The Games Player – Christmas Surprise

I do like to help those I visit on my own have a fun time – and this last week, I visited a family who were beginning to look forward to Christmas, and manged to fulfil some of their wishes as well.

It was about the 12^th of December as I got out of the tube station at Epping, putting my rucksack on my back before I made my way to the home of Elaine Dickens and her family. I knew her husband Charles – yes, that really was his name – was away on a business trip, and Steve and I had reviewed the information we had before I came out.

I was dressed for the occasion, wearing a red Christmas jumper with a white roll neck top underneath, red leggings and black over the knee boots – but as I turned up the driveway, I took from the jacket of my blouson jacket the black leather gloves and slipped them on, then pulled the dark stocking down over my head before I tucked it under the white material at my neck.

The front door opened as I tried the handle, and slipped into the hallway, I could hear music playing in the kitchen. So I slowly made my way down, checking the rooms as I went past, getting closer to where the music was playing.

At the kitchen door, I looked in to see three year old Lauren sitting in a high chair. Her youngest daughter had short blonde hair with a red ribbon attached to the side, and was wearing a white jumper with thin blue stripes, a blue skirt with white polka dots, red tights with flowers on the side and yellow fringed booties.

She was drawing with a crayon, while her mother was working by the sink. Elaine was in her mid-thirties, and today was wearing an orange and grey striped V-necked top, her black pants tucked into a pair of knee length grey leather boots. Her long blonde hair fell freely, and she was humming along to the sound of Mud.

“Excellent choice,” I said out loud as I stepped into the kitchen, Lauren looking at me as Elaine turned round, and said “oh my…”

“You look funny,” Lauren giggled as she looked at me.

“I guess I do,” I said with a smile, “and you look very pretty. Is that a picture of your mummy?”

“It is,” Lauren said as Elaine came over and stood beside her.

“What… Who are you, and what do you want?”

“You must have forgotten, Mrs Dickens – you booked me today to play a game with you and the children, and also to get their answers to what they want for Christmas.”

“The… The…” I waited until the light of realization went on behind Elaine’s eyes, as she said “oh, that game? Please, does it have to be today?”

“No time like this – but don’t worry, I’m going to make sure the game finishes with a good time for everyone,” I said with a smile. “Where are Edward and Ursula?”

“In their rooms…”

“Well, I suggest we start playing the game with you two, and then you can call them down to play. But first – tell me Lauren, what do you really want for Christmas?”

The little girl looked at me, and said “I’d like a dolly – but I’d also like some milk.”

“Well, let’s leave Santa to deal with the dolly,” I said with a smile, “but I’m sure Mummy will get you a glass of milk, while you get to be the first person to play the game.”

I looked at Elaine, who slowly nodded as she went to get a glass of milk, while I slipped my bag off and took out a length of rope. “Now, this game is called Robber,” I said with a smile, “and it means you, your brother and sister, and your mother get to pretend a robber has called. That robber has to stop you all raising the alarm, so I need to make sure you stay with your mother – and I do that with this rope. I’m going to start with your ankles, all right?”

“Okay,” Lauren said as Elaine handed her a glass of milk, while I knelt down and started to bind he rankles together, the rope sitting on top of her yellow booties. “The lady says she’s going to make sure I stay with you Mummy.”

“Well, that’s nice of her,” Elaine said as she looked at me, “and my other children?”

“In the same room, but in a slightly different place I think,” I said as I pulled the rope between the young girl’s legs and tied the ends off. I then used a second length to hold her legs together below her knees, as Elaine smiled and stroked her hair.

“It feels funny, Mummy,” Elaine giggled as I stood up.

“I’m sure it does – but the lady will do the same thing to me,” Elaine said as she looked at me.

“The same thing with your legs yes, but something different for your hands,” I said with a smile as I took more rope from my rucksack, “so Mummy is going to give you a hug, and then she is going to put her hands behind her back.”

“Don’t worry, we will be together,” Elaine said as Lauren nodded, watching as I bound the woman’s wrists together behind her back. I then said “have you finished with your milk, Lauren,” the young girl nodding as I took the glass to the sink, and then lifted her out of the chair.

“Right – let’s go into the front room,” I said with a smile, “and we’ll make sure you two stay together before someone comes down.” I carried Lauren ad Elaine led the sway, pushing the door to the room open with her body before she sat down on the couch, facing the television.

I sat Lauren next to her, saying “let me make sure Mummy can’t run away, and then you can sit on her lap.” She nodded as I took the rucksack off again, and then used two lengths of rope to secure elaine’s ankles and legs together, twisting her own legs as I did so.

“There now,” I said with a smile as I stood up, and then sat Lauren on Elaine’s lap, her legs on the couch as I tied her wrists together with rope, and then secured the ends to the rope around her legs. I then used a longer rope to bind them both together, around their upper bodies and making sure it was tight.

