The Games Players Birthday Party

Steve and I has planned this visit for some time the woman we wanted to visit was a successful writer called Joanne Finnigan, and she lived in a large house on the outskirts of a village north of Nottingham. As we were enjoying a weekend trip to the theatre there, the Sunday afternoon provided the perfect opportunity to pay the fifty-five-year-old woman a visit.

We also happened to know her granddaughters usually spent the Sunday at her home, so that provided the opportunity for our modus operandum of course, it did turn out slightly differently

We parked in the village and made our way to the house by foot -Steve was wearing a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt, dark jean sand trainers, while I had on a blue denim jacket over my top and jeans, the legs tucked into knee length black boots. We both also had woollen hats on our heads as we walked along with our rucksacks on our back before we quickly turned into the driveway of the house and along the driveway.

We then moved along the side of the building, pulling down the stocking over our heads with our gloved hands before Steve took out the starting pistol from his jacket pocket before we approached the rear door. Looking at each other, we took a deep breath to steady our nerves, and then I opened the door as he walked in first.

The kitchen was empty, but two things struck me. The first was the sound of music and laughter from somewhere else in the building and the second was the plates of party food and the birthday cake on the large wooden table.

Steve and I looked at each other, but before we had a chance to do anything Joanne Finnigan walked into the kitchen. Her long black hair was greying, and she was wearing a purple cardigan tucked into a pair of faded grey jeans, as well as black ankle boots. She looked at us, as Steve pointed the pistol at her, and whispered “What the “

“Hello Joanne,” Steve said as he smiled under the mask, “please, don’t shout out or call for help. I assure you, do what we tell you to do, and nothing bad is going to happen.”

“Are you robbing me?”

“We re,” I said as I slipped my rucksack off, “but I have the feeling you have guests. Where are they?”

“In the other room,” Joanne said quietly, “it’s my granddaughters’’ birthday, and we are having a little party.”

“Granddaughters?”

“Yes Ellie is seven today, and Josie five but they share the same birthday.”

“Well,” Steve said, “we are going to propose that we make this a very special birthday party for them they can play games, and have fun, but in a slightly different way. You see, the robbers are going to have make sure they don’t raise the alarm, but they can still have a goodtime.”

“How? If you are robbing us, then “

“We’ll show you all you have to do is tell them this is all your idea,” I said as I opened my rucksack, took out a length of rope, and then walked behind her, then guided her wrists behind her back and started to bind them tightly together.

“My idea? I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” I asked as I tied the ropes off.

“I can play along with that yes, but I didn’t organize the party, we’re just having it here because “

“Mum, where is the “ We both saw a tall, think younger woman walk in, but she looked enough like Joanne for me to realize this was her daughter the mother of the birthday girls. She was also wearing a cardigan a pink one in her case, the top two buttons undone and darker grey jeans with black ankle boots - and the look on her face as she saw us and Joanne was certainly not unique.

“Don’t say anything, Mary,” Joanne aid, “just listen to what they say, and do what they ask you to do.”

“But they “

“We,” I said as I looked at her, “have been hired by you to make this a very special and different birthday party for Ellie and Josie.”

“I hired you?”

“Yes,” Steve said as he removed his rucksack from his back, and removed a length of rope. “Do this, and what happens today will be an adventure, rather than a scary and unpleasant experience for them.”

“They are robbing you, Mum, and they want to make a g “ Mary then looked at us, and nodded as she said “oh. You’re them.”

“You have heard of them?”

“I have Mum,” Mary said as Steve went behind her and guided her hands behind her back. “They make this a game for any children in the house they visit so I guess the girls will all play some different party games today, correct?”

“Yes and I will help with that,” I said, smiling under the stocking mask as Steve made sure her hands stayed behind her back, “and you can keep an eye on what they do while my partner takes your mother round the house. We’ll also make sure they have their cake and party food but we will also make sure none of you can raise the alarm before we leave.”

