In Their Own Words - Bravery (MF/Ff)
Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2025 5:29 pm
This week in in Their Own Words, we tell tales where younger people have shown a marked degree of bravery. For example, the grandmother of Tina and Teri was amazed at how they coped when the masked intruder burst into her front room…
I was wearing a grey jumper and old jeans, tucked into knee length black biker boots, while my granddaughters were playing on the PlayStation. Tina was wearing a peach coloured sleeveless dress and black jeans, with holes in the knees, as well as knee length black quilted boots. Her younger sister Teri was wearing a pink gingham blouse with capped sleeves, and jeans with mid-calf patent black leather boots.
Anyway, we were just relaxing when this young and slightly aggressive young man burst into the room, with my carving knife in his hand, and looked at us as he said – well the actual words he used I could never repeat, but he told us in effect to stand up and put our hands on our heads.
I thought the girls were going to scream and he would hurt them – but to my surprise they said they would do what he said, and stood up, Tina looked at me and saying we would be all right.
I wondered why they were so calm - I was shaking inside, but I watched as the man walked over and stood behind me. The girls looked at me as I tried to smile, and then as he pulled my hands behind my back and I felt a thin nylon strip forcing my wrists together, the rasping sound as he did this making both the girls giggle. I then watched as he produced from a pocket mor plastic zip ties and secured the wrists of my granddaughters together behind their backs, before we were all ordered to sit on the floor in front of my couch.
We watched as he used more of the zip ties to secure our ankles together, but as I watched Tina and Teri they actually seemed to be taking it in their stride – even when he stuffed wash cloths into our mouths, their cheeks bulging out as I tried to talk to them with no understandable words coming out.
The man just left us there, as I rubbed my cheek on their heads and we tried to talk. The cloth was just getting wetter and wetter in my mouth, before I saw him running out of the front door – and then watched Tina as she pushed the cloth out of her mouth. She looked at me and said “We’re all right Gran – Mum and Dad play games like this with us all the time. Do you have some scissors?”
“Hnnmhhbhskht.”
“Gran – push the cloth out with your tongue.”
I pushed the cloth out and said, “in my basket – why?”
I watched her smile as she pushed herself over and looked over her shoulder as she fished out my scissors, and said “turn your back to me, I will cut you free and then we can call the police…”
When Zara was being bound by the intruder in her home, her one prayer was her girls would not come in. She was unlucky and yet very proud…
The woman was wearing a tight black sweater, leggings and ankle boots, gloves – and a stocking mask as she pulled the rope between my ankles and tied the ends off. I had come into the bedroom to put clothes away and found her stealing my jewels, And the gun she had pointed at me had proven – very persuasive.
So, there I was, with my wrists tied together and above my head, secured to the headboard, and ropes holding my legs together below my knees as well as my ankles. I was going to a party, so I was wearing a lime green sleeveless mini dress and white knee length boots.
I twisted my legs round as I watched her – it was a bit difficult to talk with the white tape pressed down over my mouth, but one thought was uppermost in my mind – and then my nightmare came true.
“MUMMY! LOOK AT US!”
I looked over to see my six year old daughters standing in the doorway. One of them was wearing a purple based paisley pattern top with one sleeve, a matching short skirt and hair band, and purple sweat bands on her wrists, as well as knee length white boots, the tops of socks that matched her outfit just visible. The other girl was wearing a long sleeved, knee length red, blue and white striped dress and red laced boots, a red ribbon tied in her hair.
The masked woman looked at both of them, and then at me, before she took them both by the hand and walked them over, before telling them to lie either side of me. They looked at me as she produced a ball of twine, and tied their wrists together in front of themselves, then took the twine down and tied their ankles together as well. She then finally pressed white tape down over their mouths as well, but they did not panic, did not cry, they just snuggled into me and fell asleep as we were left there…
Sometimes bravery comes from accepting there is nothing you can do, except keep everyone else calm. This was reflected in what happened to Hannah and her twin girls, Betty and Betsy…
I let my girls go into the front room to watch some television as I made my way to the kitchen, starting to prepare some supper for both of them as they relaxed from the theatre trip. I was wearing a red knee length dress and over the knee black fabric boots, my long brown hair falling over my bare shoulders.
