01 - Kidnapped?
Story index at the bottom
By James
Sunday, September 16th 2001 - 09:33:24 AM
Kidnapped?
Reading the story of Karen brought back some personal memories.
I lived in a large apartment complex in Phoenix, Arizona, back in the 1960s. There were batalions of children, many of them my age (about 12) roaming the complex and I was seldom without something exciting to do.
One warm evening (and there were a lot of those in Phoenix!) I was dashing about, dressed in sneakers, t shirt and short shorts (I had out grown about everything and my shorts were no different), taking part in some massive undertaking. I don't recall exactly what it was now. The whole thing reminds me now of the swift, fluid, movements of herds of gazelles, dashing to and from on the African plain, first this way, then that way... I wonder where I got the energy from.
During one of those erratic movements, I abruptly found myself alone in one corner of the complex, my compadres having veered off in another direction. I stopped, momentarily misoriented (yeah, lost is a good word) and listened as the shouts of the other children faded into the inky night around me.
Where had everyone gone?
Before I could answer myself, a shadowy figure emerged from out of the darkness in front of me. She appeared to be a young woman, in her early 20s (maybe) and I remember squinting at her, as her appearance seemed odd.
Now were this scene to act itself out in today's world, yes, I would have been stricken with terror and would have fled immediately, but back then, our apartment complex was very much like a small town. Everyone knew everyone else and children weren't frightened of adults they encountered, mostly because we knew them all. How very different our world is now. But I digress...
As I said, I squinted at the approaching figure, then laughed. "You look funny!" I remember saying to her with a laugh, not meaning any disrespect. I am not certain to this day, but I think perhaps she had pulled panty hoes over her head to distort her face. Really.
Right now you are thinking the alarm bells should have gone off and I should have beat feet out of there, but it was a different world then. I didn't recognize the young woman, but suspected I knew her.
The young woman laughed too. "Oh do I now?" We both laughed.
"Okay, you little stinker," she said to me. "Turn around and close your eyes. Put your hands behind you."
I laughed again and promptly complied, spinning about, crossing my hands behind my back and shutting my eyes tightly.
You're right. I was very trusting, but as I have pointed out numerous times already, we lived in a different world then.
I felt my wrists being tied securely behind my back and couldn't resist a stiffled giggle. Tie up games were not at all unusual in our complex and to me, this was just another game. I do recall, though, beginning to wonder who it was that was tying my hands behind my back. Perhaps I didn't know her. Still, I didn't feel threatened.
"Keep those eyes shut!" she told me in a firm, but gentle and friendly tone, as I felt her complete the tying of my wrists.
"I can't see,"I assured her, then choked back another giggle. Moments later, I felt something being bound over my eyes and milliseconds later, I could see nothing but absolute darkness. "now I really can't see," I proclaimed, tilting my head back slightly to determine if I could see beneath the blindfolded that now securely covered my eyes. I couldn't. "Who are you?" I finally asked.
A strange time to ask, I think you'll agree. I had just allowed someone I didn't really know to blindfold me and tie my hands behind my back. As I said earlier, I was a very trusting child.
TO BE CONTINUED
James
United States
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Sunday, September 16th 2001 - 05:39:46 PM
If you read my last entry, you know that I had been bound and blindfolded by a mysterious young woman who had done something to alter her appearance. Still, I felt no sense of alarm.
"Who are you?" I asked her again when there came no answer to my first query. I turned about to face her and again tilted my head back in an effort to catch of glimpse of my captor, but the blindfold fit snuggly and I could see nothing. I tugged at my hands and found them tied securely. Whoever she was, I decided, this woman knew how to tie up kids.
"It's okay, honey," I heard her gentle voice say and I felt a pair of reassuring arms around me, gently turning me back around. The momentary uncertainty I had felt melted away and I broke into a wide grin.
"You're kidnapping me aren't you?"
We did that kind of thing all the time in the complex, so I decided to play along, figuring that's what was going on.
"Just for a little while," I heard the soothing voice say, and I felt those gentle arms turn me about. "Cmon." She started to lead me away. I stumbled in my sightlessness, but she caught me.
