Dolled up

Tamiko closed the door of her Japanese goods store, smiling as she heard the alarm set and then locked the door. She was a successful business woman, and as she walked to her car she had the day’s takings in her bag. A short trip to the bank, and then home again…

She was in her early forties, and wore a grey cape over a grey wool jumper, the sleeves pulled slightly up, and a long charcoal grey skirt. Black patent leather boots with a square heel covered her legs from the hem of the skirt, and her brown hair was held up on her head by a little rubber band.

She didn’t see the grey Ford Transit at the side of the road, or the eyes watching her as she got into the car. As she drove off, the van drove off as well and followed her…

“Yuki? Are you home yet?”

“I am Tamiko,” a voice called from the top of the stairs as Tamiko closed the door to the townhouse, and took her cape off after she had put the bag down. “Takings banked?”

“They are indeed – do you want a drink?”

“I would not say no,” Yuki called down as Tamiko went into the kitchen, pouring some fresh tea into tow mugs and taking them into the front room as her older sister came down. Yuji was two years older, and was wearing a long sleeved black ribbed jumper, an over the knee charcoal grey skirt with slits at the side, and long black leather boots, her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

“Ah,” she said as she sat down and took the mug, “that does smell good – so how was the afternoon?”

The grey van pulled in behind the row of houses, the driver turning the engine off before the three occupants slipped out and made their way to the back door, saying nothing as two of them watched the third work on the lock. As the door opened, they slipped in, pulling the hoods of their tops over their heads…

“Good,” Yuki said as she sat back on the couch, “at least you banked the takings.”

“no I didn’t.”

“What happened?”

“The bank was closed and the Police outside. I had to bring the takings back here, and hope I can cash them tomorrow.”

“Well, we just have to look after them for tonight,” Yuki said as she stood up, her skirt falling over her boots as she collected the cups. “Let me wash up, and then I can…” She stopped and fell silent as she opened the door, Tamiko looking up and then standing as her sister walked back in.

A woman followed her, dressed from head to foot in grey – literally, from the hood covering her head to the grey ankle boots she was wearing, as well as the grey gloves on her hands. Only two things were not grey – the lethal looking black pistol in her hand, and the white featureless mask where her face should have been visible, the thin eye holes the only thing showing.

“What on earth,” Tamiko said as she stood up, only to see two more women come in, identically dressed and masked. One carried a large grey holdall, the other held a second pistol as she closed the door, all three looking at the two sisters.

“Tamiko, what do they want,” Yuki said, but the three women said nothing, the one looking at Yuki cocking her head to one side before she pointed to Tamiko, then to the windows.

“You… Do you want me to close the curtains,” Tamiko said quietly, the masked woman nodding as the one with the bag put it on the coffee table, opening it and taking out a long coil of brown rope.

“Do as they say,” Yuki whispered quietly as she watched the three women – she had heard of them, but to have them in their house, and for an obvious purpose…

As Tamiko walked to the windows, and drew the curtains over the glass, the masked woman shook the coil of rope loose, Yuki seeing the small loop tied in the middle as she carefully lined up the two lengths.

“We are not going to try and stop you, we will do as you say,” she said quietly, the masked woman nodding as she indicated with her finger Yuki should turn round.

“Who are you,” Tamiko asked as the third woman took her by the arm and walked her back into the room, “why won’t you speak?”

“They will not speak, Tamiko,” Yuki said quietly as the rope was draped over her shoulders, the loop placed at the base of her neck, “they are the China Doll Gang, and I fear we are the latest people they have decided to visit.”

Tamiko stared at the Dolls as they looked at her and nodded in unison, before the rope was wound quickly down Yuki’s arms, the masked woman taking them behind her back as she did so before her wrists were secured tightly together, her forearms parallel to each other as the Doll fed the ropes through the loop, and pulled them up her back.

“They are robbing us,” Tamiko said quietly, unaware of the second Doll as she walked behind her, and then she felt the rope on her arms as they were pulled behind her, looping down and around over both the grey wool and the bare arms, before she too felt them been pulled up behind her.

Looking over, she could see her sister as the ropes were wrapped around her upper arms and body, framing her chest and pulling the black wool tightly over it, as she smiled and said “it could be worse, so let us count our blessings and cope as best as we can.”