I had managed to prepare the vegetables and put the pans on the hob when I heard a male voice say “hello- I hope you’re not going to scream and raise the alarm; the girls may not be too happy about that.”
I turned slowly round to see a man standing there, wearing casual clothes – and a stocking pulled down over his head. He was smiling as he said, “I see this is going to be a different game for you and the girls.”
“Where – where are my daughters?”
“Playing the game of Kidnapped Superstars – I have them already secure and quiet in the front room, so my job now is to take their minder in and make sure she stays with them – and does not spoil the illusion that this is a game you and your husband have arranged. Do you understand what I am saying?”
I understood all right, as I said, “they have not been hurt?”
“No - they’re excited actually. But I need to let you know, as I told them, supper will have to wait for the moment - so please, put down that knife, and then lean forward and put your hands behind your back.”
“I have your word you will not harm us?”
“You have my word,” he said as I put the knife down and inched forward before I put my hands behind my back, watching him as he walked behind me, and then feeling the rope on my bare wrists as they were secured tightly together. I then straightened up as he took a longer rope and used it to secure my arms to my sides, the ropes rubbing on my upper arms as the bands framed my chest.
The man then came round and knelt down in front of me, the rope contrasting with the black fabric as he secured my ankles together, and then my legs below my knees. Not that it made any difference to me anyway – I had not walked since the accident when I was ten, and the chair was my way of getting round.
“There we go,” he said as he stood up, and then took a roll of white tape and peeled a length off, pressing it down over my lips before he said, “let us join the superstars.” I nodded as he pushed me along the corridor and into the front room -and I saw Betty and Betsy sitting on the couch.
They both still had on their dark glasses, and their wool hats with the white pom-poms as ears – but they also had white tape over their mouths, as well as white rope round their ankles and their legs below their knees, the crimson suede of their over the knee boots lighter under the tight bands.
They were both wearing red jumpers – but while Betty had on a black pleated leather skirt, Betsy was wearing black leather pants with the lower legs tucked in their boots. Both had their hands secured behind their backs and roped round the arms and stomach to keep them in place there.
They watched as he parked the chair facing them and said “well I found your minder – she can’t raise the alarm either now. So you all stay here nice and quiet, while I send the ransom demand and we see what happens next.”
As he walked out of the room, I looked at my girls and said “huuhbfhhlrht?”
“Thhsmhm,” Betty said, “bhththtsfhnnhlhkths.”
“chnnuhhrrhs,” Betsy said, and I nodded as I said “jhsssththrhndwhllbhhnhlrht?”
They both nodded as I hummed a song for them, watching as the man came in and checked us, and then said, “I am going to collect the ransom – you will be free soon.”
I hoped it would not be too long as he left…
Bravery can also be found in grieving – just ask twelve year old Susan…
We stood in front of the grave, me wearing a grey poncho over a black top, black pants and knee length black boots, while my younger sister Eleanor was wearing a white jumper, a red skirt and brown knee length boots, a red and white tartan scarf round her neck.
We both watched as Mum stepped forward and put the wreath down against the headstone. She was wearing a black jumper and knee length leather skirt, and black knee length leather boots. We could both hear her crying – and truth to tell, we were crying too as we watched her put her hand on Dad’s gravestone, before she turned and led both of us away.
It had been a year – and as we walked to our car, we were not looking at anyone or anything else – especially the black van we walked past as the doors opened. It was a total surprise to us as were grabbed from behind, gloved hand pressed down over our mouths as we were pulled into the van and forced to lie face down.
I tried to scream – but something had been pressed down over our mouths as we were pulled in, some sort of tape that made it difficult to talk as our arms were pulled behind our backs. There was a ripping sound and then I felt something holding my wrists together behind my back, and then my ankles. I looked to each side to see masked men using silver tape to secure the wrists and ankles of Eleanor and Mum, and as Mum turned to look at me, I saw the silver tape over her mouth as well.
As the van moved off, we were turned over and sat up, more tape going round our arms and bodies before we were pulled against the wall of the van, watching whoever these men were as they stood and watched over us. I could hear Eleanor crying next to me, so I nudged her, and as she looked at me, I nodded and rubbed my arms against hers, trying to show her it was going to be all right.