"Where we going?"
"Now would I have you blindfolded if I wanted you to know that?" my captor said with a gentle laugh.
"I guess not," I said after a moment, then turned my head to smile up at her. "But I gotta be home by 9." When she did not respond, I remember feeling a little uneasy again. Was she REALLY kidnapping me? If so, I might not be home for a long, long time. I decided to play along. I tugged at my hands once more and again, found them tightly tied. What choice did I have?
"Hey, you naughty little stinker. You're not trying to get away on me are you?" I laughed aloud, partly because she called me a stinker again and partly because I knew she had caught me. Whoever this lady was, she was good.
James
USA
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Monday, September 17th 2001 - 03:17:15 AM
CONTINUING ON WITH my story...
We walked for what seemed like a long time, her with her arms wrapped carefully about me, me stumbling in my blindness occasionally. I didn't know, but she seemed to be in a hurry. Whenever I stumbled, she gently righted me, uttered some comforting words, and we went on. Kids know when you're the kind of person who is going to hurt them. Deep down they know. And my instincts told me I had nothing to fear from this mystery woman who had disguised herself, then made sure I couldn't identify her. I laughed a few times, and was actually beginning to enjoy myself, to enjoy all the attention I was getting too.
Finally, she stopped me. The ground beneath me felt soft and yielding and judging by the cool breeze I felt blowing on my long, bare legs, we were in a large open field.
"Wait here sweetheart," she said to me gently. I smiled, nodded and promised I would. Where else was I going to go in my situation?
Where was I?
I stood patiently, listening intently as I heard her soft footsteps move away and be swallowed up in what seemed like the vast openness around me. Don't recall how long she was gone, but it seemed like awhile. Even thought I knew it was useless, I tugged slightly on the bonds that held my hands behind me, then giggled. I guess, by then, there was something comforting about some things being predictable. She had bound me tightly and there was no way I could get free. Another brief attempt at peering under the snuggly fitting blindfold that encircle my eyes proved equally futile. She had, I decided, in fact, kidnapped me and I was at her mercy, but as I already said, my instincts told me this woman would do me no harm. I was actually beginning to enjoy my little adventure.
James
Monday, September 17th 2001 - 04:56:57 PM
And the story continues
Sorry this is taking so long, y all, but this was, after all, a long time ago and it's taking some effort to remember it all or to come close.
So there I stood, tightly tied and blindfolded, the wind whipping past me, cooling my bare arms and legs. Except for the unceasing wind, I heard nothing at all for what seemed like awhile. Where was this gentle soul who had so cleverly conned me into a kidnapping?
"Where are you?" I finally called out and again tried vainly to look beneath my blindfold. Nothing. The wind gusted and some grains of sand stung my barren legs and I winced. Sometimes we had sandstorms and I had begun to wonder if one was about to start. I was in an awful predicament if one did.
"hey!" I called out again and for the first time, begin to feel twinges of panic. The imagination does crazy things to you when you're blindfolded that long. Was this whole thing just a big prank? Had some of my friends conned this woman into bringing me...heaven knew where, and just leaving me there, tied, blind, and quite helpless? Worse yet, what if someone who wasn't so genteel as my captor came along, saw me standing there and decided to snatch me away? There wasn't a thing I could do if they did. A 12 year old child (or anyone for that matter) feels very helpless in a situation like that. In rising desperation, I tugged once again at the bonds that held my hands behind my back. Useless. My struggles didn't even seem to loosen my bonds at all. What had she used to tie me up with? I had been tied up many a time in other encounters in the complex, but never this tightly, never this well.
What was that? With the wind whipping about me, I couldn't be certain, but I thought I heard an automobile start up. I strained to listen but heard nothing more. In my sightlessness, my imagination began to get the best of me again. Clumsily, hesitantly, I took a few halting steps in the direction I thought I had heard my captor go in, feeling gingerly in front of me as I went. The blowing sand once again stung my bare legs. Suddenly, my adventure was becoming a nightmare. Then I heard it. I was sure this time...
