Beauty and The Best - Home Bound

Helen looked round the room, her three daughters, her three granddaughters, and the young couple who were standing looking at her, and slowly nodded. This was not how she had envisaged the day passing, but somehow it had helped they were all together, and feeling the same thing.

Her youngest granddaughter got up and made her way over, pushing herself onto Helen’s lap and sitting with her head on her chest. She rubbed her cheek on her head, her mind went back to lunchtime, and the start of the day

“It’s a beautiful day “

As U2 played on the radio, Helen siled to herself as she prepared a sandwich. The fifty-five-year-old woman had long blonde hair, and was wearing a blue cardigan over a light blue top, as well as dark blue pants with the legs tucked into a pair of knee length baggy black leather boots. She also had a long turquoise scarf tied around her neck and hanging down in front of her, the ends moving as she took the sandwich and sat at the kitchen table.

As she bit into the bread and meat, she opened the paper and started to read it, smiling as she looked at some of the stories.

“Not exactly a great time for young people again,” she said to herself as she swallowed. She had just retried as a head teacher, given her husband earned a good wage, and as it was the weekend, she wondered what she was going to do when her family called later.

“Maybe we can all watch a film,” she said to herself as she heard the front door open and close. “You’re early,” she said without looking up, “want a coffee.”

“Not for the moment, thank you Helen.”

The young woman’s voice took her by surprise, and as Helen looked up she saw she had two visitors. They were a young couple, not that much older than some of the sixth formers at her school, but they were dressed in an unusual manner. The young woman was wearing a tight black sweater, and pants tucked into over the knee black suede boots, while the man was wearing a black jumper, pants and shoes. They also both had a black woollen hat on their heads, black gloves on their hands and black eye masks with their skin noticeably darker under the eyeholes.

The young woman was carrying a large bag, while the man was pointing a very real pistol at Helen as she whispered “What the “

“Hello Helen,” the young man said, “now, we rally need you to remain calm and not try to raise the alarm at any time. We have no desire to hurt you or anyone else but we will do what is necessary to make sure we can do what we have come to do.”

“And that is?”

“To rob you,” the young woman said, “you may call me Beauty, and this is my friend he is The Best.”

“The Best?”

“Oh yes now, we know your daughters and granddaughters will be arriving this afternoon,” Beauty continued, “and when they come, we will have to make sure they cannot stop us either but remain calm, and nobody gets hurt.”

Helen looked at them, and then said “can I at least have my coffee?”

“OF course,” Beauty said as she slowly stood up and went to the kettle, putting coffee into a mug and then adding the hot water before she sat down. Taking a drink, she said “so what are you going to do to us?”

“Shall we find out,” Best said as they all heard the front door open and close, Beauty standing by the kitchen door as Helen heard a young girl call out “Gran?”

“In the kitchen,” she said as she watched a twelve-year-old girl come in, wearing a blue top with a band of flowers at the hem, and blue jeans which were tucked into knee length tan leather Frye boots. As she came in, she saw the masked man behind Helen, but before she could say anything a gloved hand was pressed over her mouth.

“Angie?”

“You’d better come in,” Helen said as an older woman came in, her long dark hair falling over the shoulders of her grey wool cardigan, which was over a blue t-shirt, her dark blue jeans tucked into knee length burgundy red leather boots.

“MUM!”

“Cora, keep quiet,” Helen said quietly, “they are armed and they mean business.”

“They?” Cora turned and saw the masked woman who was holding her daughter, and then said “what’s going on?”

“A robbery so we need you and your daughter to stay nice and calm and quiet,” the masked woman said. “I’m going to take my hand away, and I want you to go and join your mother, all right?”

Angie nodded as Beauty removed her hand, and she ran over into Cora’s arms. “Mum, what’s happening,” she said quietly.

“Well, we are robbing your grandmother my name is Beauty, and my friend is The Best. Now, that means you and your mother need to be kept quiet and out of the way, but I promise you, you will not be the only ones.”

“You’re going to tie us up?”

“We are,” Best said quietly as he put the gun down, and opened the bag to take two lengths of rope out, handing one to Beauty. “I want you both to put your hands behind your back.”

“Do as they say,” Helen said quietly, watching as both Angie and Cora had their wrists crossed and secured tightly together behind their backs.

“Are you both all right?”

“We’ll cope Mum,” Cora said quietly as Best helped Helen to stand up, and they all walked into the front room.

“Sit down,” Beauty said as she indicate don of the two-seater couches, “while Helen closes the curtains over the windows.” As she walked over, Beauty put the bag down on the coffee table and took more ropes out, handing them to Best as he knelt down and started to bind Angie’s ankles tightly together.

“It sounds funny,” the young girl said a ssh heard the squeaking sound of rope and leather rubbing together, Cora nodding as Best tied the ropes off between hr legs and then wrapped the second length round her own ankles.

“What’s going to happen,” she said as Best took the rope between her legs.

“Well, when everyone has arrived, we will take Helen round the house,” Beauty said as Helen sat in an armchair.

“And why why do this? Angie was so scared “

“I’m not scared now Mum but I would like to know why as well.”