Mary nodded as she looked at Joanne, and said “we can do this, Mother but we’ll need to make sure Esther knows what is happening for real.”

“Esther?”

“It may be best if we get things started now,” Joanne said, “take us through to where the others are.”

And so it was that Steve walked with Joanne, and me with Mary, as went into the large front room - and we saw there were some guests there as well, as the woman looking after them stood up and said “what the “

She was also wearing a cardigan, a lime green one, with blue jeans and ankle boots, as Mary said “it’s all right, Esther this is the special surprise I told you about for the party.”

“What surprise, Mummy?”

I looked at the two girls who were standing in the middle of the floor. Both of them had light brown hair cut in a bob, the older girl wearing a pale blue pinafore dress over a purple long-sleeved top, and lighter blue leggings with the legs tucked into mid-calf black Ugg boots. The younger girl was wearing a long-sleeved grey dress with shiny buttons on the front, white tights and black Ugg boots.

“Well, this must be Ellie and Josie,” I said as I looked at them. “Your mother thought you might enjoy a very special and different birthday party today.”

“What sort of party?”

I then looked at the other two girls who were standing there. They looked to be the same age as Ellie and Josie, the older girl with straw blonde hair and the young one light brown hair. They were both wearing denim jackets, the younger girl’s one with yellow cuffs turned back, over a blacktop and a white skirt with a blue checked hem. Purple tights and short tan leather boots completed her outfit.

Her older sister had on a dress in the same blue checked pattern, with a patterned hem, white tights with blue spots and dark brown cowboy boots. They both looked at the older woman as Mary said “well, these are two actors who have agreed to pretend to be a pair of robbers and they have stumbled into a house where the girls are having a birthday party. So they are going to make sure you all have fun in a different way, while the three of us watch over you.”

Esther looked at us, and then said “so the older girl is Ruth, and the younger one Miriam. Girls, can you see what the robbers have done to Ellie and Josie’s mother and grandmother?”

All four of them nodded as Steve said “~Well, they are going to sit on the couch, and I will make sure your mum is just like them and then my friend here is going to do the same to each of you, as well as make sure you all have your ankles tied together as well. And then we can have some party games, all right?”

“IT’s going to be fun girls, I promise you,” Joanne said, as they all nodded and watched as Steve guided Esther’s hands behind her back and made sure they were secured together while I gave each of the girls a length of rope to hold.

“Does it look or feel scary,” I said as Esther took a seat, and Steve knelt in front of them.

“No what is your friend doing to Mummy?”

“What I am going to do to you can you all sit down, and then one by one give me your rope?”

They all nodded and sat on the floor as I took the rope from Ellie, and then wrapped it round her ankles and bound them together. She watched me dot this and saw how her boots seemed to get lighter as the rope went around and between her legs. Tying that off, I then took the rope from her sister and made sure her ankles were secured together as well.

Bot girls wriggled their legs as Ellie said to Ruth “it doesn’t hurt and we will all be the same.”

“Okay,” was the reply as I made sure the other two girls had their ankles secured together as well, and then helped them to stand up as they saw that Steve had secured the ankles of their mother and grandmother together as well. I then helped Ruth and Miriam to take their jackets off, before I said “so, I am going to tie your wrists together in front of you, and then I am going to put something over your mouth to make sure you cannot warn anyone but I want you to promise you will not try to take it off. Will you promise to do that?”

All four girls nodded as I watched Steve take the roll of white tape from his rucksack, so I took more ropes from mine and made sure each girl and crossed their wrists in front of them and secured them snugly together. They watched as Steve peeled strips of tape from the roll, and pressed them down over the mouths of Joanne, Mary and Esther, and then he handed the roll over to me.

“What if we need the toilet?”

“Look at me and try to make a noise three times, and I will take you. Ready?”