TO BE CONTINUED
James
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Monday, September 17th 2001 - 07:08:26 PM
The continuing story
I halted in my tracks and strained to hear, but the howling winds interfered again. We must be having a sandstorm, I decided, then started feeling my way once more with my feet, doing something I would normally do with my hands, but with those bound tightly behind my back, I had to make do.
There it was again! Yes! I was sure. I heard a car engine and it was getting closer by the moment. Was it my "kidnapper" or (and I swallowed hard at the thought), someone else? If so, how would they react to seeing a blindfolded twelve year old with his hands tied behind his back? Would they laugh? Or would they just toss me into their car and carry me away? I stopped and stood waiting, rigid and anxious. My instincts told me to try and move away, to flee, but how could I? I couldn't see a thing! What else could I do but await my fate?
"Now where do you think you're going?" I heard a familiar voice say with a gentle laugh. I could hear the idling engine of a car clearly by then and it seemed like it was right next to me.
"Where did you go?" I heard myself say, partly in indignation, but mostly in relief.
"What?" the soothing voice said. "Did you think I was going to leave you out here?"
"Where am I?"
There was that gentle laugh again. I heard a car door open. "Cmon," she said and she placed her arm around me again, carefully guiding me.
"What?" I asked attempting to peer under my blindfold and again being unable to. "Where we going?"
I felt myself being eased into a sitting position. She was putting me into a car, that was plain, and that should have set off the alarm bells, but somehow it didn't. I guess I was so glad to see...er...hear her again, that it didn't matter. I heard a car door slam and sensed a leather of a car seat beneath my legs. Moments later, my captor slid in next to me and I felt a reassuring pat on my knee.
"Did you really think I was going to leave you?"
"I didn't know," I told her. "I couldn't see anything and I couldn't hear you anywhere and...." My voice broke a bit and I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.
There was another reassuring pat on my bare knee. "I'm sorry it took me so long, sweetie," she said. "The car was stuck in the sand and I had to get it out. Took me longer than I thought. I didn't mean to scare you."
"Don't leave me by myself again," I pleaded. "Please." I hesitated, then said what was really on my mind. "Somebody bad might have decided to kidnap me and then..." My voice trailed off into silence. I couldn't even voice that thought. This woman did not mean me any harm. I knew that. Someone else? That could be a different story. "Please don't let me by myself again...." It was a plea, not an ultimatum.
"I promise," she said after a few moments. I could feel myself relax. The anxiety faded away. "What? Me let someone else snatch you?" There came that familiar laugh again. "With those sexy legs of yours? Not a chance!"
I laughed aloud myself. No one had ever said anything like that to me before. I felt the sense of adventure return.
TO BE CONTINUED
James
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Monday, September 17th 2001 - 11:01:10 PM
And the story goes on...
The car lurched forward and I strained into the darkness, trying to figure out what was happening next. The relief of being back with my "kidnapper" far overshadowed any anxiety I felt about being bound and blindfolded and riding to parts unknown.
"You've never been kidnapped before?" I heard her ask me. I shook my head.
"Not really," I told her, unsure exactly how to answer the question. Oh sure, the kids in the complex were all the time tying one another up and taking each other prisoner, but it was the first time an older person was involved. Was she ever good at it, too. None of the kids I knew could tie me up so tightly. Usually, I could work myself free after awhile, but this time - well, I was going to be her prisoner until she decided to let me go. I wondered what time it was.
I don't remember how long we drove around. When you're 12 years old and blindfolded, time loses its continuity, the seconds, minutes, even hours blend together. I couldn't be sure, but it didn't seem like there was much traffic on the route we took. I recall hearing maybe two other cars and wasn't even sure about that. I smiled to myself when I thought of what it must look like to someone passing by, with me sitting in the car blindfoled and my hands behind my back. My kidnapper must have noticed.
"What are you up to?" I heard her ask.
"Huh?"
"You're smiling," she said. "You planning something?"
I could only laugh. "No," I assured her.
The car slowed and I felt us go over what felt like an entrance to a driveway. The car stopped and I heard the engine cut off. I turned my head in her direction, smiled and listened. Whereever we were, we had arrived.
