but do what you have to do.”

Well, I had to meet the challenge, didn’t I? I tied her wrist together, making sure I crossed the rope between her arms, and then fixed them to her back by passing some rope around her waist. I then tied her arms to her back with bands of rope around her chest and shoulders, but I did not do what I have done with other mothers. Instead, I cut two shorter lengths of rope and used them to tighten the bands under her arms, so that they were locked in place.

“Please, make yourself comfortable,” I said to her after I tied the rope off, and she lay down on a long couch, resting her head on the padded arm as she looked at the smiling Amy. “He looks like he knows what he’s doing, Grandma - maybe I can break my record,” she said as I bound her ankles together, side by side, and then her legs below her knees, making sure it was tightly cinched as well.

“There now,” I said as I stood up. “Now, I want to have a look round your house, Amy - but I need to have your promise that you won’t speak too loudly or call out.”

“Grandma usually stops me talking,” Amy said as she looked up at me, “with one of those cloths.” She looked over at a table, which had two clean dusters sitting on it.

“Does she tie this into your mouth,” I said as I picked one up and looked at Amy.

“No, silly - she stuffs it into my mouth. You can use one on her as well.”

I looked at her grandmother, who shrugged and said “it is our traditional way - just put it in, and I promise you will not hurt us.”

So I did as they asked - I scrunched up the dusters and pushed them gently into their mouths, the edges sticking out as they watched me walk out of the room and start to search the house.

It took me about twenty minutes to find what I was looking for, and I was heading down the stairs to check on my players when I had the worst possible luck - the front door opened and her mother walked in, stopping in her tracks and staring at me. I had to think fast, as I heard Amy call out “HLMMM”, so I took her by the arm, closing the door behind her and saying “Amy thinks this is a game of robbers, and her grandmother is playing along. Do you wish to spoil the illusion?”

She looked at me, her eyes wide with fear at my masked face, and slowly shook her head. “It’s all right, Amy, “I called out as I kept my eyes on her mother, “Your mum is going to play as well, but I need to get her ready before she comes in. Just be patient.”

“Lllrrt,” she called back as I turned the woman round, and started to bind her wrists and arms. Once I had her secured, I walked her into the front room, and sat her next to Amy, making sure her legs were tied in the same way as her daughter, and then using her scarf as a gag. It was tied around her head, but I guess in a way it was the same - a cloth pulled in her mouth.

“All right,” I said as I stood in the doorway, “Time to start to try and get free. Have fun.” I left them to their game, the one I had rather rudely interrupted, and made my way as quickly and as discretely as I could.

Tie-up games are a rare find, but I have used them when necessarily. Of course, I usually prefer it when there are one, or maybe two youngsters. Sometimes I don’t get that lucky...

********

You need to imagine the scene - it’s an early November night, and I had planning for some weeks to visit the house where the family of a local bank manager lived. He was going to be away at a conference, and I figured that his wife would be more than willing to part with a few valuables if their daughters were unharmed. I knew he had three girls - two twins aged nine, and an eleven year old. Now, three was unusual, but the gains made the risk worthwhile - and, I figured, if the youngsters were kept quiet first, the older kid would behave, as would Mummy.

So anyway, it was starting to get dark when I parked near the house - a large detached place with its own grounds. I hoisted my trusty rucksack onto my shoulder, and made my way along the grass verge of the driveway, then round the side of the house and into the kitchen.

It was just as I closed the door that the light went on, and I turned to see their mother standing there, dressed incredibly casually in a light grey pair of joggers and sweat shirt, with a pair of white sports socks pulled up over her ankles. I had to grab her before she screamed, and held her with my gloved hand over my mouth, whispering into her ear “Don’t panic, don’t scream now - stay calm, and everything will be just fine.”

“Hrru,” she mumbled as she tried to turn and look at me, but I had too tight a grip on her, her blonde hair trapped between the back of her head and my chest.

“I just want to play a game with you and your family,” I whispered into her ear, “where I take your nice valuables, you get to spend some quality time together, and nobody gets hurt. That’s what you want, right - for nobody to get hurt?”

She nodded and started to try to breathe normally. “Good,” I said quietly as I took my hand away. “Now, no screaming. If the phone rings, ignore it, understand?”

She nodded, and then said “Please, don’t hurt them...”

“I’m not going to - if everyone does what I say. Where are your daughters?”

“They’re in the front room, but...”

“Let’s go,” I said as I took her arm and walked her into the room. As we entered, however, I saw that there were a few more than I expected.