Mum looked at both of us and did the same as well, although I could see the tears running down her cheeks. I tested my legs round and made my boots squeak, which made Betsy smile under the tape as she stared to do the same, and then Mum joined in, distracting us from lack of knowledge as to what was going on, what was happening.
And then the van stopped suddenly. The men looked at each other before one of them opened the door and was pulled out -and two women, dressed in black and masked, came in and fired darts at the remaining captors. As they fell unconscious, we were cut free and helped out to a waiting car, which took us home - but none of us had any idea who had rescued us, or even why this had happened in the first place…
The police had no idea either. Sometimes, it takes a mother and daughter together to be brave for a younger sister – as happened with Rebecca and Leah Gordon…
We had been for a walk on a Sunday afternoon – it was dry and not too cold, so I was wearing a black dress with a red scarf wrapped round my neck, black tights and knee length tan boots. My daughters – thirteen year old Leah and five year old Sharon – were wearing white dresses with a black pattern, and red sashes round their waist, as well as black knee high fabric boots. While Leah had on black leggings, Sharon was wearing red ones.
Anyway, we got home to find a surprise waiting for us – there was a man in our cottage, and not one we knew at all. The fact he was dressed in a grey sweatshirt and joggers, which had the letters HMP on the back and legs, told me enough – as did the way he looked at us, and then told us to sit down with our hands on our laps. He said he only needed somewhere to lay low for a few hours, and he would leave us alone – but then he asked me if I had any washing line.
Leah looked at me and Sharon, as Sharon began to shake and cry, so I held her and told her everything was going to be all right, and then told Leah she was to go with the man to the shed and show her where we kept the ropes and washing lines.
The man forced me to hand over my mobile phone and said if me or Sharon moved from the seat, there would be trouble, before he took Leah by the arm and they walked out of the room. Sharon buried her head into me as I held her, and I let her cry – it was better she got this out of her system now, if the man was going to do what I thought he was going to do.
I heard them come back, and sure enough he had lengths of the washing lien and rope in his hands – bit I also saw that Leah had her hands behind her back, and I knew what he had done. Sharon looked at her as she came over and asked her sister to look behind her back and see what the man had done to her. I saw the rope going around and between her wrists, but Sharon got off me and looked at her sister, running her fingers over the rope before she asked if it hurt.
Leah shook her head and said she had been brave, and she wanted Sharon to be brave as well, because the man was going to do the same thing to her and to Mum. I nodded and asked the man if he would do it to me first, standing up and turning so that Sharon could watch as he put the lengths of rope down, selected one and then bound my wrists tightly together. He then took Sharon’s hands behind her back, and we all talked together as he bound them in the same way.
Sharon wasn’t crying any more as she sat next to me, and Leah sat next to her, all of us watching as the man took more of the ropes and knelt down, crossing and binding my ankles tightly together, then Sharon’s and then Leah’s. He also tied our legs together below our knees, before he took the longest three lengths of rope and used one of them around Leah’s arms and stomach, making it more difficult for her to move.
He told Sharon she would be next, and she nodded as he further tied her up – and then for me he went to town, making two bands that held my arms against my sides and so that I can only really twist around.
He then asked the girls if they were thirsty – and when they both nodded, he left the room, as I told them how proud I was of them both for being so brave. When he came back in, he had two cartons of juice with the straws in, and he allowed them both to drink from them as he told me he would be changing and taking some of my husband’s clothes. I nodded – and then he took the scarf out from round my neck and gagged me with it, taking it twice round my head and tying the ends at the back of my neck.
For the girls, he took the sashes off from round their waist and gagged them in the same way he had gagged me, before he put Sharon on my lap and left the room. Sharon put her head against my chest and began to hum softly, as Leah pushed herself over and rested her head on my arm before joining in.
When the man came back, they were both asleep, but as he checked the ropes and gags, he apologized, and left us for my husband to find when he came home…
Finally today, Karen relates the bravery of her daughter and her friends…
Katy had invited three of her friends to come with the two of us for a visit to a local wetland and then to come home for a meal. She’s thirteen, and I can see her across from me, the pink bow in her long dark hair which is falling over her denim jacket, the pink top underneath and her leggings with pictures of licorice allsorts tucked into short grey boots with a dark grey heart on the side.