"Okay, stinker," she said and patted me on the leg. I giggled. "We're here."
"Where?"
"My hideout, of course," came the reply. Hideout? How exciting! I broke into a wide grin. "You okay?"
"Uh huh!" I replied with a sense of rising excitement. A kidnapper with a real hideout. How much better could it get than this?
James
Wednesday, September 19th 2001 - 05:04:43 PM
The story goes on
So there I sat, atop what felt like a wooden stool, securely blindfolded, and my hands tied behind my back, and I was utterly delighted.
Most would find that utterly strange. Looking back now, I have to wonder myself, but me being 12 at the time, partially explains it. But who needs explanations? Who needed them then? I had been lured away, bound, blindfolded, and spirited away by someone I didn't remember seeing (or hearing) before and was having the time of my life.
We made another attempt at irrigating me, this time with a little more success. My host told me exactly when the water was coming and she was a bit more careful not to flood my tonsils out of my head.
"Are you comfortable, sweetie," she asked me after a bit.
"Huh?" comfortable? Me? Was I supposed to be? After all, I WAS being kidnapped.
"You don't hurt do you?" I shook my head. I felt her pat me gently on the sides of my long, gangly legs, then sensed her smoothing my blindfold over my eyes.
"I can't see," I assured her.
"Good," she replied, matter-of-factly, "We wouldn't want you to see anything now would we?"
"No!" I said with some conviction. As I said earlier, that would have spoiled everything. She circled around behind me and I felt her tugging on my hands. "Don't untie me!" I objected. I guess I thoroughly enjoyed being at the total mercy of this mystery women that I found to be so gentle and kind.
"Oh I won't," she said, then laughed again. she hand't done that in awhile. "You let me know if that starts to hurt or gets too loose, okay?" I readily agreed. Breaking my hands free, at that point, would have broken the spell too. And I was just having too much fun to allow for that.
My host moved about the...wherever we were (I never did see anything while there), doing something, I didn't know what. She was careful to always let me know where she was and every once in awhile, would just make small talk with me. We talked about everything from school (I would be in 7th grade that year) to whether I had a girl friend. That was at a time in history when preteens still thought girls had cooties. Well, I did...all except this wonderful person who had kidnapped me, of course.
Time slipped past and I was enjoying my interactions with this kind person so much that I hardly noticed and didn't even think to ask what time it was. As I had told her, at the beginning of this adventure, I had to be home by 9. I would be in deep Dutch if I wasn't. It never occurred to me that she would not release me before the appointed time. Nothing occurred to me, such fun was I having being the captive of this young lady.
We chatted. She patted me on my arms and legs a few times and used some of those pet names I mentioned earlier. I beamed and giggled, as a silly 12 year old (back in those days anyhow) would do. And rather than scaring me, the whole encounter gave me a warm feeling inside, one I hadn't know in...well, a long time.
I don't really know how long I sat on tht sat, bound and blindfolded, reveling in my situation. Eventually, she carefully got me down and guided me to somewhere else in her abode. She had me cross my legs and sit upon the floor. There was carpet underneath me. I tilted my head back and tugged lightly on my hands. Satisfied that I was still secured bound and that I could see absolutely nothing, I relaxed to away the next event in my adventure. What was she up to this time?
TO BE CONTINUED
James
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Thursday, September 20th 2001 - 03:47:26 PM
the continuing story
I sat cross legged on the carpet (it felt like carpet) for a few minutes, and then when I got to feeling uncomfortable, I asked my host if I could stretch my legs out. She helped me prop myself against something (a wall I think) and I stretched out my gangly, bare legs in front of me. Ah, that felt better!
"I have someone who wants to meet you," she told me.
"Huh?" I tilted my head back as if to see under the blindfold, but could still see nothing but dark. Meet me? There was someone else in on this little escapade? I heard footsteps moving away and then a door opened and closed. "Who is that?" I asked, straining to hear.
