Helping One Another
“What do you think they are talking about up
there,” Rhona said as she sat in the armchair, a cup of hot coffee in her
hands.
“Probably about that boyfriend of hers,” her sister
Pippa said. In her mid-forties, the
younger of the two sisters was wearing a light pink jacket with large silver
buttons, blue jeans and over the knee burgundy red leather boots that sported a
three inch square heel. She smiled as
she took a sip of her own coffee, before she said “have you heard from him?”
“Nope – and I don’t want to,” Rhona said as she
shook her head. The older of the two
sisters was in her mid-fifties, her greying hair cut short as the top of her black
jacket exposed the white vest underneath.
A tartan print mini-skirt covered her modesty, with dark hose hugging
her legs and her lower legs in a pair of snugly fitting black over the knee
boots.
“So the dress is your way of hitting back?”
“Hey – you’re as young as you feel,” Rhona said
with a smile. “But I’ve kicked him out,
and that’s the end of it. I just need to
change the locks later today.”
“And his stuff?”
“What stuff?
Anything of value in this house is mine,” Rhona said as she looked at
Pippa, “and he’s not getting a single bit of it.”
“Quite right too,” Pippa said with a smile as the
doorbell rang. “That must be the
locksmiths now.”
“I’ll be back in a minute,” Rhona said as she stood
up and made her way to the door, Pippa finishing her coffee as she put it down
on the low table.
“So was it the locksmiths,” she said as she looked
round, and then sat back in the chair…
“Who is that at the door,” Peggy said as she looked
at her cousin.
“Probably the locksmiths – Mum booked them after
she kicked Dad out,” Xandra said with a smile.
She had her dark hair up in a bun on her head, and was wearing a black
and white striped jersey dress, a pair of straight brown leather boots on her
lower legs. By contrast, Peggy was wearing
a white t-shirt with a thin white belt round her waist, a floral print skirt,
white tights and knee length black leather boots.
“Anyway – what about this creep of a boyfriend?”
Xandra asked as she looked over.
“Oh him,” Peggy said quietly, “it’s just some of
the things he wants me to do – talk dirty to him, things like that…”
“You? You
could not talk dirty if your life depended on it.”
“I know,” Peggy said with a shy smile, “so what am
I going to do…”
“Please, forgive the intrusion,” the taller of the
two men said as they came into the front room with Rhona, “and allow me to make
the introductions. I am Mister Tall, and
my friend here is Mister Small. And you
are?”
Pippa stared at the two men – both were identically
dressed, in black leather jackets over roll neck sweaters, jeans and trainers,
and both had black leather gloves on their hands – as well as black balaclavas
over their heads, allowing only their eyes and mouths to be seen. One held a black bag in one hand, the other
round Rhona’s arm, while the taller of the two had a handgun pointing at her.
“Iiiiiii I’m Pippa,” she finally said.
“And are you the resident of this fine house,
Pippa?”
“No, I am,” Rhona said quietly, “who are you?”
“Gentlemen with a trade and a skill,” Mister Small
said, “and today, we are practising that trade and skill here. Before we do so, however, I regret to say
that you and Pippa need to be kept where we know you will remain. May I enquire as to your name?”
“Rhona – oh no, the girls…”
“We can discuss who else is in the house once we
have you both appropriately secured,” Mister Tall said with a smile. “For now, may I impose on you both to kneel
in front of that fine couch, and to put your hands on your heads?”
“Why would we do that,” Pippa asked quietly.
“Because,” Mister Small said as he released Rhona,
and put the bag down, removing two lengths of cord from it, “with regret, we
are going to have to secure you in such a way you do not raise the alarm or
prevent us as we go about our work.”
The two sisters looked at each other, before Rhona
said “we don’t have a choice, do we?”
“No I am afraid you do not,” Mister Tall said as
Pippa stood up, and then the two women knelt side by side, looking at each
other as the two masked men took a length of cord each, crossed their wrists
behind their backs, and started to bind their wrists together.
“I know it feels tight,” Mister Tall said quietly,
“but if it is not tight, it will do you more harm in the long run.”
“That seems a contradiction in terms,” Pippa said as
she felt the rope being passed between her arms, tightening it still further.
“Like much in life, it is a contradiction that
holds true,” Mister Small said as both men tied the ropes off, and tucked the
loose ends into the binding. They then
took two longer lengths of rope from the bag, and doubled them over, before passing
them round their bodies, pulling their arms into their sides as the rope went
above and below their chests, framing their upper bodies as their arms were
forced more and more into their sides.
“Would it sound strange if I said this was exciting,”
Rhona said as she felt the bands rubbing on her chest, her black jacket popping
open.
“Yes it would,” Pippa grunted, “But, given your
recent experiences…”
“Ah – does this mean you have had other visitors
recently?”
