Stories of Tie Up Games

“I told you not to say a word,” the masked man said as he pushed Doreen back into the kitchen of her house, “just do what we tell you. You – go and disconnect the telephone, internet, alarms.”

The older woman watched as the second masked man pushed past her and went into the house, while she stood with her hands raised in the air. She had long red-brown hair, which was greying at the tips, and glasses over her eyes, while the long-sleeved blue top she was wearing was buttoned up tightly. She was also wearing a pair of skintight leatherette leggings, the lower half of her legs in a pair of dark blue wellingtons with a three-inch block heel. She had been clearing some weeds from the large pond in her back garden when she had heard the clock, felt the ring pressing on her back and then the voice commanding her to walk in front of them, her hands in the air.

She heard the back door being kicked closed and then a thump, as she saw out of the corner of her eye the large bag that was placed on the kitchen table. A black gloved hand opened it and drew out a length of brown rope, before the voice said, “hands behind your back, nice and slowly lady.”

“Want to give me a clue as to what is going on here,” Doreen said as she slowly lowered her hands, seeing the gun as it was put on the table before she felt the gloved hands crossing her wrists, and then the feel of rope as it was wound tightly around and between her wrists to hold them together.

“We’re secure,” the second man said as he came in and looked at Doreen. He was dressed in black – including the black eye mask that made him look like a character from the comics Doreen had read as a kid. He smiled – and then looked over her shoulder as she felt the ropes tightening, before he said “safe – where is it?”

“What safe?”

“Not a good idea to lie, lady,” the man behind her said as she turned her head watching him as he drew from the bag a longer length of rope doubled it over, and then passed it round her, forcing her arm sot her sides under her chest.

“I’m serious, I don’t have a safe,” Doreen grunted put as he wound the rope around her again and again, forcing her arms against her sides as the bands framed her chest, her top stretched tightly over it. It was an unusual feeling, as she realized whoever these two were, they were not clowns.

There was a final tug, and then she tried to move her arms, with no success, before she was pushed into the corridor – and that was when the doorbell rang, and she saw the two figures through the frosted glass.

“Keep those lips together,” the man said as his partner walked over to the front door, looking at them both before he opened the door wide. An eleven-year-old girl ran in, wearing a Seventies style dress with short sleeves and a flared cuff at the end, the pleated skirt coming down to her knees. The skirt was a light blue with white patches, a purple floral psychedelic pattern printed on the material. She had long blonde hair, was wearing knee length black go-go boots – and a surprised look on her face as shew as grabbed from behind, a gloved hand pressed firmly down over her mouth.

“Honey has your grandmother answered you yet,” a voice called out, and a woman in her mid-thirties came into the hallway. She also had long blonde hair, which fell over the shoulders of her brown crochet vest. The vest had an orange and cream daisy on the front – a design that reflected that on the long-sleeved blouse she was wearing under the vest. She was also wearing a brown suede mini skirt, over the knee leather boots which were cream in colour – and a shocked expression as she screamed “HONEY!”

“Do that again, and my friend hurts her,” the man behind Doreen said, “close the door, and put your hands up in the air.”

He watched as she closed the door, before Doreen said “Angel, Honey – I need you both to be very brave. But first – why are you both dressed like that?”

“it’s… It’s the school Seventies Disco,” the younger woman said, “mum, are they robbing you?”

“It would appear they are,” Doreen said with a sigh as her binder walked behind Angel, taking her hands behind her back and securing them together with rope as he said, “I’ll ask you again, lady – where is your safe – or do you want your granddaughter to be the one who pays the price?”

Honey looked at Doreen, her eyes wide as she struggled in the other man’s grip.

“All right just don’t hurt them,” Doreen said as she looked at the other two. “It’s up in the bedroom- I’ll give the combination.”

“Better – all three of you, in there,” he said as he waved his gun to the door to the front room, “we need to make sure you all enjoy some close personal time this afternoon.”

“Do what he says, Angel,” Doreen whispered as they were pushed into the front room, the second man still holding and hand gagging Honey as she was walked in. The man looked round and said “close those curtains – we don’t need anyone seeing in.”

“Just don’t hurt my Honey,” Angel said as she walked to the windows and pulled the curtains closed, her back to the windows as Doreen saw a tear on Honeys cheek.

“Hey – I know you’re scared,” she said with a smile, “but I won’t let them hurt you, Honey. You believe me, don’t you?”

The young girl slowly nodded as the two masked men looked at Angel.

“Nice look – sit down with your mama, lady,” the man with Honey said as Angel walked over and sat with Doreen, the two women looking at each other as rope was passed round the younger woman’s body and forced her arms against her sides.

“Please, let me talk to her,” Doreen said quietly, the second man looking behind her before he nodded and took his hand away from the young girl’s mouth. “Grammy,” she said quietly, “are they real robbers?”

“I’m afraid so, Honey,” Doreen said quietly, “and it does mean when they have tied your mother up, they are probably going to do the same thing to you. I need you to be brave, little one – it looks as if it might hurt, but it does not really. It’s just – tight?”

“Is it, Mamma?”

Angel nodded as the ropes were tied off behind her, as she said, “Your grandmother is right, Honey – and we’ll be together all the time, so do what the man behind you tells you to do.”