"meet Calico," my host said and I felt something fluffy sitting atop my bare legs. What???!!! Whatever it was hesitated, then circled up and lay down in between my legs. I heard my host laugh.
"I guess she thinks you have sexy legs, too," she said. I beamed. It was the second time she had told me that. No one ever said had before.
"What is it?"
My host laughed yet again. "You don't know what a cat feels like?"
"I don't know," I laughed back. "I can't see."
"Wanna see her?"
I hesitated, then said "No!" emphatically. Under no circumstances did I want my blindfold removed. The mystery of this whole experience was exhilerating and seeing anything would spoil it. I tugged at my hands to be certain they were still tied securely. They were. I relaxed again, secure in my captivity.
"She likes you!" I heard my host say. The cat still lay in the crook of my legs above my knees.
So we sat, for awhile, me, my kidnapper and her cat. The conversation turned to whether I had any pets and that made me think of home.
"What time is it?" I asked her.
"Oh, that's right. You have to be home don't you? When?"
"Nine."
My host was silent for a few moments. "Well," she said, finally, "I guess we better get you back. It's almost eight thirty."
My heart sank a bit. I was really enjoying this, but knew I had better be home on time. Mu alcoholic mother would probably be drunk by now and would be most unpleasant if I were even a few minutes late.
"Well, I guess that stinks, doesn't it?" she said.
"Yeah," I agreed.
"Cmon Calico," I heard her say and I felt her lift the feline from betwixt my gangly legs. The cat seemed to resist. "We gotta get James home."
"Can you kidnap me again tomorrow?" I asked hopefully.
I heard the gentle laughter again. "I don't know. That might be hard."
"Why? I wanna be kidnapped. I'll even meet you in the same place." There was silence as I felt myself being helped to my feet. I had the awful sense that the answer would be no.
Next time...FINALLY, the conclusion
James
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Thursday, September 20th 2001 - 06:09:26 PM
To James
Nice story, but... What exactly does "gangly" mean??
Andy_V
andy_v@mediacomm.it
Italy
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Friday, September 21st 2001 - 08:33:35 PM
Kidnapped? The Conclusion
"Gangly" refers to something that is long and, sometimes, a tad bit clumsy. At age twelve, I had long legs, which, I was told, were accentuated by the short shorts I liked to wear back then.
My host stood me up and my gangly legs wobbled a bit, from having sat for awhile. I felt her check over my bound hands, retying them a bit. I remember wiggling my fingers a bit and beaming.
"Time to take you home, I guess," she said. She gently guided me. I heard a door open and we retraced my uncertain steps out what felt like a portral. I stumbled a bit as we stepped through the threshhold and when she caught me, I laughed.
Things seemed to happen rapidly then. In what seemed like moments, I found myself seated in a car, again with my kidnapper helping me to get comfortable.
"This has been fun," I heard myself say, staying the obvious.
"For me too," she said. I hesitated, then asked "Can we do it again tomorrow?"
My kidnapper closed the door of the car, went around and got into her side of the car. The engine rumbled to life. We started the trek back to where I had come from. I still had no idea where I was or where I had been, but the mystery had made the whole experience fun.
We rode awhile in silence, then I sensed the car slowing down. I felt a twinge of sadness. Soon my adventure would be ending. The car halted, the other door opened and a few moments later my door opened. I smiled in the direction I imagined my kidnapper to be. I felt a gentle pat on my knee.
"You're a sweet kid," I heard her say and I thought I heard some sadness in her tone too. I felt myself being hoisted out of my seat. "Cmon, stinker. Let's take you back." It seemed as though we were crossing that big field again, as I felt the wind blowing although not nearly so hard as it had. Just as before, my captor's arms cradled me and led me carefully.
"Who are you?" I finally asked her. I guess I knew it was futile to ask. If she had wanted me to know who she was, she would have removed my blindfold long before then. She had not and the adventure had been that much greater because I couldn't see a thing throughout.
We walked awhile and then she stopped me. She indicated she wanted me to sit down. I heard her sit down next to me.
"You okay sweetie?" I beamed, indicating I was. "You think you can get yourself untied?" I shook my head. There came that gentle laugh again.