“No,” Rhona said as she felt Mister Tall pass a
length of rope under her arms, and tighten the two bands together, “more a
philandering husband I kicked out.”
“Ah – hence the wish to look and feel younger. I can understand,” Mister Tall said as he
tied the cinching ropes off, and helped Rhona to sit on the couch, Pippa
joining her. “Now, will you both please
cross your ankles, and rest your feet on the coffee table.”
“Mum – Peggy and I are going to go out for a
while,” they then heard a younger woman call down.
“Ah – regretfully we cannot allow that. Mister Small, would you ensure the two ladies
upstairs remain in that room?”
“Of course Mister Tall,” the smaller of the two men
said as he handed Mister Tall four lengths of rope, and then took the bag with
him as he headed up the stairs.
“Now then,” Mister Tall said with a smile as they
wriggled round, “who will be first?”
“Ready,” Xandra said as she slipped on her leather
jacket, in the same colour as her boots.
“Just about,” Peggy said as she adjusted her own
Denim bolero jacket, “let’s hit the shops and ohmygodwhoareyou?”
“Good afternoon ladies,” the masked man said as he
stood in the doorway. He was barely five
foot seven tall, dressed in black literally from the balaclava over his head to
his sneakers, a holdall in one hand and a knife in the other, “My name is
Mister Small, and as we speak my friend Mister Tall is talking to… Well, I presume your mothers in the front
room. I regret to say, whatever your
plans were have just been cancelled, as you will be remaining in this room for
the foreseeable future.”
“Oh my god – are you robbing us,” Xandra said
quietly.
“Well – yes we are, and so with deep regret, I must
ensure you stay in this room. Would you
both kindly hand me your mobile phones, and then remove your coats, laying them
carefully on the bed.”
“Our mums are downstairs – we don’t have a choice,”
Peggy said quietly as she slipped her jacket back off, and looked in her
handbag, handing her phone to the masked man as she looked at Xandra. The other girl nodded as she put her hand
into the pocket of her jacket, removing and handing over the phone before she
took her jacket off and laid it on top of Peggy’s.
“Excellent – now, I would ask you both to sit on
the bed, put your hands on your head, and cross your ankles.”
“Why?”
Mister Small just smiled and waved with his hand, the two young women
looking at each other before they sat and crossed their ankles, watching as he
knelt down, took a length of cord from the bag, and started to bind Xandra’s
ankles tightly together, the cord going around and between her legs as she
watched.
“Why are you binding our ankles first,” Peggy asked
as Mister Small tied the knots off, tucked the ends in, and then took a second longer
length of cord, using it to secure her cousin’s ankles together below her
knees.
“Why, isn’t it obvious? To stop you running off,” Mister Small
replied with a smile as he moved over, and began to bind Peggy’s ankles.
“Gotta admit, he has a point,” Xandra said as she
tried to move her legs, the leather squeaking as her boots rubbed
together. Peggy nodded as she felt her
own legs been secured together, the rope sitting above her boots and over her
tights as she watched.
“I understand your father has just been kicked out
by your mother,” Mister Small said as he tied the rope between Peggy’s legs,
before standing up and looking at Xandra.
“That must have been a shock.”
“Not really,” Xandra said as Peggy twisted her legs
round, “but Peggy here has boyfriend problems as well.”
“Ah – nothing too serious I hope?”
“He wants me to talk dirty to him,” Peggy said
quietly, “I wonder how he would react if he saw me now.”
“A moot point – now girls, sit back to back on the
floor, and bend your legs…”
“That is tight,” Pippa said as Mister Tall tied the
rope around her legs below her knees, the rope rubbing on the burgundy leather
as he pulled the rope tight around and between her legs.
“But kinda exciting,” Rhona said as she looked at
her own bound legs, twisting them round as the leather squeaked as well. “I think I finally have some excitement in my
life!”
Pippa looked at her sister, and shook her head as
Mister tall stood up. “Now then, Rhona,”
he said with a smile, “it will save a lot of unnecessary mess if you tell me
where your valuables are.”
“I can imagine it would,” Rhona said as she twisted
round, “there is a safe in the back room, but I will not tell you the
combination?”
“Oh I think you will,” Mister Tall said quietly,
“because if not, Mister Small may have to use a small charge to blow the door
open, and who knows what might happen after that?”
“He’s got a point,” Pippa said, Rhona nodding as
she said “very well,” and gave a combination.
“Excellent – and now, with deep regret, it will be
necessary to keep you both silent.”
“And how do you propose to do that,” Pippa said as
she looked over, and then saw Mister Tall fold a white cloth into a pad. “Ah – stupid question really.”
“Kind of, yes – open your mouth please.” As she did so, Pippa felt the soft silk touch
as the cloth was pushed into her mouth, and then heard a squelchy sound as
Mister Tall tore a long strip from a wide roll of white tape, and then pressed
it firmly onto her mouth, using his gloved fingers to form the tape to the
contours of her lips and chin.
