All Hallow’s Eve

As she exited the Underground Station, Tabitha could see the small groups of children walking past Sloane Square, the adults accompanying them as they made their way to the nearby residential streets. They were dressed in a variety of outfits, as seemed to be the norm these days when the end of October came around.

She had spent her work day in the city, and had no particular plans for that night, as she pulled her coat round herself to keep out the chill. The thick wool coat covered her black leather dress, her grey-blue suede boots visible under the hem as her heels clicked on the pavement. In Tabitha’s mind, she wanted to get home, unwind, if any kids knocked give them some treats, and enjoy a nice large glass of wine. There was, however, one possible obstruction to the plan.

And that was her mother…

As she walked down the road, looking at the white fronted houses with the pillars at the main entrances, Tabitha wasn’t paying that much attention to the traffic or the vehicles parked outside. So she didn’t notice the grey transit van as it pulled up on the street, concentrating more on looking in her handbag for the door keys. She finally fished them out, and unlocked the door, listening as she let herself fin before she closed the door behind herself.

“So far so good,” she whispered as she put her handbag down and removed her coat, revealing the short sleeves of her dress as she rubbed her bare arms. The skirt of the dress came half way down her thighs, the detailed hem over the bare skin between the dress and the tops of her over the knee suede boots. She made her way along the ground floor corridor, turning on the lights as she made her way to the kitchen, and turned on the coffee machine. As the hot water bubbled through, she looked in the fridge to see what could be cooked for supper.

“I hope you’re making enough coffee for two.”

Tabitha looked to the corridor, rolling her eyes as she said “yes I am mother – come on in.” She found two mugs and placed them on the work surface, as she heard the sound of someone walking down.

She turned, her chestnut brown hair flowing with her head, as she saw her mother Yolanda walk in. She had blonde dyed hair, and was wearing a white dress made form woven linen, with an Egyptian design collar and short sleeves. Her legs were in a pair of over the knee black fabric boots, made with a three inch platform heel and an inch thick platform sole.

“And what brings you round on this cold night,” Tabitha said as she handed her mother a mug of coffee.

“Since when do I need an excuse to visit my favourite daughter?”

“I’m your only daughter,” Tabitha laughed as she heard the front door bell ring. She made her way along, picking up a large bowl filled with mixed sweets, and smiled as she opened the door to see four children on the doorstep, a number of older men and woman watching as they said “trick or treat!”

“Here you go,” she said as the costumed children took handfuls of sweet sand out them into the sacks and buckets they were carrying. They thanked her and then headed off as she closed the door, putting the bowl on the floor beside the door.

“This really has become like America, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah – I still remember going round with the other kids in Washington when you and Dad were working there.”

“Good times,” Yolanda said with a sigh as she took a drink from her mug of coffee, Tabitha opening the door and letting more kids take from the bowl. “So what have you planned for tonight?”

“A drink, a hot bath, and a quiet night – unless you have other ideas?”

Yolanda smiled, as she said “well, some friends of mine are throwing a little party, and…”

“Hold that thought,” Tabitha said with a sigh as she heard the doorbell again, and opened it, saying “what do you have to…”

Yolanda watched Tabitha as she slowly stepped backwards, the bowl in her hands as she was followed by a woman. She was about the same height as Yolanda, but was wearing a grey bodysuit with a hood, covering her entire body except for the gloves on her hands, and the short grey boots on her feet. The only part of her body that was not grey was the white, featureless mask that covered her face under the hood – but Yolanda could see the pistol in her gloved hand aimed at Tabitha as she walked in.

The figure motioned with the gun to Tabitha and Yolanda, the two women looking at each other as they walked to the side and watched three more women walk in, dressed identically, the featureless white mask where their faces should be. The smallest of the three took the bowl from Tabitha’s hands and walked back to the door, placing it outside before she closed and locked the door, then turned to look at them.

“Who are you,” Yolanda said quietly as the four women lined up in front of her and her daughter, their heads cocked slightly to one side before one of them set down the canvas bag she was holding. The white masks stared at them as she reached down, opened it with one hand, and then withdrew a coil of brown rope, standing up again as she shook it out to reveal the longest doubled over length of rope either Tabitha or Yolanda had ever seen, with a small loop tied at the middle.

The armed woman pointed at Tabitha, and motioned with her finger.

“You – you want me to turn round?”

