The Games Player: Dress Up Time (F/Ff)

[KP Presents]

It’s actually fun, sitting here with my cousins while the lady takes Mum and Aunt Debs round the house. I was a little bit scared at first, but when Mum told me this was all a special game and I should just have fun, part of the dress up day, I realized there was nothing to be afraid of, even if it wasn’t that easy for me to say anything.

But my cousins are the same as me – not dressed the same, but just like me otherwise. Billy and Jilly are wearing their usual matching outfits – today it is a sleeveless peach, orange and purple swirly dress that comes to above their knees, white knee length boots that zip up the inside with a block heel, pink ribbons tied in a large bow that hold their brown hair back in a ponytail, and pink rimmed sunglasses which they have kept on all the time.

I on the other hand am wearing a long-sleeved dress with a red, purple and white flower pattern that comes to above my knees, white short socks and black shoes. Aunt Debs and Mum had said this was going to be a dress up day for clothes from a long time ago, before they were born – and Mum had an outfit just like mine.

I saw it when we were having breakfast – hers was sleeveless, and she was wearing a nice pair of white boots that came up to her knees. She told me they were called go-go boots – a funny name, but they looked nice on her.

She also had a large pair of white framed sunglasses which she put on as we both drank our milk – Mum has long blonde hair, and I have long dark hair, like Aunt Debs.

We both heard the doorbell ring as Aunt Debs came in with Bily and Jilly – they are eight years old, while I’m ten. We admired each other’s outfits while Mum made Aunt Debs a coffee – she was wearing a pink dress with a crazy pattern of flowers and stars on it, and wide sleeves,, as well as her own white boots that came up to her knees.

Billy asked me why I wasn’t wearing boots – truth to tell, I don’t like to wear them so I was happy as I was – and that was when we all got the biggest surprise of all as she came into the kitchen from the back door.

She was wearing a black leather jacket over a sweater, and leggings tucked into knee length black leather boots – but she also was wearing gloves, and had something pulled down over her head that made her face look very funny. I GIGGLED, Billy and Jilly laughed – and Mum asked her what she was doing in there.

The woman smiled, and said she was there because Mum had booked her to make this a very special dress up day – that we were going to be a singing group that were going to be held for ransom, and Mum and Aunt Debs were the managers who were taken hostage with us and had to arrange for the ransom to be paid.

Aunt Debs and Mum looked at each other, but then both my cousins started to jump up and down and said they wanted to play – and could we be signing when the bad lady came to take us?

I could see Mum looking at the lady, and then she nodded as she said we should go into the front room and get the microphones for the PlayStation out, and then we could sing along to some songs to get ready. So we ran out of the kitchen as the lady talked to Mum and Aunt Debs, and went into the front room.

We have a few microphones that work with the games on the PlayStation, so I found the right one as the three of us started to sing some songs and dance along. We were having great fun and enjoying ourselves until the three adults came in, and I saw that both Mum and Aunt Debs had their hands behind their back.

The lady also came in, and told the three of us that she was taking us to raise a ransom – and we had to do whatever she told us to do. Mum and Aunt Debs sat down and said we should all do what the lady said, as she put a rucksack she was carrying down.

I asked her what she wanted us to do, and she told us to put the microphones down, and then to stand with our hands together in prayer in front of us. All three of us did that, and we watched as she took some thin white cords from her rucksack, and used them to – well to tie our wrists together so that when she was finished, we could not move them apart.

I asked Mum if that was why her hands were behind her back, and she nodded a sushi turned and showed me her crossed wrists behind her back. I asked the lady why our wrists were tied in front of us, and she said it would be more comfortable for us to be like that while our minders helped to negotiate the ransom.

Mum nodded and said this was a very special game we were all going to play together - and if Mum said we would be all right, I did not feel as afraid as I had been. The twins were just excited to be playing the game as the lady told us all to sit on the floor, and to bend our knees so that we could put our hands on our knees.

She then knelt down and took some more ropes out of her rucksack, using them to tie our ankles together, and our legs above our knees, before she tied our wrists down to that second band as well. Billy and Jilly tried to move, but none of us could after that – we were going to have to stay there.

Mum and Aunt Debs then looked at the woman, as she said she was going to take them to talk to the money people – and that we would have to be kept quiet while she did that. Out of the bag, she took a white square and rolled it into a band, then told me to open my mouth – we were all going to have to be gagged so we could not call for help, but we could watch some cartoons while we were there.

Mum said it would be all right, so I opened my mouth and let her pull the rolled-up cloth into my mouth before she tied it round my head. The twins got their own cloth gags, as we looked at each other and tried to talk – without much success.

Mum got up and walked over, kneeling down and kissing me on the forehead while Aunt Debs did the same to Billy and Jilly, as we all smiled and nodded. The woman then helped them to stand up, and said they were going to go with her before she turned the television on, and we all sat back to watch The Powerpuff Girls on the television.

That’s where we are now, and I can feel the cloth is getting wetter in my mouth as we nudge each other and try to talk. I’m also wondering where Mum and Aunt Debs have got to – btu then the lady comes back in, with her rucksack and three juice cartons. She puts them down and puts a straw in each one, before she unties our wrists from our legs and we get to stretch our legs out. She also unties and takes the cloths from our mouths – and I can see how wet and grey it looks while she gives us each a carton,. and we take a drink.

I then ask where Mum and Aunt Debs are, and she smiles as she puts a hand through my hair, and says they are where we are going to go- but before she takes us, she has to first really make sure we cannot use our arms, and second really cannot talk. So she takes some more rope from her bag, doubles it over, and then passes it round my upper arms and body so that when she pulls it, they are held firmly against my sides. She takes it round my tummy as well, while the twins coo and ask if she is going to do that to them as well.

Of course she did – so we all are helped to stand up and squirm around, while she goes back to the bag and takes out a roll of white tape. I look down myself, at the white bands on my wrist, ankles, legs and body, and then hear this soft peeling sound as the lady tells me to put my lips together.

The tape was soft as she presses it down over my mouth with her gloved fingers, but it seems to take on the shape of my lisp and chin, I really cannot make any real sense when I tried to talk. The twins nod as she covers their lisp with some of the tape as well, before she tells us to come with her. I decide to jump out of the room, the other two following as she walks ou behind them, and we go to the stairs.

She then tells Billy to sit down and push herself up, and I giggle as I hear her boots squeaking when they rubbed together as she sat down, and then pushes herself up. Jilly follows her, and then me as the woman walks up beside us, getting to the top and helping us to stand up as we get there.

I stand for a moment to catch my breath, in and out through my nose, and then we jump to Mum and Dad’s bedroom. Mum and Aunt Debs are lying on the bed when we jumped in, and as we got closer I see they also had bands of rope holding their arms to their sides, as well as around their ankles and their legs – and strips of the white tape over their mouths. They look at us and mumble something, as one by one the women lifts us onto the bed, me next to Mum and Billy and Jilly either side of Aunt Debs.

I can see now there was a rope from their ankles to the foot of the bed – and the lady ties one on each of us as well, as she tells us we are going to wait here for the ransom to be paid.

Mum nudges me and says “Hrruhlrhrhhhtt?” I nod as she rubs her cheek on my head, and we watch the woman as she walks out, saying she will be back to free us later. I hope she will take her time – I really like this game…

[Gem]

This was a fun way to do one of these game players stories, all through one kids perspective. I really liked it, gave it a fun twist from the others in the series I can recall reading.