Continues from part one
She lifted the cape up off my head and I hoped that would be the last of my ordeal. I squinted to see, in the well illuminated shop, as she placed the cape once more over the chair next to me. It rustled loudly and shimmered as it slid into position, the bright halogen lighting bouncing off it. It amazed me to think just a minute ago this apparently delicate looking silken cape had taken me to the edge of existence. My face was still bright red and perspiring from the ordeal as she picked up a towel to dry it.
“I’m going to release you from the chair in a moment, so catch your breath as I undo this cape from around you.”
I knew I’d only have a small respite, so I decided to keep quiet and concentrate on steadying my breathing once more as she unfastened the cape from my neck and revealed the various straps which had effectively held me firm in the chair.
“Looks like you gave quite a struggle,” she commented observing how the knots had tightened, “I was certainly correct in believing this cape was going to be necessary.”
“That was different.”
“Oh? How so?” she frowned.
I had barely opened my mouth to reply when suddenly she forced an entire wad of silk scarf into my mouth. I protested loudly, “Hmmmm!”
I was about to foolishly try and spit the bundle out when she pulled my head back in the chair by the hair and gave me a dangerous glare. I knew better than to push it, especially after my assurances of compliance. She then took the piece of silk which had gagged me the first time and wrapped it around my lower face twice before tying it in the back to ensure I remained muffled.
“I thought the original gag was a little too cruel, we’ve got quite a journey ahead of us and I need you to be absolutely quiet, which would have meant tying it much tighter than before. This way you remain as silent as a mouse, but without the pain.”
She walked behind me and looked at my bound form in the mirror. She proceeded to straighten the taut silk over my mouth but ensured my nose wasn’t covered. “I want you to be able to breathe dear...well...at least for now,” she wickedly smiled reaching over for the cape once more.
The cape rustled loudly as it was picked up and again I descended into total darkness, as it was placed gently back over my head. The rubber lining was still wet with my breath and the cape clung to my face with a cold clammy embrace. She of course was unconcerned with this, as she gleefully slid her hands against the soft silken exterior gathered around my neck. Even before she wrapped the silken ribbon around the cape, I felt the air thicken and breathing became laboured once more. The feeling of claustrophobia under the cape was more intense this time, perhaps due to the fact I knew what it was capable of and also because instead of soft rubber, I felt a slimy unwelcoming interior.
The feeling only grew worse as she wrapped the ribbon around my neck and pulled it together. I was dreading the prospect of not being able to breathe again, especially now as I had to contend with a mouth full of silk which forced me to inhale through my nose for the most part. The cape had now enclosed around my head once more but I was able to gain sufficient air without it clamping down tight across my face. Thankfully she had ensured there was a gap around my neck which she checked was the thickness of her finger all the way around before she started to fiddle and make her special slipknot.
“Can you breathe okay?”
Naturally I wanted to say no, as I had to concentrate and stay calm; every breath an effort but compared to total enclosure it was just about bearable, so I nodded I was fine.
“Great, now remember that from now on I’ll be holding onto the end of the ribbon. One little false move from you and I pull hard and within seconds you will suffocate, powerless to prevent it.”
I nodded again, indicating that I understood. Satisfied that she had a very effective deterrent system against me, she now went to work untying the various straps that had held in the chair, starting with those around my ankles. However, before proceeding up my legs, she re-tied the ends of one scarf around each ankle tightly, leaving a separation of just six inches, which meant I would only be able to make small hobbled shuffles once free of the chair. She really isn’t leaving anything to chance, I thought.
With the last strap undone, I was finally free of the chair and with her assistance I was able to stand up for the first time in hours. With my shoulders no longer firmly pinned against the chair, I was granted more movement in my arms and able to relieve a little of the stiffness in them. However, I was careful not to make any sudden or apparently struggling movements in case this alarmed her into thinking I was trying to escape. I must admit that I had an enormous sense of frustration once free of the chair. Indeed, if it wasn’t for the cape around my head, I certainly would have made a break for freedom right there and then.
Would I have succeeded? I just don’t know. I probably would have fallen over in my eagerness to get away, forgetting my feet were bound close together. That or she would have pushed me over and then leapt on top of me, and done goodness knows what to me in anger. Perhaps without the hindrance of being fixed to the chair, I might with some determination have been able to force my arms over my head and free myself from the straitjacket. Certainly, aided by the frictionless movement of silk on silk, I might have been able to succeed, if she hadn’t tied them too tightly. But then again, from my earlier struggles, I knew it would take more than a few seconds, and she wasn’t just going to stand there idly watching me Houdini myself free!