“Now,” I said with a smile as closed the curtains over the room, and went to the door, “who are you going to call first?”

“Edward,” Lauren stated firmly as she nodded her head, Elaine smiling and kissing her head before she called out “EDWARD! WILL YOU COME DOWNSTAIRS PLEASE!!”

“Okay Mum,” I heard a young boy call out, and then the footsteps on the stairs before the six year old boy came into the room. He had short blonde hair, and was wearing a white top with mustard coloured sleeves, black and white checked pants and black plimsols. As he came in, he stopped and said “Mum – who tied you and Lauren up?”

“The nice lady,” Lauren giggled as I put my hand on his shoulder, and said “hello Edward – we’re playing a game of Robbery, and it’s your turn to take part.”

“We’re all going to play.” Elaine said, “so do what the masked lady says.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Put your hands behind your back.” As Edward did this, I started to bind his wrists together, as I said “I would like to know what you want for Christmas Edward.”

He thought for a moment before he said “Lego – lots of Lego,” as I pulled the rope between his arms and tied the ends off. I then found a longer length, and wrapped it round his upper body, forcing his arms into his sides as I made two band s- one round his stomach, one round his upper arms.

“Well, I am sure Santa will bring that for you,” I said with a smile as I tied the ropes off, “but for today, why don’t we make sure you watch both of the Lego movies while I pretend to rob the house.”

He grinned from ear to ear as he sat on the floor, watching as I bound his ankles tightly together, and then his legs below his knees. “Now,” I said as I looked at elaine and went back to the door, “time for your other daughter.”

“URSULA – WILL YOU COME INTO THE FRONT ROOM PLEASE?”

I waited as the footsteps came closer, and then her eight year old daughter came into the room. Her blonde hair was in two pigtails, and she had a dark cream coloured cardigan on over an orange top, dark blue leggings and silver slippers.

“What is it Mum…. Oh my,” she said as she looked at the rest of the family, “are we being robbed?”

“We’re playing a game of Robbers, with this lady,” Elaine said as Ursula turned and looked at me. “so do as she says, and we’re all going to watch the Lego Movie together while she pretends to rob us.”

“What do you want me to do,” Ursula said as she turned and looked at me, “be like my brother?”

“Actually – yes. It doesn’t hurt, does it Edward?”

“No – it’s nice actually,” Edward said as he twisted round, Ursula nodding as I took her hands behind her back, and tied her wrists together with rope. I then wrapped rope round her upper body to hold her arms against her sides, before she sat next to Edward and I secured her legs.

“So tell me, Ursula – what do you want for Christmas.”

“World peace.”

I looked at her, and then said “I would like that as well – but for now, we can have peace in this house. How does that sound?”

“It sounds good,” Ursula said as I tied the rope off between her legs.

“There,” I said as I stood up, and turned the television on, finding the two Lego movies and setting them up to start before I looked at them all. “One more thing, the bad robber has to make sure you all stay quiet, so I’m going to put some special tape over your mouths. It won’t hurt, but it will keep you quiet. Ready?”

Elaine looked at her children, then nodded as she said “do me first.”

“One question first – what do you want for Christmas?”

“A new kitchen – is that so bad?”

I nodded in reply as I took a wide roll of white tape from my rucksack, and peeled a long, wide length from the roll, before I smoothed it carefully down over Elaine’s mouth, making sure it stuck firmly.

“You look funny, Mummy,” Lauren said as she looked up, seeing the shape of her mother’s lips under the tape. She then put her own lips together before I covered them with a length of the tape, waiting as I smoothed it down as Elaine said “shddhuhh.”

Lauren smiled and laid her head on Elaine’s chest as I made sure both Edward and Ursula were just as quiet as them, before I said “now don’t move – I am going to search the house, and if I come back to find you getting free, I just have to tie you tighter.”

“Whllshsthhl,” Elaine mumbled, the others nodding as I left them alone to watch the start of the film. My search of the house was very fruitful, but when I came back I saw Lauren had fallen asleep, her chest rising and falling as she lay there.

“Dhntshstrhbhr,” Elaine said as I nodded. “Okay – I want to do something to make it more difficult for Edward and Ursula to move.”

“Whhtt?” Elaine watched as I put two cushions on the floor, and then helped her other two children to lie on their stomachs, pulling their ankles back and tying them their chest ropes as they watched the television.

“Now,” I said quietly, “I will be watching you for a while. Once both films have finished, you can start to try to escape, all right?”

They both nodded as Elaine looked at me, nodding herself as I slipped to the back of the room, waiting until they had all settled before I made my way out of the house, removing the stocking and gloves, and heading back to the Underground station…

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