Tamiko nodded as he watched the grey gloved hands wrapping the rope around her own body, her arms forced against her sides as she watched Yuki twist round. It had only been fifteen minutes, and these women had made sure both she and her sister were bound, unable to use their arms or hands, her fingers wriggling uselessly – and all without saying a word…

As the Dolls stood in a line and looked at them, their leader nodded to the one who had bound Tamiko, and she left the room as she pointed to the floor in front of the two seats.

“You… You want us to sit down,” Yuki asked quietly, and as the doll nodded the sisters looked at each other, before they walked over and carefully sat on the floor, their skirts slipping and showing where their boots went up over their knees.

The third Doll removed some more ropes from the holdall, and then knelt in front of Tamiko, pushing her skirt back as she wrapped the rope around her legs below her knees and bound them together, the leather and rope rubbing together and against each other as she did so. Cinching the binding, she then took the rope down and used the same length of rope to secure her ankles together, before moving the skirt again so that her knees were covered.

She watched as another of the Dolls bound Yuki’s legs in the same way, before the third Doll put the gun down, and retrieved a grey bandana from the bag, rolling it into a bad and tying a large knot in the middle. Keeping it taut in her gloved hands, she walked over and held the knot in front of Tamiko’s mouth.

“I fear we are not going to be able to talk to each other,” Yuki said as a Doll rolled and tied a knot in a black bandana, and held it in front of her mouth. Tamiko nodded as she opened her mouth, grateful the cloth was clean as the cotton knot pressed her tongue down, her lips and teeth closing over it as the band was tied tightly round her head, the ends secured and hanging down her back.

“Nhhwrnnttt,” she mumbled as she watched the masked Doll gag her sister, the two women watching as their handbags were searched, Tamiko groaning as they found the takings and put them in the grey holdall. The then started to search the room – but stopped as they all heard the front door open and close, and a young woman say “Aunt Tamiko, Aunt Yuki – are you in?”

“Hnnnssseekeee,” Tamiko said as she looked at Yuki, the Dolls watching as the door opened. The woman who came in was in her early twenties, wearing a long red woollen jumper dress, dark hose and over the knee black suede boots. She stopped and looked at the two bound and gagged women, then at the three masked intruders, before she said “oh my god…”

“Dnntsrcrrmmseekeee,” Tamiko said as the masked woman pointed a gun at the new arrival. “Dsstheeseee?”

“You – you’re the China Doll Gang?” As all three nodded, she said “my name is Suki – what do you want me to do?” The lead Doll twirled her finger round, and as Suki turned Yuki watched a third long coil of rope as it was removed from the holdall, shook loose and then draped over the young woman’s shoulders.

“Are you both all right,” Suki said as she felt her arms being pulled behind her back by the spiralled rope. Yuki and Tamiko both nodded, watching as their niece had her arms and upper body bound in the same way as theirs were. Tamiko wriggled round, trying to find some sort of give in the ropes, but there was none…

As the ropes was tied off, a Doll motioned for Suki to sit on the long couch, looking at her aunts as her legs were secured in the same way as theirs, the brown rope tight and showing on the black suede. She was then made to lie om her stomach, her aunts watching as her ankles were pulled back and tied to her chest ropes.

A red bandana was rolled up and knotted in the middle, before Suki was gagged in the same way as the other two, rolling onto her side and watching as two of the Dolls continue their search of the room, the third one heading out.

The three captives could only watch as items were placed in the holdall, including a pillow case the Doll brought into the room, before they turned off the lights. Tamiko watched as one of the Dolls picked up the bag, and they walked out, their white faces fading into the gloom as they did so.

The room was silent for a few minutes, Suki unwilling to move as she was afraid she may fall off, Tamiko waiting as her eyes adjusted to the gloom and the dimming light. Eventually, the young woman heard the squeak of leather, and watched as Tamiko slowly shuffled over to where Yuki was sitting, mumbling “trnrrndnndellseefecnfrruuuu…”

“Thank you, officer,” Tamiko said as she showed the police officer out, and closed the door. Returning to the front room, she said “at least we were unharmed, and money can be replaced.”

“True,” Yuki said as she held a coffee mug in her hands, “and at least they did not hurt you Suki.”

“Well, when I could not get through I thought there was a fault in the line – not that they had disconnected the phone,” Suki said with a laugh. “I presume our session tonight is cancelled?”

“Indeed – as enjoyable as Shibari is,” Tamiko said with a sigh,” what they did to us was just as good…”

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