It was exasperating to know that just three pieces of silk came between me and freedom. First, the tightly bound scarf around my ankles that mercilessly dug into my flesh every time I tried to walk rather than shuffle; secondly the deceptively strong straitjacket which had quickly but effectively bound my arms and rendered me so helpless; and thirdly, the shampoo cape. It was this third item which I felt had completely defeated me. If it wasn’t for the trial, which I’d pleaded wasn’t necessary, I wouldn’t have understood just what a formidable deterrent it was. It wasn’t its ability to blindfold me which made it so effectual at restraint, but its sinister and at first hidden ability to prevent even the most determined person from even considering escape, let alone succeed. A combination of a sumptuous layer of apparently delicate silk and a thin layer of impervious rubber could induce, in seconds, the terrifying experience of asphyxiation which became a leveler for all, no matter how strong or skilful at escaping they were.
“Right then, we are going to head out back now, to my car. I’ll guide you slowly so take it easy. Remember, I’ve got you on a short leash, so we don’t want you tripping and falling over with unfortunate consequences, do we?”
I was completely at her mercy and thankful that she was guiding me, with one hand on my shoulder to give me balance in the darkness. We made slow progress to the back door of the shop and I heard her switching off the lights and prepping the alarm system. Before we ventured outside, she checked that nobody was around. It was dark and quite secluded at the back but she wasn’t going to take any chances of being spotted with this strange looking captive in tow.
Satisfied that the coast was clear, she now hurried me slightly to her nearby vehicle. I was wondering how she was planning to get me to her house without being spotted either in the passenger seat or less risky, lying down on the rear seat. I hadn’t counted that she would actually put me in the boot. My heart sank and I felt rather concerned given my position as I heard her insert the key and open the boot, perceiving her intention for me.
“You’re going to be placed in the boot,” she explained as I’d already figured, “I want you to turn around and slowly sit down.”
What I couldn’t see is that I was positioned right against the back of her car and as I squatted down, I found myself sitting on the edge of her boot.
“Just lean back slowly and lift your feet for me,” she instructed, “I’ve got you so you won’t fall.”
Satisfied that she was steadying me, I did as I was ordered and once off the ground, she grabbed my bound legs and swung them into the boot.
“Okay, nearly done,” she continued, “I’m just going to push you fully in.”
With that, I felt her full weight against my body and suddenly I slipped off the ledge and landed with a thump in the boot. Thankfully she had placed a thick cushioning on the floor, and despite having a jolt, I was unhurt.
“Wow, that went easier than I anticipated!” she breathlessly exclaimed, “Okay, lay down for me please and we’ll soon be underway.”
I wasn’t looking forward to being shut away but as I was already in darkness and struggling to breathe, I didn’t think my predicament could get much worse. Boy, was I in for a shock.
“Okay, listen carefully now as this is extremely important. I’m going to tie the end of the ribbon to your ankles. The reason I’m going to be doing this is simple. I can’t trust that you will remain still in there whilst I’m driving. I don’t want you kicking and throwing yourself around making a noise in an attempt to draw attention from passers by. This way I can assure that you remain perfectly motionless for the entire duration of the journey and we don’t have any incidents,” she clarified.
Now this really scared me. It was one thing to experience suffocating, but for the possibility it could happen alone when completely helpless petrified me. I looked up at her through the darkness with terrified eyes but I knew they would have had no affect on her. She bent my knees back and fastened the ribbon to the scarf holding my feet, putting me in quite a tight hogtied position.
“Now I trust you will remain perfectly still won’t you?” she asked, “The knot is quite easy to move and it won’t take much to cut off your air supply completely. However, if you behave yourself, there is absolutely nothing to fear.”
I wasn’t going to be foolish enough to struggle but what really concerned me was the prospect of being thrown around in the boot or an unexpected jolt that could cause a tug on the ribbon. To try and prevent that, I squeezed my legs back at far as they could go, ignoring the discomfort and tensed my muscles in an attempt to lock myself in a position where there was slack in the ribbon. She chuckled as she saw what I’d done, knowing the power over me she had. Satisfied with her measures for my transportation, she slammed the boot down and we departed as I prepared to face my next ordeal.
At first, I tried to gauge the journey we were undertaking. We turned out of the compound at the back onto the side street and I sensed we turned right onto the main road. However, after that I became lost. Without being able to guess the speed we were travelling, I was unable to determine which of the next streets we had turned off onto. None of the possible clues to the route made any sense giving the turns and stops we made. The only thing I could tell given the length of the journey which was about twenty minutes that we were out of town by a considerable distance and judging by the twists and bumps of the last leg of the journey, we had travelled down a narrow country road before coming off onto a gravel track.