“Well,” Best said as he stood up and went back to the bag,” does your father work hard to give you what you want?”

“Yes.”

“We do this to make sure we can have what we need,” he said as he took two white scarves from the bag, and rolled them up, “and now we need to keep you quiet. Open wide “

Helen looked to the doorway as the front door opened and closed again, and said “Come right in I need to tell you both something.”

As they came in, the woman and girl stopped as they saw Helen in the armchair, the masked man behind her and the gun in his hand, and then turned their heads to see Cora and Angie on the couch, the white scarf pulling back the corners of their mouths as they tried to speak.

“Sophie, Betty,” Helen said quietly, “the man is called the Best, and this is Beauty. I’m afraid they are robbing me and what they did to Cora and Angie, they’re going to do to you as well.”

The young girl walked over and looked at the bound and gagged aunt and cousin as a voice behind her mother said “hello Sophie please, put your hands behind your back.”

Sophie looked at her mother, and then put her hands behind her back before she felt the rope round her wrist. She was wearing a long-sleeved top with thin blue and white stripes, her curled chestnut brown hair falling over her shoulders, and blue skinny jeans with brown shoes. “They are robbing you,” she said quietly as she saw her daughter touch the ropes round Angie’s ankles.

Betty was thirteen years old, and was wearing a t-shirt with thicker blue and white stripes, her faded blue jeans ripped at the bottom of the legs and a heart patch on her left leg. She was also wearing blue socks and black sandals as Angie mumbled “htssnthshbhd.”

“Are you going to do this to me as well?”

“Yes I am,” Beauty said as Sophie sat in another two-seat chair. “Please put your hands behind your back.”

“Mummy?”

“IT’s all right do it,” Sophie sad quietly as Betty felt the rope forcing her wrists together,, Beauty making sure the binding was tightly cinched before she walked over and sat next to her mother. Both of them then watched as Beauty knelt down and used more white rope to bind their ankles together, as Best cleave gagged each of them with a rolled-up scarf.

“Hwhlhhnhruhr,” Betty asked as she looked at Beauty.

“Oh for a while are you scared?”

“Hlhtthl.”

“Well, just stay calm and do what we say, and you’ll all be all right.”

She stroked Betty’s hair away from her face and smiled as the young girl nodded, Helen smiling as she said “well, I guess we’re just waiting for “

“What the h “

All of them looked at the new arrivals at the doorway. The older woman had red hair and was wearing a blue smock top with white polka dots, and jeans with the legs tucked into knee length brown leather boots. The nine-year-old girl was wearing a denim jacket over a cream jumper, black pants and dark pink trainers, with a black bow in her red hair, and she was shaking as she gripped her mother’s hand.

“Hello there,” Beauty said as she came over and knelt in front of her, “my name is Beauty. Are you Rhona?”

The young girl nodded as she whispered “why are my cousins tied up?”

“Well, that’s because Best and I are robbing your grandmother and we have to make sure we can do what we need to do.”

“So are you going to tie me and Mama up?”

“Yes we are but I promise you, it does not hurt.”

“I don’t want my hands behind my back.”

Beauty looked at the older woman, and said “we are going to tie you up but if you promise you and Rhona don’t try to escape, we can tie your wrists together in front of you instead.”

“Liz,” Helen said, “please, let them do this we’re all going to be in the same boat anyway.”

Liz slowly nodded as she looked at Rhona. “Come on,” she said as she squeezed her hand, “I’m scared as well, but we don’t have a choice.”

“Okay, Mama,” Rhona said as they both walked to a third two-seater couch, Rhona sitting down as Best came round with two lengths of rope.

“Cross your wrists,” he said with a smile, Rhoan watching as he made sure Liz’s wrists were secured tightly together, and then watching as the masked man did the same to her. She twisted her hands round as he put her ankles together and used more of the white rope to secure them to each other, and then did the same to Liz.

“Still scared?”

Rhona slowly nodded and then said “I’ll be brave Mama.”

“Good now open your mouth nice and wide, and we’ll be just like the others.”

Helen watched as Beauty cleave gagged both of them, and then said “you are all very brave so what happens now?”

“Come with me,” Beauty said as she helped Helen to stand, and then watched as Best turned the television on. “He will search in this room and watch them while we look upstairs.”

Helen nodded as they walked up the stairs, and then said “so why do this? Why us?”

“You as a family are reasonably well off,” Beauty said quietly, “and want for nothing. But there are many, like Best and me, who have nothing and are still expected to survive.”

“So you rob people? For the thrills?”

“No -for the money to pay our gas and electric bills, our council tax, to buy food -you know, to live.”

Helen looked at her, and then said “I know so many families in need, who struggle they do not rob their neighbour.”

“No, and they suffer for that if we take too much, we make sure they get some as well,” Beauty said as they walked into the master bedroom. “Now, please tell me where to look for your valuables.”

“Do I know you?”

Beauty looked at her, and then said quietly “you know many like me and Best, don’t you?”

As Helen slowly nodded, Beauty smiled as she said “now, where do we look “

As Helen came back in, she looked at her family, the scarves noticeably darker at the corners of their mouths, before she said “I’m going to stay with the girls, while you three help Beauty to prepare some supper for us all.”