The figure merely nodded, and as Tabitha slowly turned round one of the other three pointed at Yolanda, then put her gloved hands palm down on her head. Yolanda nodded as she complied with the request, then watched as the rope was draped over her daughter’s shoulders, the rope dropping to the floor as Tabitha turned and looked at her.

“Why don’t they say anything,” she whispered, and then her eyes opened wide. The outfits, the masks, the silence.

“Oh my god,” Yolanda whispered, “Tabby, they’re the China Doll Gang!”

Her daughter looked slowly over her shoulder, as the Doll started to wrap the ends of the rope down her arms in a spiral, pulling them behind her back at the same time before she folded her forearms and wrapped the rope around them, forcing them together as Tabitha gasped.

“Please – you don’t have to do this,” Yolanda said as she watched the Doll feed the ends of the rope through the loop she had placed at the back of Tabitha’s neck, and then pulled her arms up – only to see the armed Doll shake her head and put a gloved finger to where her lips should be.

“It’s all right Mum,” Tabitha said quietly as she saw the ropes starting to go round her body, framing her chest and breasts as her dress was stretched over it, “I don’t think we’re going to get a say in this.”

“Get a say – funny,” Yolanda laughed as she shook her head, watching as her daughter’s upper body was tightly bound, and then she was turned round. She tried to feel the ropes, but her fingers were out of reach of any of them, and as she twisted round all she could feel was the way the ropes rubbed on her, and the soft squeak of the rope on the leather.

The armed Doll then pointed at Yolanda, and then to the staircase.

“You… You want me to go up the stairs? But this is my daughter’s house, why should I…”

“Mum,” Tabitha said quietly, “do what they say. You know where everything is anyway, and you know the combinations – I don’t want either of us to get hurt.”

“All… All right,” Yolanda said quietly as she walked forward, her hands on her head as the armed Doll and one of the others walked up with her. The Doll who had secured Tabitha then indicated the front room, Tabitha nodding as she walked forward, the ropes moving with her as the other two Dolls followed her in.

“What… What do you want me to do now,” Tabitha whispered as she looked round, one of the Dolls walking over to a recliner and indicating she should walk over to it, while the second masked woman took a second length of brown rope from the bag, and doubling it over. Nodding, Tabitha did as she had been ordered, sitting down and then putting her legs up on the recliner as the hand gestures indicated.

The Doll then wrapped the rope round her legs, below her knees, and began to bind them tightly together, the blue suede appearing to lighten under the tight band, even more so when she passed the rope between her legs and round the upper band. Tabitha watched as she took the rope down and then wound it tightly round her ankles, forcing them together as well before she separated the ends, took them between her legs to add further security, and tied the ends off around the heels of her boots. The young woman tried to twist her legs round, but they were held firmly together.

“I… I guess I’m going to be staying here,” Tabitha said as she looked at the two masked women, both of them cocking their heads to the side as they slowly nodded. One of them then started to carefully search the room, while the other took from the bag a white silk square and folded it into a band, then pointed to the place on her mask where her mouth should have been.

“Oh god,” Tabitha whispered, “you don’t have to do that, I promise I will not call out for help.” The Doll just looked at her, and then shook her head before she pointed to the mask again. Tabitha swallowed, and then opened her mouth, feeling the large silk wad as it was gently pushed behind her teeth and into her mouth. It pressed her tongue down as she watched the Doll remove from the bag a wide roll of white tape, and heard the strange sound as she peeled the end free, and Tabitha began to wonder what was happening to her mother…

“… 689”

Yolanda watched as the Doll opened the safe that sat in her daughter’s walk in wardrobe, grunting as she felt the rope forcing her forearms together behind her back, and then the increase in tension as they were pulled up. The second Doll with her had done the same to her as her daughter, draping the long rope over her shoulders and then winding it down her arms and forcing them behind her at the same time. She felt the knots been tightened behind her as she wriggled her fingers helplessly, and the saw the grey covered hands and arms as she passed the ends of the rope round her body, below and above her chest, framing them as her upper arms were forced ever more tightly against her upper body.

It was a strange feeling, as she saw the way the white material was stretched over her chest, the way the ropes pressed on her upper arms and the lightening of the skin underneath. It was tight, but the way she was bound as not too uncomfortable. It was almost – sensual, in a strange way.

She gasped as the ropes were pulled tighter one more time, and then felt the hands behind her as the ends were tied off. The Doll had finished emptying the safe, as she turned and looked at Yolanda, her head to one side.