Finally, I heard the engine stop and to my absolute relief, seconds later the boot was opened and even under the cape, I sensed cool fresh air. Despite my fears, I had survived the journey and not once did I detect the pulling around my neck of the ribbon. I was however incredibly stiff and in discomfort from my position and for the first time since she re-entered the shop that evening, I was happy to have her in my presence.
“Well, well, still with me I see? I’m most impressed how impeccably the cape has done its job. We’ve come all this way and you haven’t tried a thing since I untied you from the chair. Well done!” she said, mockingly.
Looking down at me hopelessly bound, she couldn’t resist running her hands across my confined body before she gently but cruelly squeezed the air out from under the cape; causing a few seconds of panic as I couldn’t breathe, the dampened rubberised silk clamped over my mouth a few times before mercifully enough air entered once more.
“Time to get you inside now,” she said, having had her fun at my expense; with that she untied the cord from my feet. The process of getting me out of the boot was a lot more difficult and time consuming than being put into it. If the roles had been reversed, I could have simply lifted her out of the car but she plainly didn’t have the strength; not even to push me up onto the ledge once more. Instead, the process involved alternatively quickly placing extra cushioning under my legs and body as I struggled to heave them up. Eventually, after what I thought was a futile operation, I had gained sufficient height to swing first my legs and then topple my body out with her assistance. The entire process had left me completely breathless and I struggled to regain composure, no thanks to the gag, which by now had completely absorbed all the moisture inside my mouth.
“Right, time to get inside now. There is nobody for miles around here so don’t even imagine a rescue. And for now, I’ll be holding onto the ribbon once more until you are secured again, so no silly business, understood?”
Slowly we shuffled to the front door, my feet dragging against the stone chips of her driveway. Soon I was inside her house and wondering what would come next. I was guided into what I assumed was her living room and there she positioned me with my back against a central pillar.
“This is where you will be staying tonight,” she explained, “I’m not prepared to chance you walking around my house, straitjacket or no straitjacket.”
I had been unaware that she had taken the pieces of silk which she had bound me to the chair with her but now I felt their application once more. First she wrapped one piece around my ankles, which were still bound anyway, and tied it tight behind the post. Next, she wrapped a second piece around my neck and secured it rather tight to the post as well. Thankfully she ensured it didn’t cross the cape but rather under my exposed neck so my breathing wasn’t hampered anymore than it already was. With me now firmly secured and unable to move, she was satisfied that my asphyxiating deterrent was no longer necessary and after a minute of fumbling to untie the knot, the ribbon came loose and she pulled the cape from my head.
“Now I have you securely in my home and my objectives for tonight have been met, I feel I can explain why you are here,” she said. I looked intently into her eyes, these words had caught my full attention. “Well, firstly I’ve had to keep you in the dark in more ways than one tonight, else you may have been rather less than cooperative despite the cape.”
I gave her a puzzled look wondering what on earth she was going on about.
“You see, you haven’t simply been randomly abducted by a crazy woman, this has all been carefully planned for some time now.” I had absolutely no idea what she was going on about and frowned intently at her.
“Let me introduce myself. I’m a very good friend of Jayne’s and she’s told me all about you. Now are you scared?” I had no idea who this Jayne was and concluded she was more nutty than I’d originally thought.
“When she told me what you are like and how you have hurt her, I started to devise a plan so revenge could be enacted. As first she was unsure, but after my guarantees of success, she was more than willing to see you pay for what you’ve done. In fact, it’s time I showed her just how pathetic you are.”
With that, she pulled out her mobile and with a wicked smile and the sound of a click, she took a photograph of my helpless position. “This is going to make her so happy,” she commented as she sent the picture to her friend, “What happens next to you will be up to her, I wonder what she’ll suggest? Hopefully something totally horrible as you deserve nothing less.”
I was petrified at what had just happened, now my fate was to be decided by someone on the other end of the phone. I was confused but she really did seem to think I knew this Jayne. I was frustrated that I couldn’t explain and so yelled desperately into my gag. She slowly stepped up indignantly towards me and then ran her finger across the tight silken expanse of my mouth. “Now hush please, try not to make things worse than they will be.” With that, she smiled cruelly and went into the other room leaving me to ponder my doom.