Next to her are her friends Fiona and Florence – twin girls, with brown headbands in their long light brown hair. Fiona is wearing a pink and white striped top with a large red heart on the front, dark pants and red Hunter wellington boots, while Florence was wearing a grey jumper with white doves, black leggings and silver Hunter boots.
Finally, there was Michelle, her long brown hair in two pigtails. She was also wearing a jumper, with a grey top half and a pink bottom half, but also there was a large heart on the front, black on the top and pink on the bottom. She was wearing pink jodhpurs, and black Ugg ankle boots.
As for me, I was wearing a black leather biker jacket over a light purple blouse, dark blue jeans and over the knee black leather boots. We had had a wonderful time at the wetlands and had come home – but the food had been delayed for good reason.
That had to do with the man who was kneeling next to Michelle, the young girl watching as he finished binding her wrists down to her legs. The girls were sitting in a line along the long couch, but on the floor – and they were all the same way. They had linked arms, and the man had bound their wrists together in front of themselves, with rope, then tied their ankles together as well as their legs below their knees, before bending their legs so the soles of their boots were on the floor, then tied their wrists down to the rope below their knees.
Who was this man? Well, truth is there were men – three of them, who surprised us as we came into the house and marched us at gunpoint into the front room. One of them was upstairs at the moment, having disconnected the telephone and collected our mobile phones.
And the third man? He had taken care of me – I was lying along a second long couch that was to right angles to the girls, looking at them from one end as I wriggled round. He had bound my wrists together behind my back and then passed rope round my upper body before I had sat down and he tied my ankles and my legs together below my knees. I was trying to remain calm – but the sight of the girls talking to each other and keeping each other calm helped me as well.
I could not say much in response, however – the man had pressed a length of brown sticking plaster down over my mouth and I could not really talk. I could only watch as one by one my daughter and her friends, were gagged in the same way, but they kept trying to move, the ropes squeaking as well as their boots -and I joined in to make that noise as well.
I had no idea why these men were holding us captive – they said nothing but just watched us as if they were waiting for someone. Eventually, one of them looked out of the window and nodded as they left the rear of the house – after they had turned the television on to a music channel/ it was only later we learned they had broken into the house next door from the rear and robbed them as well…
This has been In Their Own Words – until next time…
I was wearing a grey jumper and old jeans, tucked into knee length black biker boots, while my granddaughters were playing on the PlayStation. Tina was wearing a peach coloured sleeveless dress and black jeans, with holes in the knees, as well as knee length black quilted boots. Her younger sister Teri was wearing a pink gingham blouse with capped sleeves, and jeans with mid-calf patent black leather boots.
Anyway, we were just relaxing when this young and slightly aggressive young man burst into the room, with my carving knife in his hand, and looked at us as he said – well the actual words he used I could never repeat, but he told us in effect to stand up and put our hands on our heads.
I thought the girls were going to scream and he would hurt them – but to my surprise they said they would do what he said, and stood up, Tina looked at me and saying we would be all right.
I wondered why they were so calm - I was shaking inside, but I watched as the man walked over and stood behind me. The girls looked at me as I tried to smile, and then as he pulled my hands behind my back and I felt a thin nylon strip forcing my wrists together, the rasping sound as he did this making both the girls giggle. I then watched as he produced from a pocket mor plastic zip ties and secured the wrists of my granddaughters together behind their backs, before we were all ordered to sit on the floor in front of my couch.
We watched as he used more of the zip ties to secure our ankles together, but as I watched Tina and Teri they actually seemed to be taking it in their stride – even when he stuffed wash cloths into our mouths, their cheeks bulging out as I tried to talk to them with no understandable words coming out.
The man just left us there, as I rubbed my cheek on their heads and we tried to talk. The cloth was just getting wetter and wetter in my mouth, before I saw him running out of the front door – and then watched Tina as she pushed the cloth out of her mouth. She looked at me and said “We’re all right Gran – Mum and Dad play games like this with us all the time. Do you have some scissors?”
“Hnnmhhbhskht.”
“Gran – push the cloth out with your tongue.”
I pushed the cloth out and said, “in my basket – why?”
