The Supermarket Sweep

“There now – you are a very brave girl, and never let anyone tell you otherwise.”

The young girl nodded as she looked up at her mother. She was wearing a short blue dress with white and red stripes, white tights and black shoes, while her mother was wearing a cream wool jumper, blue jeans and brown shoes.

But they were both on the couch, their wrists tied together in front of them with twine, which had then been played out to secure their legs together, and their ankles. Each of them also had a strip of brown sticking plaster over their mouths, watching as he looked through the mother’s purse, and then turned to leave them in the front room as he searched the rest of the house.

He found many things to take, before he walked back into the room and checked they were still secured, still quiet, before he went out through the kitchen, the bags of groceries still there. He had followed them from the supermarket, surprised them, secured them – and taken great joy in doing so.

As he left the house, he made his way to the main street, seeing the poster for Live and Let Die. Perhaps later – but then the bank alarm sounded, as he looked round…

The alarm bell made Steve wake up, feeling the sweat on his body as he looked round the room. “That… That was different,” he said to himself as he took a moment, and then slowly got up, making his way towards the bathroom. He had the second day of his new job to start…

“This is one of the oldest – and one of the largest – supermarkets in the town,” Alexander said as he walked Steve round the warehouse, “and we are proud of our history.”

“I can imagine – when did the first store open?”

“The early 1960’s,” Alexander said as he looked at photo display, “this is one of our earliest customers. Bit of a cause celebre actually – that family were robbed the day that photo was taken.”

“Really? That seems a bit unfortunate.”

“Oh it was – but as I say, that is history,” Alexander said as they walked on, “let me show you something else a spart of your induction…”

“Oh my god – please, don’t…”

He saw the fear in the face of the dark haired woman in front of him, wearing a green floral print sleeveless dress with brown and cream pumps. He also felt the movement on his hand as it covered the mouth of the blonde haired girl he was holding.

“Then do as I say,” he heard himself speak. “Upstairs, bedroom, now.”

“Okay, just don’t hurt her,” she said as she raised her hands and walked in front of him, him walking with his hand still over the young girl’s mouth. They slowly walked up the stairs, and then into the master bedroom, the cover over the bed blankets as he saw the lace edged pillows.

“Lie face down, and put your hands behind your back.”

As she did so, he looked down as the girl looked back up at him. She was wearing a short sleeved red dress, white ankle socks and black shoes.

“Lie next to your mother, and put your hands behind your back as well,” he said, the girl nodding as he let her go and she ran over, her head turned as her mother said “it’ll be all right, Sandy, it’ll be all right…”

He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a ball of twine, waking to the side of the bed where the young girl was and using the twine to tie her wrists together. He then bent her legs back and wound the twine round her ankles, making sure they were secured as well before he cut the twine free.

Walking round the bed, he then bound the wrists and ankles of her mother in the same way, before he went to a drawer and opened it. He drew out a red chiffon scarf, rolled it into a band and then went to where the young girl was lying.

“Mummy?”

“Open your mouth Sandy,” her mother said, nodding as he pulled the red band between the young girl’s lips and secured the ends at the base of her neck. He then found a green scarf, and used it to gag the mother in the same way before they rolled onto their sides and looked at each other. He watched the mother kiss the little girl on the forehead before he started to search the room – and then the telephone rang…

Steve stood in front of the photo, rubbing his chin as he looked at the mother, the daughter perched on the trolley. It was a dream, nothing more, and yet it had seemed so real.

“Steve?”

“Oh – sorry Boss,” he said as he looked at Alexander, “I was thinking of what you said. They were really robbed?”

“They were – the mum and kid left bound and gagged on the mother’s bed. Strange really - as I said, it happened the day this photo was taken.”

“Has that happened often?”

“Not that I’m aware of – but you can look in the records later. Although…”

“Boss?”

“There was one person – she claimed she had been followed home. Come with me.”

They walked out of the store and into the manager’s office, Alexander taking a book from the shelf and opening it.

“This was her – she and her four year old son.”

Steve nodded as he looked at them. You say she claimed she was followed from the supermarket?”

“that’s what she said – I don’t think it was ever proved, though. Anyway – we have a delivery coming. Let’s go get it…”

“There you go Timmy – play with your toys, and I’ll put the shopping away.”

The boy nodded as he started to play with his animals. He had short blonde hair, and was wearing a pair of blue bib shorts, blue ankle socks and brown sandals.

He looked up – and then saw his mum with a man standing behind her, his face covered with something, his hand over her mouth. What was he doing to his mum?

“Keep playing kid,” the man said as he walked his mother to the couch and sat her down, then put her hands behind her back as they talked. Mum was wearing a peach short sleeved knitted top, a long blue skirt, white socks and brown sandals – but he could see her start to cry as the man did something to her.