“How does it feel,” Rhona said as she looked at her
sister.
“Vreeddfrnt,” Pippa mumbled, Rhona seeing her lips
moving under the tape as Mister Tall folded a second cloth, Opening her mouth, she calmed herself as the
cloth was pushed in, and then a length of tape firmly pressed over her own
mouth as well.
“Please, remain where you are,” Mister Tall said
with a smile as he collected the coffee mugs, the two women looking at each
other as they wondered where their daughters were…
“There – how does that feel?”
“Different,” Xandra said as she tried to twist her
wrists round, but the rope holding them firmly together as well as to the rope
that held her legs together below her knees.
Her ankles were also crossed and secured together with rope.
“Hey – careful when you do that,” she heard Peggy
say, and smiled. For a moment, she had
forgotten they had linked arms on each side before the masked intruder had tied
her cousin’s wrists together and then down to her own leg binding.
“Live with it Cuz,” she said as she tried to look
round, and then gasped as Mister Small wrapped some rope around both of them, securing
them together above and below their chests as the ropes framed their breasts.
“Now this is different,” she heard Peggy say, “we
are not going anywhere, are we?”
“No I don’t think we are,” Xandra said as the ropes
were pulled tighter, and she felt them rubbing on her chest. “So what now – you rob us?”
“Well – yes,” Mister Small said as he took from the
bag a velvet bag, and started to search through the drawers, finding and
placing jewellery into the inside.
“You know, for a masked home invader, you’re kind of
cute,” she heard Peggy say, and then her gasp as she wriggled round again.
“I thank you for the compliment,” he said with a
smile as he looked to the door, Xandra smiling as a taller masked man came
in. “Mister Tall, may I present Xandra
and Peggy, the daughters of the two ladies downstairs.”
“Ladies,” he said with a smile, “I am afraid the
time has come to be quiet. Would you
kindly open your mouths as wide as possible?”
“Whyhhhegtttnw,” Xandra heard Peggy say, and then
she saw the folded cloth in front of her own mouth. Swallowing, she allowed the tall masked man
to push it in and behind her teeth, her lips closing over it as she watched him
tear a wide strip of white tape from a roll, and press it firmly over her lips,
forming a seal as she heard the tearing sound again, before Peggy whimpered
behind her.
“There now – Mister Small if you would check the
other bedrooms?”
“Of course Mister Tall,” his partner said as he
left the room.
“Now – your mothers are downstairs, just as tightly
bound and gagged as you, but unharmed.
Stay here, do not struggle, do not try to escape, and you’ll be just
fine. I’m sure help will turn up in due
course.”
“Hwnnubshr,” Xandra heard herself mumble.
“Because we will arrange help on your behalf – once
we have a chance to get a suitable distance away. On that you have my word.”
“Dwwwtrsthm,” she said, and she heard Peggy mumble
in agreement as Mister Small returned.
“All done?”
“All done – forgive us ladies, but the Gentlemen
Robbers bid you adieu – may we never meet again.”
They watched as the two men left, and walked down
the stairs…
“Well, we are finished here now,” Mister Tall said
as he looked at Rhona and Pippa, struggling in their bonds on the chair, “the
Gentlemen Robbers bid you adieu – may we never meet again.”
“Ehhpssttuuu,” Rhona said as the two men left, then
looking at her sister.
“Wll, whhttdwwudnnnw?”
“Dnntskmm,” Pippa said as she twisted round,
feeling the saliva as it was soaked up by the scarf in her mouth,
“whtbbtthgrls?”
Rhona nodded, and then slid onto the floor, her sister
watching as she bent her legs and pushed herself along the carpet, her skirt
riding up as she did so. Taking some
deep breaths, she slid herself off and followed her as they pushed themselves
out of the room, along the hallway and to the bottom of the stairs.
“Urrkdddnrht?”
Rhona shook her head as she pushed herself onto the
bottom stair, and managed to get her feet side by side, using them to push
herself up one step at a time. Pippa
twisted her legs round, the leather squeaking until her ankles were uncrossed,
and then followed her sister up, step by painful step.
As she reached the top, she saw Rhona waiting for
her, and heard the muffled sounds from Xandra’s bedroom. She could also see into the master bedroom,
and the opened and empty drawers there.
Rhona indicated with her head as she started to
push herself along the corridor, Peggy following until they reached the open
door of Xandra’s room. She looked in at
the two cousins, bound back to back as they turned and looked at her.
Peggy looked in as well, the two girls nodding to
show they were all right. The doorbell
rang, and then the door opened as they heard a man say “Locksmith – you wanted
the front locks changed… What the hell…”
His jaw dropped as he saw Rhona at the top of the stairs,
wriggling in the ropes as she mumbled “Hllppssss…”
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