As she nodded, the second man said “put your hands behind your back” as he was handed two lengths of rope. Honey looked at the masked man as he knelt down and started to bind her mother’s ankles together, as she felt the rope around her own wrists, holding them together behind her back.

“But why do they do this, Grammy?”

“Well, Honey, I guess they think I have something they want,” Doreen said quietly as she watched the man secure Angel’s legs together below her knees, her daughter twisting her body round before she felt the rope on her own ankles, heard the squeaking as it rubbed on the material of her boots.

“that’s a funny sound, Grammy…”

“Yes, it is isn’t it,” Doreen said as she saw the longer rope going round Honey’s body. “Do you have to do that – she’s only a kid.”

“No exemptions,” the man binding Doreen’s legs together said as he tied the rope between her legs and knotted the ends, then stood up as Doren looked at Honey.

“Mum, how do we get through this?”

“Together - and by not panicking,” Doreen said as she watched the way Honey was being tied.

“How do you know that Grammy?”

“Well, let me tell you a story – I was just about the same age as you…”

“You ready to head back, Doreen?”

“Yes, Mum,” the eleven-year-old said as she came out of the toilet and looked at her mother. Doreen had long light brown hair and was wearing a white sleeveless dress which came down to just above her knees, knee length white socks and flat white shoes. She smiled as she approached her mother, who was standing with her arms folded. She also had long brown hair that fell over her shoulders, and was wearing a min dress with short, puffed sleeves, the sleeves and most of the top red except for the faux halter neck which, like the skirt, was blue. The whole dress also had white polka dots, and came to above her knees, while she had brown strapped cork sandals on her feet.

“Come on – your father is going to follow in a little while,” she said as she opened the door of the blue Ford Capri, Doreen jumping in as her mother walked round and got behind the wheel.

“What’s he doing anyway?”

“Who knows – business,” her mother said as she put on a pair of dark glasses, and then drove off, not seeing the other car that pulled out behind them.




“Want a drink,” Mum said as they both got out of the car.

“Yeah – got some Cresta?”

“I think there’s some in the fridge,” she said as she unlocked the front door and walked in, Doreen following her in – and then screaming into the large hand which was clamped over her mouth as the door was kicked closed.

“LET MY DAUGHTER GO!”

“Tell her to stop struggling, do as you’re told, I let her go – to be tied up with you.”

Doreen looked at her mother as she struggled, and then heard the man holding her say “well?”

“All right – we’ll do whatever you want us to do, just don’t hurt us?”

“Good- upstairs, she comes with me. Make a noise, and it will not be good.”

“Let him carry you up,” her mother said as Doreen nodded, and then she was picked up and carried up the stairs behind her mother, seeing her look back with concern in her eyes. She was then frogmarched into her parent’s bedroom, before the man holding her said to her mother “lie face down, hands behind your back.”

“Let her lie with me,” she said, and then Doreen was released, running over as he rother gathered her up in her arms and hugged her.

“What are we going to do Mum,” Doreen said quietly as her mother stroked her hair from her eyes.

“We’re going to do what he says, and get through this together,” her mother said as they both lay face down, Doreen watching as she saw the man for the first time. He was wearing a denim shirt and jeans and had an unshaven chin.

“Sorry I have to do this,” he said as he picked up a ball of twine and crossed her mother’s wrists behind her back, “I just need some food and a chance to get away.”

“Have you escaped from prison,” Doreen said as she watched the man bind her mother’s wrists together, then bend her legs back and use the twine to secure her ankles together as well.

“Your turn kid,” he then said as he walked round, Doreen biting her lower lip as she felt the thin twine on her wrists. Looking over, she saw her mother smile as she said, “don’t worry – it’ll only be for a little while, hopefully.”

As she nodded, Doreen felt her ankles being pulled back, and then the twine on them as they were bound tightly together, before the man walked over to the wardrobe and drew out two bandanas. Rolling a red one into a band, he walked back over and said, “open your mouth kid.” As Doreen did so, she felt the cotton on her tongue as it was pulled between her lips and tied round her head.

She watched as he used a black bandana on her mother, then the two of them rolled onto their sides and looked at each other as he went out, closing the door behind himself.

“Swhhtdhdwhdhdnhmhhm?”

“Whwhhtt…”

Doreen nodded as they heard him moving round the house, hoping her father would not be too long…



“By the time your grandfather got back, the man had gone,” Doreen said as she watched the man binding Honey’s ankles and legs, hearing the squeak of leather on leather, “but my mother got me through it – and now we are both going to help you get through this as well.”

Honey nodded as she watched the first man take a roll of brown plaster from the bag, tear a length off, and then press it over her mother’s mouth. Angel looked round and said “jhsstshtchlm,” Honey nodding as her mouth was covered with a strip of the brown fabric as well.

“Combination to the safe – now.”

Doreen nodded as she gave a series of numbers, the man nodding as he left – and then she felt the tug on the skin round her mouth as she was gagged in the same way, Angel looking at her.

“Mhmm…”

“Hknnhhh,” Doreen said as she saw Honey shuffle forward on the chair, and then manage to stand up, before she jumped over. The two of them moved to the side as she joined them on the couch, both Doreen and Angel kissing her head as the second man stood guard.

“Httllbhhlrhnhhnnhe, httlbhhlrht,” Angel said, Doreen nodding – they would get through this together…