He stood up and watched as the man knelt by his mum’s legs, and then he saw thew white rope round them which he was pulling tighter. He watched, curious as the man then folded up a white cloth, and put it in her mouth, the edges sticking out from between her red lips.

The man then turned and saw him, before he walked over and picked him up, sitting him on his mother’s lap. She looked down, tears in her eyes as she said “Phlsshhndhnnht…” The man knelt behind him as he felt his hands taken behind his back, and then something as it was tied round them, to hold them together.

He then knelt in front of him, and smiled as he wound some white cords round his ankles, and made them stay together. He was fascinated, wondering what was happening as the rope went round and between her legs, and the man tied the ends off. He then took a second cloth out, as he heard his mum say “phllsnnhhlbhqhttt.”

“Open your mouth, young man.”

He did as the man said – Mum had always said to do what adults told him to do – and then he felt the material on his tongue as it went in, and he felt the edges on his lips.

“Now, stay with Mummy,” he said as he stood up, and he put his head against his mum’s chest. He could hear her heart beating fast, but then she rubbed her cheek on his head and he knew he was going to be all right.

The man came back in a few minutes later, and then left after he had turned the radio on. His eyes slowly closed as he sat there, and he heard the doorbell ring…

“Shit.”

Steve opened his eyes and slowly sat up. These dreams were becoming more and more real – but what was making him dream these things?

He walked to his desk and opened his laptop, then did a google search for the supermarket. He found some other photos – but he also found other stories of robberies in the area.

He looked at some of them for a moment -= and then closed the lid. “You’re letting your imagination get away with you,” he said to himself as he went to the bathroom and showered.

It was when he was looking in the mirror after the shower that for a moment, his face was obscured, as if it had something covering it. Steve blinked and looked again, but everything was normal, everything was the same…

“Mum – can you come to the door please?”

“What is it Angela,” her mother said as she walked out of the modern kitchen – and he saw her in her white dress and shoes, as he held her daughter with a knife at her throat.

“Not a word - the groceries can wait – into the front room, and draw the curtains.”

She looked at Angela, who was wearing a short sleeved dress with stripes of orange and brown material, white and black large dots scattered over it, and then said “all right – just stay calm” as she walked into the room. “Walk,” he whispered into her ear as he forced her to follow them, standing in the doorway as her mother closed the red curtains over the bay windows.

“Good – kneel down on the floor, in front of the couch, hands behind your back, and put your head on the seat.”

He watched the older woman as she slowly walked over to a brown wooden seat and knelt on the floor, her hands behind her back as she put her head on the green and brown striped cushions. He then pushed Angela as he said “next to your, mum, little one, and do the same.”

“What does he want, Mum,” Angela whispered as she knelt down, the man kneeling behind her as she felt him cross her wrists, and then heard a ripping sound before something was stuck to her wrists, and then wrapped round them.

“I want you both to be quiet and don’t move,” he said looking at Angela’s mother as he wound the white tape round and between her wrists, then tore it free and patted it down. He then put her ankles together and wound the tape round them, before he moved and started to bind her mother’s wrists behind her back.

“Look – just take what you want, we’re not going to stop you,” he said as she looked at Angela. He laughed as he started to bind her ankles, and said “I know you’re not going to stop me – either of you.” He then made them sit back to back, watching as Angela took her mother’s finger sin her as he wound the white tape round both of them.

He then smiled as he looked at Angela – then pressed several lengths of the white tape over her mouth. She turned her head as he walked round, and then looked at her mother before he covered her mouth as well.

“Don’t move,” he said as he left them alone, walking up the stairs and searching for jewels before he walked out of the house, hearing their muffle calls for help…

“I swear, it was as if I was really there,” Steve said as he sat opposite his aunt in the coffee shop, “but why am I having these dreams?”

“Probably just your imagination running riot,” his aunt said as she put her hand on his. He was wearing his suit, shirt and tie for work, while she was wearing a cream jumper and pants, the legs tucked into brown boots. “What did you say her name was?”

“I only remember the girl’s name – Angela. Funny – that’s your name isn’t it?”

Angela nodded as he looked at his watch, and stood up. “I have to get going – thanks for hearing me out,” he said as he left the café, Angela looking at him as he went out. What he had described – it was exactly what had happened to her and her mother, but how did he know the details?

She took her mobile phone out and dialled a number.

“Jo? It’s Angela – can I come round and see you?”

“Of course I can come round tomorrow, Aunt J,” Steve said as he sat in the office, “what’s the occasion?”