I watched her smile as she pushed herself over and looked over her shoulder as she fished out my scissors, and said “turn your back to me, I will cut you free and then we can call the police…”
When Zara was being bound by the intruder in her home, her one prayer was her girls would not come in. She was unlucky and yet very proud…
The woman was wearing a tight black sweater, leggings and ankle boots, gloves – and a stocking mask as she pulled the rope between my ankles and tied the ends off. I had come into the bedroom to put clothes away and found her stealing my jewels, And the gun she had pointed at me had proven – very persuasive.
So, there I was, with my wrists tied together and above my head, secured to the headboard, and ropes holding my legs together below my knees as well as my ankles. I was going to a party, so I was wearing a lime green sleeveless mini dress and white knee length boots.
I twisted my legs round as I watched her – it was a bit difficult to talk with the white tape pressed down over my mouth, but one thought was uppermost in my mind – and then my nightmare came true.
“MUMMY! LOOK AT US!”
I looked over to see my six year old daughters standing in the doorway. One of them was wearing a purple based paisley pattern top with one sleeve, a matching short skirt and hair band, and purple sweat bands on her wrists, as well as knee length white boots, the tops of socks that matched her outfit just visible. The other girl was wearing a long sleeved, knee length red, blue and white striped dress and red laced boots, a red ribbon tied in her hair.
The masked woman looked at both of them, and then at me, before she took them both by the hand and walked them over, before telling them to lie either side of me. They looked at me as she produced a ball of twine, and tied their wrists together in front of themselves, then took the twine down and tied their ankles together as well. She then finally pressed white tape down over their mouths as well, but they did not panic, did not cry, they just snuggled into me and fell asleep as we were left there…
Sometimes bravery comes from accepting there is nothing you can do, except keep everyone else calm. This was reflected in what happened to Hannah and her twin girls, Betty and Betsy…
I let my girls go into the front room to watch some television as I made my way to the kitchen, starting to prepare some supper for both of them as they relaxed from the theatre trip. I was wearing a red knee length dress and over the knee black fabric boots, my long brown hair falling over my bare shoulders.
I had managed to prepare the vegetables and put the pans on the hob when I heard a male voice say “hello- I hope you’re not going to scream and raise the alarm; the girls may not be too happy about that.”
I turned slowly round to see a man standing there, wearing casual clothes – and a stocking pulled down over his head. He was smiling as he said, “I see this is going to be a different game for you and the girls.”
“Where – where are my daughters?”
“Playing the game of Kidnapped Superstars – I have them already secure and quiet in the front room, so my job now is to take their minder in and make sure she stays with them – and does not spoil the illusion that this is a game you and your husband have arranged. Do you understand what I am saying?”
I understood all right, as I said, “they have not been hurt?”
“No - they’re excited actually. But I need to let you know, as I told them, supper will have to wait for the moment - so please, put down that knife, and then lean forward and put your hands behind your back.”
“I have your word you will not harm us?”
“You have my word,” he said as I put the knife down and inched forward before I put my hands behind my back, watching him as he walked behind me, and then feeling the rope on my bare wrists as they were secured tightly together. I then straightened up as he took a longer rope and used it to secure my arms to my sides, the ropes rubbing on my upper arms as the bands framed my chest.
The man then came round and knelt down in front of me, the rope contrasting with the black fabric as he secured my ankles together, and then my legs below my knees. Not that it made any difference to me anyway – I had not walked since the accident when I was ten, and the chair was my way of getting round.
“There we go,” he said as he stood up, and then took a roll of white tape and peeled a length off, pressing it down over my lips before he said, “let us join the superstars.” I nodded as he pushed me along the corridor and into the front room -and I saw Betty and Betsy sitting on the couch.
They both still had on their dark glasses, and their wool hats with the white pom-poms as ears – but they also had white tape over their mouths, as well as white rope round their ankles and their legs below their knees, the crimson suede of their over the knee boots lighter under the tight bands.
They were both wearing red jumpers – but while Betty had on a black pleated leather skirt, Betsy was wearing black leather pants with the lower legs tucked in their boots. Both had their hands secured behind their backs and roped round the arms and stomach to keep them in place there.
They watched as he parked the chair facing them and said “well I found your minder – she can’t raise the alarm either now. So you all stay here nice and quiet, while I send the ransom demand and we see what happens next.”