“The chest of drawers – second one down on the left,” she whispered, hoping Tabitha would forgive her as she felt her gold watch been taken from her wrist, and then her rings from her fingers, before her diamond pendant necklace was removed as well. The Doll who had been standing behind her then took her by the arms, and walked her over to the large bed, indicating she should sit down before the masked figure reached into the bag on the bed, and took out a second long length of brown rope.

Yolanda watched with a growing interest as the Doll knelt down, doubled over the rope and then started to bind her legs together below her knees, her black boots lightening under the pressure of the bands of rope as it was wrapped round, and then between her legs. The rope was then taken down and used to bind her ankles tightly together, Yolanda twisting them round after the ends had been tied off and knowing she was in no position to either force them apart, or use her fingers to untie the intricate knots.

The Doll then lifted her bound legs and swung her round, leaving Yolanda sitting on the bed as she looked again in the bag, and took out a large black silk scarf, folding it into a pad as she looked at the bound woman.

“You… You’re going to put that into my mouth, aren’t you?”

The Doll looked at her and slowly nodded as she walked to the side of the bed, Yolanda watching before she slowly opened her mouth. The silk tasted strange on her tongue as it was pushed into her mouth, but it filled the space behind her teeth, pressing her tongue down as Yolanda closed her lips over it and allowed herself to get used to breathing in and out through her nose – she had a feeling something else was going to be done to ensure the silk stayed in place.

A feeling that was confirmed as the masked intruder took a wide roll of white tape from the bag, literally peeled the end free, and then stuck it to Yolanda’s cheek before she wound it tightly round her head. The band covered her lips, and yes it was keeping that stuffing in her mouth –but despite the slight tug on her skin at her cheeks, and the way it was pressing her blonde hair against the back of her neck, it didn’t hurt. It was as if a scarf had been tied tightly round her head in the winter to keep the cold air out of her mouth – and she was able to breathe freely in and out through her nose.

As the tape was torn free and smoothed down at the back of her neck, the second Doll walked over, placing the velvet bag she had been filling with Tabitha’s valuables in the large holdall, and then helping her partner to lie Yolanda down, first on her back and then onto her side. She felt her legs been pulled back, the rope round them tightening even more, and then the heels of her boots against her bottom as they were secured to the ropes round her chest to keep them in place.

The two Dolls stood and looked at her, before one of them reached over and turned off the bedside lamp which had been illuminating the room, Yolanda now only able to see the white faces hovering like ghosts in the air until they receded into the darkness…

Tabitha grunted as her ankles were secured to her chest ropes, the heels of her boots against her bottom as she lay on her stomach on the recliner. The Dolls had managed in their search to find her money drawer, as well as some other items, all of which were now nestling in the holdall. The band of white tape round her head was holding the wad in place behind her lips, and her hair against the back of her neck, and somehow her position made the ropes holding her immobile even tighter.

“Swhthhpnsnsnhhh,” she mumbled as she turned her head, watching as the Doll who had bound her picked up the holdall, the other one walking over to the light switch by the wall. She watched as the room was plunged into darkness, the two white faces fading slowly as they retreated, and then the burst of light as the door was opened and closed quickly.

Tabitha started to twist round, trying desperately to find any way of loosening the ropes around her, but all she managed to do was make herself sweat, the ropes ribbing on her dress and the soft suede of her boots as she struggled. Eventually, she had to stop, panting through her nose and wondering why she felt so warm, and even slightly aroused, as she lay there.

How long this lasted for, she had no real idea – the room was in darkness and she could hear people outside through the large bay window, but with the heavy curtains closed there was no way anyone could look in, never mind see her predicament. She wondered if her mother was all right, if anyone was going to come to her rescue – and then she heard the footsteps in the hallway, and then running up the stairs as she called out for help. The room to the door opened, and a teenage girl walked in, dressed as a zombie as she looked at Tabitha, then screamed before a man walked in behind her.

Yolanda heard the voices, and twisted round on the bed, calling out as much as she could in the hope that someone was coming to the rescue. She then saw the door open – just a crack, as a head came round the corner, with black hair and a white face.

“Cooo – DAD, there’s a woman tied up on the bed up here,” the young boy called back over her shoulder as Yolanda began to laugh, the muffled guffaws escaping from under the tape as she shook her head.

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