I then tape gagged each of the four girls before I said “Well, let’s start with a dance. I am going to put some music on, and you can all jump around, all right?” They nodded again as I started to play a CD, and the four girls jumped around on the floor as we all watched.

What we should have anticipated, of course, was more guests so when the doorbell rang, I nodded to Steve as the girls kept jumping around, and went to see who had arrived.

And the new arrival was a smaller woman, about the same age as Joanne, wearing a brown suede jacket over a black t-shirt, faded blue jeans and brown cork sandals. She stared at me as I put a finger to my lips, and indicted she should come in with her two young girls. The older one looked to be the same age as Ellie and Ruth, with long brown hair cut short at the front, wearing a white top fastened at the front with brown duffle coat like buttons, and blue pants tucked into a pair of tan leather boots. The younger girl was probably a year younger than Josie and Miriam, her hair cut very short, and wearing a white lace dress over a white underdress, white tights and gold sandals.

“What’s going on, Gran?” she said as she held the older woman’s hands.

“Well, I’ll tell you,” I said as the music came from the front room, “but tell me your names first.”

“I’m Lois,” the older girl said, “and my little sister is Patty. Are you a robber?”

“Not really,” I said as I looked at them, “but my friend and I have been hired by the birthday girl’s mother to host a very different party for all of you. Would you like to see?”

“Can we Gran?”

“I think we should,” the older woman said as I walked them in, Ellie turning and saying “Hllllhshndphtthe. Chmhndjhnhs.”

“Ah more guests,” Steve said as he walked over. “You can see the girls are having fun will you let my friend make sure you are the same as them, while I make sure your grandmother joins the other adults.”

“Please,” Lois said as I said “well, come with me.” I heard Steve say “what’s your name, dear lady?”

“Carol what is really going on “

“Come over here and I will tell you,” he said as the four girls watched me take more ropes from my rucksack, and tied the ankles of the new arrivals as well as their wrists together in front of them, and then covering their mouths with the white tape. I then said “I know we have a parcel in the kitchen. If I help you all to sit down, do you want to play Pass the Parcel?”

All six nodded as I helped them to sit down, while Steve made Carol to sit with the other adults, looking at them with the white tap covering her mouth as well while he knelt down and secured her ankles together. I then went to the kitchen and brought the brightly coloured parcel in, giving it to Ellie and then saying “remember when the music stops you have to rip the paper off. Ready?” As she nodded, I started the song, and they passed the parcel round the circle they were sitting in.

“Htshshrhrlrhbhree?”

Joanne turned her head to look at Carol and nodded as the other mothers watched the girls having fun even if they were bound and gagged. I was also enjoying keeping an eye on them Tammy’s third birthday was coming up, and I was getting some ideas for her birthday party as well.

We continued to play some games, such as Statues and Simon Said, with one or two interruptions while I took a couple of the girls to the toilet, before we sat them all round the low coffee table, and I and Steve carried through the plates of food and laid them down. I also brough some drinks through, before I removed the tape gags from each of them and said “Go on have some food and a drink, while my friend brings a drink through for your mothers and grandmothers.”

Thank you, lady robber,” Millie said as they started to talk and eat, while Steve left the room and I untied the wrists of each of the women only to use those lengths to secure their legs together below their knees as they watched me, and then removed their tape gags.

“Thank you,” Joanne said as she accepted a mug of coffee from Steve, and then said “the girls seem to be enjoying the surprise party, Mary.”

“Yes, it does seem to be going well,” she said with a smile. So what is going to happen after the cake and food?”

“Well, you can all watch a film while my friend takes Joanne for a walk round the house,” I said with a smile, “and then we have a special challenge for each family to take part in to finish the day.”

“What sort of challenge,” Ruth said as she looked over.

“An escape challenge but we’ll tell you about it later. For now, eat up.”

“Wow this is an amazing parry,” Patty said as she sat with Jose and Miriam.