As he walked out of the room, I looked at my girls and said “huuhbfhhlrht?”
“Thhsmhm,” Betty said, “bhththtsfhnnhlhkths.”
“chnnuhhrrhs,” Betsy said, and I nodded as I said “jhsssththrhndwhllbhhnhlrht?”
They both nodded as I hummed a song for them, watching as the man came in and checked us, and then said, “I am going to collect the ransom – you will be free soon.”
I hoped it would not be too long as he left…
Bravery can also be found in grieving – just ask twelve year old Susan…
We stood in front of the grave, me wearing a grey poncho over a black top, black pants and knee length black boots, while my younger sister Eleanor was wearing a white jumper, a red skirt and brown knee length boots, a red and white tartan scarf round her neck.
We both watched as Mum stepped forward and put the wreath down against the headstone. She was wearing a black jumper and knee length leather skirt, and black knee length leather boots. We could both hear her crying – and truth to tell, we were crying too as we watched her put her hand on Dad’s gravestone, before she turned and led both of us away.
It had been a year – and as we walked to our car, we were not looking at anyone or anything else – especially the black van we walked past as the doors opened. It was a total surprise to us as were grabbed from behind, gloved hand pressed down over our mouths as we were pulled into the van and forced to lie face down.
I tried to scream – but something had been pressed down over our mouths as we were pulled in, some sort of tape that made it difficult to talk as our arms were pulled behind our backs. There was a ripping sound and then I felt something holding my wrists together behind my back, and then my ankles. I looked to each side to see masked men using silver tape to secure the wrists and ankles of Eleanor and Mum, and as Mum turned to look at me, I saw the silver tape over her mouth as well.
As the van moved off, we were turned over and sat up, more tape going round our arms and bodies before we were pulled against the wall of the van, watching whoever these men were as they stood and watched over us. I could hear Eleanor crying next to me, so I nudged her, and as she looked at me, I nodded and rubbed my arms against hers, trying to show her it was going to be all right.
Mum looked at both of us and did the same as well, although I could see the tears running down her cheeks. I tested my legs round and made my boots squeak, which made Betsy smile under the tape as she stared to do the same, and then Mum joined in, distracting us from lack of knowledge as to what was going on, what was happening.
And then the van stopped suddenly. The men looked at each other before one of them opened the door and was pulled out -and two women, dressed in black and masked, came in and fired darts at the remaining captors. As they fell unconscious, we were cut free and helped out to a waiting car, which took us home - but none of us had any idea who had rescued us, or even why this had happened in the first place…
The police had no idea either. Sometimes, it takes a mother and daughter together to be brave for a younger sister – as happened with Rebecca and Leah Gordon…
We had been for a walk on a Sunday afternoon – it was dry and not too cold, so I was wearing a black dress with a red scarf wrapped round my neck, black tights and knee length tan boots. My daughters – thirteen year old Leah and five year old Sharon – were wearing white dresses with a black pattern, and red sashes round their waist, as well as black knee high fabric boots. While Leah had on black leggings, Sharon was wearing red ones.
Anyway, we got home to find a surprise waiting for us – there was a man in our cottage, and not one we knew at all. The fact he was dressed in a grey sweatshirt and joggers, which had the letters HMP on the back and legs, told me enough – as did the way he looked at us, and then told us to sit down with our hands on our laps. He said he only needed somewhere to lay low for a few hours, and he would leave us alone – but then he asked me if I had any washing line.
Leah looked at me and Sharon, as Sharon began to shake and cry, so I held her and told her everything was going to be all right, and then told Leah she was to go with the man to the shed and show her where we kept the ropes and washing lines.
The man forced me to hand over my mobile phone and said if me or Sharon moved from the seat, there would be trouble, before he took Leah by the arm and they walked out of the room. Sharon buried her head into me as I held her, and I let her cry – it was better she got this out of her system now, if the man was going to do what I thought he was going to do.
I heard them come back, and sure enough he had lengths of the washing lien and rope in his hands – bit I also saw that Leah had her hands behind her back, and I knew what he had done. Sharon looked at her as she came over and asked her sister to look behind her back and see what the man had done to her. I saw the rope going around and between her wrists, but Sharon got off me and looked at her sister, running her fingers over the rope before she asked if it hurt.