“Okay then – see you tomorrow,” he said as he ended the call, and then continued to read through the records on his laptop, before his eyes slowly closed, and his head dropped to the table…

She turned her head round, the fear clear in her eyes as she slowly walked up the stairs. She had long blonde hair, and was wearing a sleeveless minidress, black and white vertical stripes with a V-necked opening at the top.

“Look, I don’t know…”

“Shut up and keep going,” he said as he saw the gun in his hand, the woman nodding as she finished climbing the stairs and walked to a large bedroom, the wall covered in a deep red cloth wallpaper. He saw the double bed, and said quietly “lie down, hands on your head.”

She looked at him, and then did as he said, as he put the leather bag he had in his other hand down and opened it. He drew out a sheer stocking, and walked slowly to the top of the bed, taking her wrist and tying one end of the stocking round it, and then securing the other end to the headboard at the side.

She followed him, her head turning as he collected a second stocking and walked back round, securing her other wrist so that her arms were stretched out above her head.

“Jus take whatever you want,” she said as he took her ankle, and pulled it to the side, a fresh stocking employed to hold it in place as he saw his gloved hand stroke the inside of her leg. He then pulled her free leg to the side and secured it in place, before he started to search through the drawers and wardrobes while she watched.

She certainly had many fine pieces, which he placed into the sack as she watched him, staying silent, but he knew she would call for help as soon as she could. So he had to ensure she could not – and the remaining stockings were taken form his bag.

“no – no, don’t yuuhhdhhrrhnnhh,” she said as he rushed one stocking into her mouth, and then pulled the second one round her head, forcing back the corners of her mouth as he tied it round her head. He then smiled at her, stroking her cheek with his gloved hand as she looked at him. He was tempted – sore tempted – but instead he picked up her bag and left her there, hearing her muffled calls for help as he pulled something off his head and left the house, walking quickly away…

Steve suddenly lifted his head up, seeing it was now dark inside, and went to change for bed. “Perhaps I’ll get a good sleep,” he said to himself as he lay down, turning the lights off as he soon fell asleep…

He was watching her as she walked round, putting items into her trolley. Stunning, dark hair falling over the shoulders of her black dress, which was covered with white polka dots, a black web belt round her waist. The clogs on her feet had a white lace effect toe covering.

She paid for her groceries and arranged for someone to deliver them – and then left as the manager called him over.

“Deliver these to this address,” he said, and he nodded as went to get the van.

Parking outside the house, he paused for a moment before he pulled something down over his head, his vision becoming like a haze through the thin brown material, and then he quickly walked up to the house. No-one ever saw him, as he knocked on the door and waited.

“Ah – just bring them…” The woman stared at him, and then slowly walked back, her hands raised as he glanced down and saw the gun in his hand.

“anyone else home?”

She shook her head as he grabbed the telephone wire, and pulled it from the wall, then said “good – I want you to walk up the stairs in front of me, nice and quietly.”

The woman nodded as she walked up, and he followed her, entering the large bedroom as he looked round.

“Lie face down.”

“No – please…”

“Lady – I just want your valuables, so lie down, I’ll tie you up and keep you quiet, I take what I want, I leave you. So please, just do it.”

She nodded as she lay down, and he drew some lengths of white washing line from his pocket. It only took a few moments to secure her wrists together behind her back, and to secure her ankles together, before he bent her legs back and tied her ankles to her wrists.

She rolled over onto her side and watched as he rifled through the drawers and cupboards, taking jewels and putting them in his pocket, before he looked at her and took from his other pocket a roll of brown sticking plaster.

“Purse your lips.”

She nodded before she felt the adhesive tugging on the skin round her mouth, the material silencing her as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. He then walked out and down the stairs looking at himself in the mirror before he pulled the stocking off – and Steve saw himself looking back, smiling.

“Yeah – Angela told me about your dreams.”

Steve was sitting in the front room, his Aunt Jo sitting opposite. She had grey hair, and was wearing a black jumper and pants, but she looked somehow different, familiar.

“Am I losing my mind, Aunty J?”

“No,” Jo said quietly, “but somehow, you’re dreaming of what your Uncle Eric did.”

“Uncle Eric – shit, he did all those robberies?”

“Oh yes – and you are the spitting image of him.”

“Did… Did you know?”

“Of course I did – not at first, but that day, he came back up and sat with me, saying he thought I was beautiful. I was flattered – and eventually, he cut me free and removed that plaster, and we talked.”

“But why am I remembering this?”

“I don’t know – maybe he haunts that bloody supermarket,” Jo said quietly. “But you’re not using your mind – and I want you to tell me if you dream it again. Just promise me you will not actually do it?”

Steve shook his head – why would he want to experience those emotions, that sense of control, that sense of power.

Why would he…

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