“Yeah it was a little scary at first, but I’ve really enjoyed it. Thanks Mum.”

“Thanks Mum,” Ellie said as she turned and smiled, Mary sighing before she took a sip from her mug..

“Have you tied more rope round Gran’s legs,” Lois said as she looked over.

“Yes I have and in a little while, I’m going to do the same to you as well,” I said with a smile, “but that will be before the cake. Which reminds me if you have all had enough?”

The girls nodded as Steve took the plates away, and then came back with the birthday cake, twelve candles burning with seven on one side and five on the other, everyone singing happy Birthday as he set it on the coffee able, and both Ellie and Josie got onto their knees and shuffled over.

“Make a wish,” Joanne and Mary said as they both closed their eyes and blew the candles to, the girls clapping and cheering as they did so.

“Well done I will take it and cut some slices,” Steve said as I removed the coffee table and took some more ropes from their bags, then one by one made sure they and their legs secured together below their legs as well.

“Now, do you think you can all wriggle round and sit in a line against the other couch there, facing the television.”

As they did so, Steve went behind their mothers and grandmothers, and guided their hands behind their backs before securing their wrist together again with fresh lengths of rope. I then took some more lengths of rope from my rucksack, and one by one took the hands of each of the girls behind their backs as well, crossing their wrists and tying them tightly together.

“Now, do you all like Barbie?”

All six of them nodded as I said “well, as a special treat, you are all going to watch the Barbie movie with me while my friend takes Ellie and Josie’s grandmother for a jump around the house. But I need to make sure nobody can call for help, so the tape is going back over the mouth of everyone.. Ready?”

Steve and I made sure they all and the white tape covering their mouths and chins before I turned the television on and found the film on a streaming service, while Steve helped Joanne to stand up and jump out of the room.

“WWhrrsghrhnhhghnnhh?”

“To get ready for the big escape challenge,” I said as Ellie nodded, and they sat back, trying to talk to each other as they watched the film. As they did this, I made sure they were even more secure, with rope going round their upper arms and body to make sure they were snugly secured - as well as their mothers and grandmother.

After a while, I saw Steve come in and nod, smiling under the mask as well as we all watched the film together. Only once the credits rolled did I say “Right time for the special escape challenge. Can you all stand up with our help and jump to the stairs with us?”

It was a sight Ellie and Josie following Mary, Ruth and Miriam following Esther, and finally Lois and Patty following Carol as they shuffled or jumped out of the room, and then made their way up the stairs. As they watched, Steve said “now, Joanne Finnigan is lying in her bedroom, unable to move. Look.” He opened the bedroom door and they all saw Joanne lying on her side, her legs bent back as she nodded.

“So, each family will go into another room, and be left as she is. When we give the word, you can all try to get each other free. Ready?”

The girls all nodded as Mary, Esther and Carol looked at each other, so Steve opened the door of the next room, and I helped Carol to jump in with Lois and Patty. There was a large bed there, so I helped to lie on their stomachs and bent Carol’s ankles back, securing them to her chest ropes before I helped the girls by tying their ankles a little more loosely, and then lying them on their sides as I did so.

Esther, Ruth and Miriam went in the next room, Steve helping them to sit on three beanbags in there and making sure they were more comfortable;, while I took Mary and the girls into the third room and helped hem to lie on the floor, their heads on cushions as they looked at each other.

“Have you enjoyed your special birthday Party,” I said, Ellie and Josie both nodding as Mary looked at them.

“Good well, when you hear me say now, you can start to try to get free,” I said, Mary nodding in reply as she said “Wfhhnkuhfhrnhthhrthhnhs.”

“You’re welcome, “I said as I walked out and looked at Steve.

“Joanne was very helpful and I think we need to make a swift exit.”

“Agreed,” I whispered before I called out “Ready? START!”

And with that, Steve and I walked down the stairs, collecting our rucksacks and removing our masks before we walked out of the house and back to the car

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