Together
Time
“Monday Monday.
Can’t stand that day “
“Too right,”
Helen said as she took her denim jacket off and hung it on the hook, and then
looked at herself in the mirror. Her hairdresser had done a wonderful job
touching up the grey roots, so that her newly strawberry blonde hair fell down over her shoulders, and she was casually dressed,
the leopard spot pattern scarf wrapped round her neck over the white jumper,
and the faded blue jeans tucked into the knee length brown boots.
It had been a
long day although she had now retired, she had spent the morning in the charity
shop, and now she was ready for a hot coffee and some down time for herself.
Shaking her head, she made her way to the kitchen and filled the kettle with
cold water, plugging it in and switching it on as she looked at the clock on
the wall.
“Sue will be
home soon,” she said to herself as she found a mug and placed it on the work
surface, adding some coffee and milk before she poured the hot water into it.
As she took a sip, she sighed, and then groaned as she heard the front doorbell
ring.
“Who on earth
could that be,” she said to herself as she made her way to the door, opened it
and said “can I help you?”
“You can
indeed, Helen, by not panicking, and walking slowly back while you hold that
hot drink in your hands. It would be a shame to stain the carpet if you dropped
it.”
Helen walked
slowly back, staring at the two men who walked into her house. They were
identically dressed black leather jackets over jumpers, dark pants, shoes,
gloves, and balaclava masks showing only their eyes and lips. He taller of the
two was holding a very real gun in his gloved hand while the smaller closed the
door, a large canvas bag in his hand.
“Mister Small,”
the masked man with the gun said, “would you be so good as to disconnect the
internet and phone while Helen and I have a quiet conversation in her front
room?”
“Of course
Mister Tall,” the other man said as Helen whispered “no “
“I regret to
say the answer is yes,” Mister Tall said with a smile. “Please, come and have a
seat in your front room, and finish your drink while I explain what is going to
happen. I promise you; no harm will come to you so long as you do as we ask.”
“All All right,” Helen said quietly as she walked into the room,
sitting down as Mister Tall sat opposite her. “Are you .
Are you what the papers say you are?”
“Gentlemen?
Wherever possible,” Mister Tall said with a smile as Helen took another drink
from her mug. “I would ask, however, that you do exactly what we say as I or
Mister Small say - on which note?”
“We are secure,”
Mister Small said as he came in. “Helen, would you please tell me where your
handbag and mobile phone are?”
“In the kitchen
So this is a robbery?”
“Regretfully,
yes,” Mister Tall said with a smile, “but we will be as helpful as possible.
Please, finish your drink.”
Helen sipped
again from her mug, before she said “oh god, then you are going to “
“Yes but you
may be surprised as to how relaxing it can be when you are not afraid. So
please accept our assurance apart from the fact you will be restrained and
silenced, no other harm will come to you. If you have finished your drink, we
can begin.”
Helen raised an
eyebrow as Mister Small came back in, several lengths of rope in his gloved
hands. “I guess I really do not have a choice,” she said quietly.
“No, no you do
not. Please, lean forward and put your hands behind your back.”
As Miser Tall
watched, Helen put her mug down and leaned forward, moving her hands behind her
back as she felt Mister Small taking her wrists and crossing them, and then the
rope as it was used to secure them tightly together.
“That’s not how
I thought it would feel,” she said quietly as Mister Small tied the ends off.
“How did you
think it would feel?”
“Painful,
distressing I’ve seen enough programs with this scenario “
“Ah yes often
played for dramatic effect, of course.”
She saw him
smile as Mister Small passed a long rope round her and pulled it tight under
her chest, before he took it round her upper arms as well.
She felt herself
becoming more and more secured as Mister Tall said “once my friend has
finished, you can go for a walk upstairs with him, and make sure nothing of
true sentimental value is taken by us.”
“And then “
Helen’s eyes
looked to the door as they all heard the front door open and close, and a young
woman say “where are you Mum?”
“Oh god “
All three
watched as a woman in her early twenties walked into the room, stopping at
looking at Helen as her lips made a small O shape. She also had long strawberry
blonde hair, and was wearing a black jumper and jeans tucked into brown knee-high
boots.
“Mum?”
“Sue,” Helens
aid quietly, “don’t panic or call for help. They are armed, but they mean us no
harm, beyond the fact we are both going to end up bound and I suspect gagged
for a while.”
“They’re
burglars?”
“Robbers I am
Mister Tall, my friend and partner Mister Small, who is going to take your
mother for a walk upstairs. Helen, will you go with Mister Small please?”