The younger twins were sitting on the couch, their blonde hair in pigtails and identically dressed in long sleeved white blouses, pleated white skirts, knee length socks and black shoes. What I was not expecting was another young girl, this one with short black hair, sitting between them. She had on a pink t-shirt with a heart motif, a layered pink skirt with denim pockets, and pink tights, and she was looking at us through horn rimmed spectacles.

As for her older daughter, she was sitting at a table doing some homework, dressed in a white t-shirt, denim shorts, black tights and flat shoes. With her was another eleven year old girl, wearing a pair of denim bib shorts over a long sleeved black top, white tights and sandshoes.

The older daughter looked at me with her mother, and said “oh my...”

“Girls,” her mother said, “We’re all going to play a little game. I want you to do what the man here says, all right?”

Now I had expected three girls, but five? I thought fast, then said “Hello girls - I want you all please to stop what you are doing, and then we can play together. First, you,” I said to the older daughter, “go and draw the curtains please, then come and sit on the couch with your friend.”

“Do as he says, Alice,” her mother said, so Alice stood up, walked over to the curtains and drew then, then said “You’d better come over as well, Jo - I think he’s serious.”

“Thank you,” I said as I watched them sit down. “Now, we’re going to play a game where we see who can sit stillest and quietest the longest. I’ll do things to you to make it easier, but when I say go, you have to remain very quiet and very still, all right?”

“You’re a robber, aren’t you,” the girl with glasses said as she looked at me, so I said “I’m pretending to be, all right? Now, let’s start with you three - why don’t you all sit in a circle, back to back, and put your hands down on your lap where I can see them?”

“It’s all right, girls - do what he says,” Mummy replied, so as I let her sit down and whispered “don’t move,” the three girls sat themselves, the twins so they could see their mother and their friend behind them.

“Now, you older sister and her friend are going to help you play,” I said as I took two rolls of brown tape out of my bag and tossed one to each of them. “They’re going to wrap some of this tape around your ankles and your legs, so that you won’t be able to use them. Just sit nice and still, and it won’t hurt.”

“Jo, Alice,” their mother said, “please, just do as he asks.” They slid off the couch and went round, talking quietly to the three girls as they taped their ankles side by side, then their legs together below their knees and under the hems of their skirts.

“That’s very good,” I said, “now, why don’t the three of you link arms and then put your hands together in front of you?” As they did this, they pulled their upper bodies closer together, as I said to the older girls “Tape their wrists together, and then sit back down on the couch.”

“This is fun - like being in a detective book,” the glasses wearing girl said as her wrists were taped tightly together, and then Alice and Jo sat back down, looking at me and their mother.

“Are you three nice and comfy,” I said with a smile through my stocking, and they all nodded, so I said to the older girls “All right - now tape your legs together and your ankles. When you’ve done that, I want you to sit back to back on that nice big couch.”

“Oh, they’re going to be like us,” one of the twins said as the older girls did what I asked, then sat back to back and looked at me as I walked over. Taking one of the rolls of tape, I put Alice’s hand together and taped her wrist, then bent her legs and taped them down to her thighs. I did the same for her friend Jo, before saying “Now I need to make sure your mother can’t move either, in the same way as you, but she’s going to stay in the chair so that she can watch over all of you and make sure you don’t cheat, all right?”

The three on the floor nodded, the two older girls scowled as they tried to move, but I was busy taping their mother’s wrists together behind their back, in her case taking the tape down over her hands and then around her waist, before taping her arms to her body at her stomach and shoulders. Her legs were next, bands of tape around her ankles, knees and thighs, before I stood up.

“Now, for the next part of the game I need to make sure you all stay quiet. You need to keep as quiet as church mice, or it will spoil the game, all right?”

“Please,” their mum said, “not yet. I promise we’ll be quiet.” I looked at the room, then said “All right - sit quietly, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

I watched them as they looked at the mother, who started to sign a song to them while I raided the rooms upstairs. When I came back down, I said “All right - time to be quiet now. I want you to look at me and stay calm.”

For the little ones, I simply covered their mouths with a couple of strips of duct tape each, while for the two older girls I pushed a folded up handkerchief into their mouths and then taped them over. Mummy - Mummy got a pair of her panties in her mouth, and then her lips and jaw covered in tape, before I made my way out of there.

I know, it seemed crueller - but I really did not want to cause the kids more distress than I had to. I’m just not like that...

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