Leah shook her head and said she had been brave, and she wanted Sharon to be brave as well, because the man was going to do the same thing to her and to Mum. I nodded and asked the man if he would do it to me first, standing up and turning so that Sharon could watch as he put the lengths of rope down, selected one and then bound my wrists tightly together. He then took Sharon’s hands behind her back, and we all talked together as he bound them in the same way.
Sharon wasn’t crying any more as she sat next to me, and Leah sat next to her, all of us watching as the man took more of the ropes and knelt down, crossing and binding my ankles tightly together, then Sharon’s and then Leah’s. He also tied our legs together below our knees, before he took the longest three lengths of rope and used one of them around Leah’s arms and stomach, making it more difficult for her to move.
He told Sharon she would be next, and she nodded as he further tied her up – and then for me he went to town, making two bands that held my arms against my sides and so that I can only really twist around.
He then asked the girls if they were thirsty – and when they both nodded, he left the room, as I told them how proud I was of them both for being so brave. When he came back in, he had two cartons of juice with the straws in, and he allowed them both to drink from them as he told me he would be changing and taking some of my husband’s clothes. I nodded – and then he took the scarf out from round my neck and gagged me with it, taking it twice round my head and tying the ends at the back of my neck.
For the girls, he took the sashes off from round their waist and gagged them in the same way he had gagged me, before he put Sharon on my lap and left the room. Sharon put her head against my chest and began to hum softly, as Leah pushed herself over and rested her head on my arm before joining in.
When the man came back, they were both asleep, but as he checked the ropes and gags, he apologized, and left us for my husband to find when he came home…
Finally today, Karen relates the bravery of her daughter and her friends…
Katy had invited three of her friends to come with the two of us for a visit to a local wetland and then to come home for a meal. She’s thirteen, and I can see her across from me, the pink bow in her long dark hair which is falling over her denim jacket, the pink top underneath and her leggings with pictures of licorice allsorts tucked into short grey boots with a dark grey heart on the side.
Next to her are her friends Fiona and Florence – twin girls, with brown headbands in their long light brown hair. Fiona is wearing a pink and white striped top with a large red heart on the front, dark pants and red Hunter wellington boots, while Florence was wearing a grey jumper with white doves, black leggings and silver Hunter boots.
Finally, there was Michelle, her long brown hair in two pigtails. She was also wearing a jumper, with a grey top half and a pink bottom half, but also there was a large heart on the front, black on the top and pink on the bottom. She was wearing pink jodhpurs, and black Ugg ankle boots.
As for me, I was wearing a black leather biker jacket over a light purple blouse, dark blue jeans and over the knee black leather boots. We had had a wonderful time at the wetlands and had come home – but the food had been delayed for good reason.
That had to do with the man who was kneeling next to Michelle, the young girl watching as he finished binding her wrists down to her legs. The girls were sitting in a line along the long couch, but on the floor – and they were all the same way. They had linked arms, and the man had bound their wrists together in front of themselves, with rope, then tied their ankles together as well as their legs below their knees, before bending their legs so the soles of their boots were on the floor, then tied their wrists down to the rope below their knees.
Who was this man? Well, truth is there were men – three of them, who surprised us as we came into the house and marched us at gunpoint into the front room. One of them was upstairs at the moment, having disconnected the telephone and collected our mobile phones.
And the third man? He had taken care of me – I was lying along a second long couch that was to right angles to the girls, looking at them from one end as I wriggled round. He had bound my wrists together behind my back and then passed rope round my upper body before I had sat down and he tied my ankles and my legs together below my knees. I was trying to remain calm – but the sight of the girls talking to each other and keeping each other calm helped me as well.
I could not say much in response, however – the man had pressed a length of brown sticking plaster down over my mouth and I could not really talk. I could only watch as one by one my daughter and her friends, were gagged in the same way, but they kept trying to move, the ropes squeaking as well as their boots -and I joined in to make that noise as well.
I had no idea why these men were holding us captive – they said nothing but just watched us as if they were waiting for someone. Eventually, one of them looked out of the window and nodded as they left the rear of the house – after they had turned the television on to a music channel/ it was only later we learned they had broken into the house next door from the rear and robbed them as well…
This has been In Their Own Words – until next time…