“Mum “
“Do as he says,” Helen said as she pushed herself up, Mister Small
taking her by the arm as he escorted her out of the room.
“Now, can I ask
you to draw the curtains across the windows,” Mistee Tall said as he stood up
and looked at Sue, “and then I can make you comfortable.” He watched as Sue
slowly walked across and pulled the curtains together, before he said “kneel in
front of the couch and put your hands on your head and please, no other
movement until I tell you.”
“Does it hurt?”
“I beg your
pardon?”
“Does it hurt to
be tied up?”
“Not if it is
done properly. Please, do as I say.”
Sue nodded
slowly as she knelt down and put her hands on her
head, watching as Mister Tall left the room and then returned with the canvas
bag. Setting it down, he knelt behind her and took a length of rope from the
bag, before he said “Please Sue, put your hands behind your back.”
As she slowly
lowered and moved her hands behind her, Sue bit her lower lip as the feel of
the gloved hands that crossed her wrists, and then the surprisingly soft rope
as it was used to bind them tightly to each other. Flexing her fingers, she
then felt his hands on her as he passed a longer rope round her body, pulling
it tight as her arms were forced against her sides and then glanced down as she
saw how her chest was forced out.
“Uncomfortable?”
“I want to say
yes,” Sue whispered, “but no, no it is not.”
“Forgive me,
this is necessary,” Mister Tall said quietly as he slipped the rope under one
arm, then pulled it up and around the back of Sue’s neck, moving her hair out
of the way and then taking it down and under the other arm. Sue twisted round
and then allowed the masked man to help her to sit on the couch, watching as he
knelt down and crossed her ankles before he began to
secure them together.
He then secured
her legs together below her knees, cinching the binding by taking the rope
between her legs, before he stood up and said with a smile “there do you think
you will be able to cope like this for a while?”
“I might manage
thank you.”
“For what?”
“For keeping
your word,” Sue said quietly as Mister Tall smiled.
“We are men of
our word.”
“So what is
your friend doing with my mother?”
“Ensuring any
family heirlooms are jewellery of sentimental value do not leave with us,” the
masked man said as he took a black bandana from the bag, rolled it up and tied
a double knot in the middle. “For now, regretfully, I must ensure you cannot
raise the alarm easily. Please, open your mouth.”
As Helen was
escorted back in by Mister Small, she saw Mister Tall securing the ends of the
rolled-up scarf at the base of her daughter’s neck. And saw the knot witting
between Sue’s lips as she glanced over.
“Sue, are you
all right?”
“Hffhhnlhshsmhm,”
Sue said as she nodded, then watched as Helen was helped to sit in the armchair
opposite her. Mister Small then collected lengths of rope from the bag as
Mister Tall checked Sue’s handbag, and then he knelt down
and started to bind Helen’s ankles together. He watched as the rope was
tightened, and then a second length was used to secure her legs together below
her knees.
“Well, I guess
we really are going nowhere,” Helen said as Sue slowly nodded, and then she saw
the knotted dark blue scarf in front of her.
“If you would
be so kind as to open your mouth as wide as possible?”
“Thank you for
treating us well, as gently as possible.”
“It was our
pleasure but if you would?”
Helen felt the
knot of cotton on her tongue as the band was tied tightly round her head,
pushing her cheeks in as Mister Tall secured the ends at the base of her neck.
She looked over at her daughter as the two masked men collected what was left
and placed it in the bag, before Mister Small picked it up.
“The Gentlemen
Robbers bid you adieu,” Mister Tall said, “may we never meet again.” As they
both elf the room, Sue listened for the door to close, and then looked at her
mother.
“Hwwwhruh?”
“Hffhbhnwhrs
uh?”
“Ntthshbhd chn
uh chmhhvrhr?”
Helen twisted
her ankles round until her feet were side by side and then pushed herself out
of the seat, steadying herself before she slowly jumped across the room and
then sat next to Sue.
“Chnuuhrhshshtkhnts?”
Sue turned and let
her mother look, but then saw her shake her head as she said “hnhnhchcnnth.”
“Whssnnsdhdbhk?”
“Hbhtththt, wh?”
“Cchhughtthtthmht?”
Helen looked at
the coffee table and then turned herself, looking over her shoulder before she
picked up the remote control for the television and managed it turn it on.
“Bdhfhlhm?”
“Bhdfhlhm “ They both settled to watch To Catch a Thief
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