“Hsssghthgghebhgs.”

“I know,” Helen said as Best took her wrists behind er back and bound them tightly together, “I do know, and I will explain it all later.” She then sat down and watched as Best bound her ankles in the same way as the others, before she too was cleave gagged.

Best then released the ankles of Liz, Cora and Sophie, all three kissing their heads of their daughters before they walked to the kitchen with Beauty.

“If I untie your wrists, and remove the gags, do you all agree not to raise the alarm while we prepare some food?”

All three women needed as Beauty removed the rope from their wrists, and then pulled the scarves from their mouths, Cora working her mouth before she said “I suppose you haven’t really hurt us.”

“We have no desire to,” Beauty said with a smile, “but we do need to do this. Now, why don’t we find some things that everyone can eat “

Helen had to admit it was a very strange family meal. They were all free, all eating and drinking but with two masked and armed robbers keeping them company, and helping them by serving the food.

“Well, I’m glad you’re all coping with this,” she said as she looked round the table. “Best has said that once we are all finished, he and Beauty have to make sure none of us can raise the alarm until your grandfather comes home later. Now, it didn’t hurt before, and he assures me this will not hurt either - and we will all be the same.”

Rhona looked at Liz as she sipped her juice, and then put the cup down. “I want to be like the others Mama,” she said quietly, “if that’s all right?”

“It wll be fine,” Rhona said “I am very proud of you.”

“You are very brave Liz all of you girls are,” Helen said as Beauty looked at the three girls.

“We’re going to start with you,” he she said as she picked up some rope, “why don’t you all stand up and put your hands behind your back.”

“You’ll be okay Liz,” Angie said as the youngest girl smiled, and then she felt Beauty as she took her hands behind her back and bound her wrists tightly together. She smiled as the masked woman did the same for Angie and Betty, and then saw the longer length of rope in her gloved hands.

“What are you going to do with that?”

“I’ll show you,” Beauty said to Rhona as she passed the rope round Liz’s body and gently pulled it tighter, forcing her arms against her sides and then passing it round the young girl’s upper arms. She kept going as it formed two bands, before she secured the ends behind Liz’s back and to her wrists.

She then went behind Angie as Best took more of the ropes, and said to Helen “I need to start securing now please stand up, and put your hands behind your back.”

“If they are doing that to us Mum “

“I know try not to show it,” Helen said as she felt the rope rubbing on her wrists as they were secured tightly together, and hen the rope round her own arms and body as it was pulled tightly.

As this was being done, Betty felt the ropes pushing her arms against her sides, and smiled as she said “it’s just like being hugged by you Gran.”

“God,” Helen said as Best tied the ropes off behind her, and then Beauty said “why don’t you all come into the front room while Best makes sure your mothers are just as tightly secured.”

“We’ll be fine,” Cora said as the four of them walked into the front room, Beauty smiling as she said “now, why don’t you sit on the couch with your grandmother, Liz, and I want your cousins to sit back-to-back on the floor.”

As Helen sat down, and Liz pushed herself back onto the seat, they watched as Angie and Betty sat back to back in front of them, and Beauty took some more ropes from the bag, sitting and binding the ankles of each girl together in front of them, and then securing their legs together below their knees as well. The masked woman then went over to Liz and bound her ankles tightly together, the white rope sinched between her legs, and then her legs below her knees as well as her cousins tried to move, their boots squeaking as they did so.

“Now,” Beauty said, “we need to make sure you three - and your mothers and your grandmother r- cannot raise the alarm for a while, so that mean I am going to put something in your mouths, and then put some very special tape over them to make sure you all stay quiet.”

The three girls looked at each other before Helen said “Do me first, so they see there is nothing to be afraid of.”

Beauty nodded as she folded one of the white scarves, and then said “open your mouth please.” As the three girls watched, Beauty pushed the scarf into their grandmother’s mouth, and as she closed her lips over it Beauty peeled from a roll a long length of a wide white tape, which she then pressed down over Helen’s mouth.

“Gran?”

“Htshshrhtm,” Helen mumbled as all three saw her lips move under the tape, and then Beauty said “so who is first?”

“See I told you they would all be fine.”

“Udhdhd,” Rhona mumbled as she saw Betty and Angie sitting back-to-back on the floor, their mouths covered in the same white tape as her and her sisters, and their cheeks puffed out by the material sitting behind the band. Helen was now sitting in an armchair, her ankles and legs secured, while she walked over and sat next to Lizm, her daughter putting her head on her chest as Beauty knelt down and stared to bind her ankles and legs.

Cora and Sophie sat next to each other on another couch. As best gathered more ropes and knelt in front of them. All of them were now gagged, and once the two women had their legs secured Best went to turn the television on, before he joined Beauty at the back of the room.

Helen looked round the room, and then watched as Liz pushed herself off the chair and jumped over, then pushed herself onto Helen’s lap and sat with her head on her grandmother’s chest. She knew they were all safe, as Best walked over and looked out of the window.

“We shall go now just remain calm,” he said as they left, Helen saying “ghrdhdhdwhllbhmshn” as Liz slowly closed her eyes

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