One thing I wasn’t prepared to do was simply stand there waiting for her to come back in to inform me of my fate. Although I was securely bound to the pillar at both the neck and feet, this was different from being in the chair. This time for starters I was able to see. More importantly was the fact that nothing was wrapped around my arms and with this omission, I felt I had the best chance of escape since my entire ordeal had started. I had already tried and rejected the brute strength option to burst free in the shop failing miserably, concluding that the silk was as strong as steel and the seams were equally resilient.
I quickly worked out that the quickest and best plan was to attempt to get my left arm over my right shoulder, the other arm was secured under my left armpit. I knew there would be a complication though; the band around my neck would prevent me from pulling my arm all the way over my head. I just hoped I would be able to pull the silken bond around to the front and then be able to work on undoing the knot. This I knew wouldn’t be easy given I wouldn’t be able to see the knot and secondly, the slippery action of silk on silk might prevent me from untying the knot and result in my downfall. A bow knot would be the simplest to undo but would she be that generous to me I wondered? First things first though, I had to work on getting my arm up.
Although she had tied me into the jacket within seconds at the shop, she had done a pretty good job of making my arms snug and secure. I tried to pull my arm up as far as it could go, hoping it would now reach my other shoulder. At first the silk slid effortlessly upwards but suddenly after just a couple of inches, I felt the sleeves tighten and the knotted strap dig into my back. I now took a deep breath and pulled with all my might, surely things must give? Another half inch was all I gained before I gave up in exhaustion, the sleeves crushing against my chest. It was then that I realised that by breathing in, I’d actually made things harder for myself. What I needed to do was to create as much slack as possible in the left sleeve before trying to get my arm over the shoulder.
I started by forcing my right arm as tight as I could around my body and then tugged on the other arm. Amazingly, I now had another inch or so of slack to work with. I tried again and after a painful exertion, almost managed to work the arm over but I couldn’t find that critical extra bit or so I still needed. I was so near I just couldn’t give up. Aware that breathing in had expanded my chest and made things somewhat tighter, this time I exhaled and squeezed my arms as tight as I could around my chest. I now made one final attempt for freedom. This time I was within a fraction of success pulling with all my might. I was becoming dizzy as my lungs craved for air but I just carried on tugging regardless. I pulled and pulled but the silk was unrelenting. If only I had that tiniest bit of extra slack, did she know precisely just how tight the sleeves really needed to be? On the verge of giving up as my face turned purple, I tried to pull my right shoulder down to see if it would go under the arm. Amazing, it actually worked! The tension in the sleeves was suddenly gone and for the first time in hours I had real movement of my arms.
I took a few moments to regain my breath and savour the victory. But I wasn’t free yet, I had to get the collar undone so I could properly release my arms. Time was of the essence, at any moment she could return and I’m sure she wouldn’t be pleased to see my escape attempt. Quickly, I reached for the collar and attempted to pull it around so I could access the knot. This proved time consuming as the silk kept sliding against itself but after a minute or so of frantic fumbling, I was finally able to feel the knot in my fingers. I felt around and discovered that the knot had two small loops in it, she had actually done a slipknot much to my relief. I felt for one of the ends and pulled expecting the band to unravel around my neck with ease.
Instead, my encased finger and thumb slithered across the band which refused to come undone. I tried again and the same result, the knot remained secure. More friction was required so on the next attempt I grasped the band between all my fingers and palm and squeezed tightly before giving a slow firm tug. The silk went tauter this time but after a small amount of resistance, the fabric began again to slide through my hand with a rustle but the knot staying tied. What had occurred during all my struggling to free my arm was that I had been straining against the binding around my neck, unaware that I had been tightening the knot.
Now it would require a firm grip to undo it. It was unfortunate for me that the scarf wasn’t longer than it was. The ends were too short to try and wrap around my hand or attempt to grasp with my teeth. The only other thing to try was to see if I could reach the zip at the back. I stained my arm around and although I could tentatively feel the zipper, that was my limit. There was no way to dislodge it, the sleeve was at its limit and I couldn’t move my hand down. I had defeated myself.
It was at this moment that there was the sound of footsteps, and I knew I was in trouble. I was still quite effectively bound and as helpless as ever. “I’m awfully sorry, I don’t know where to begin...” I heard as she walked head down into the room looking rather pale. She slowly looked up and in a blink her countenance changed. Her eyes flashed and she went wild with anger. She gave a high pitched squeal as she pounced towards me, grabbing the cape and the scarf which had been used to secure it on the way.
I dreaded to contemplate what awaited me now...
Continues in part three