"You tie people up real good," I told her. I sensed her crawling around behind me and felt my hands being loosened.
"Can you do me a favor?" she asked me. I nodded. My hands were free. It felt strange. "Don't take off your blindfold for awhile, not till I'm gone. Can you do that for me?"
"Sure." I heard her get to her feet. "Thank you," I said, then giggled. How many children would thank their kidnappers? There came an awkward silence as I sat, still blindfolded, rubbing my wrists.
"I'm sorry," she said. "Did I hurt you?" I shook my head vigorously.
"I had fun," I told her. "Can we do it again?"
I heard her laugh once more. "Not tonight," she said. "Besides, it's almost 9. I better get going. No peeking now. Not til I am gone." I agreed. "See ya!" I laughed at the irony of the statement. What would it feel like to see again after being blindfolded so long? She patted me on the knee once more and then there was nothing but silence.
True to my pledge, I sat blindfolded for some time and would have sat longer, but feared 9 o clock might sneak up on me, and I knew if I were late getting home, there would be hell to pay. At last, I removed my blindfold. When my blurred vision cleared, I realized that I was just about where the adventure began, only it seemed quieter. Gone were the shouts of the legions of children that had accompanied me just before I was whisked away. I glanced about but didn't see anyone. My gentle kidnapper was gone.
I got home barely in time. My drunken Mother was passed out at the kitchen table and my step father asleep in front of the television. Drat! My adventure could have lasted longer if only I had known.
I never did mention the incident to my parents although I did find it challenging to conceal the scratches and scrapes on my wrists. My kidnapper had bound me pretty tight and it showed. I doubt she meant to cause me injury, but merely wanted to be certain I was tied securely. And, truthfully, I had enjoyed the experience more that way.
I didn't talk about it much among my friends. After all, I had reasoned, how many would believe me?
I never did see my gentle kidnapper again or, at least I don't think I ever did. She made certain sure that I didn't see a thing while she had me. I think I would have recognized her voice though. The smooth, gentle sound of the voice is still with me today. Some might view what she did as a violent act, but I never did think of it like that. The memories still engender a warm feeling, even after almost half a century.
My legion of friends and I staged other kidnappings, other adventures, but none were nearly so memorable as this one was.
About a year or so later, the younger sister of one of my "gang," claimed to have been blindfolded and spirited away by a kind spoken lady. Sandy was 8 or 9 and was a cute little blonde who, like me, enjoyed wearing short shorts and also had fairly long, shapely legs. The others didn't take her story seriously (she told a lot of people) because Sandy was a sweet kid, but given to exaggerating. I, myself, after hearing her description of her experiences, wasn't so skeptical, particularly after she showed me the slight bruises on her wrists and said something about having a cat crawl around on her bare legs. Yup...
James
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Saturday, September 22nd 2001 - 02:46:05 PM
Thanks so much, James: real interesting.
I hate to tell you this, but I'm sure the cat is long gone by now.
Also, your friend has quite likely been in jail at least a time or two, since you met her.
It's really sad; I feel sorry for her. I bet you do, too.
Janet
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Sunday, September 23rd 2001 - 04:33:01 AM
You're probably right, Janet, which may account for why I never saw or, rather, heard from this person again. I am certain that some parent would misunderstand her intentions and not take kindly to having their child "snatched" in this manner and alerted the authorities. Speaking personally, for myself, I would never resort to doing anything like this.
But as I said during the story, it was a different time, a different place, and I saw the whole event through the innocent eyes (well, until I was blindfolded) of a child.
You know, looking back now, I do feel kind of sorry for her. I really knew nothing about her or her circumstances, but if her cat was her only companion, the woman was probably a very lonely and, perhaps, confused person. She never did me any harm and I do not think she would have, but I can readily understand how tying and up and blindfolding a child and carrying them off in the night could get her into deep deep trouble.
And yes, you're right, Janet. The cat is long gone by now. And that's just as well. I've never been a cat person and my pet bird would not appreciate it if I were.
James
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James's stories
- 01 - Kidnapped? (F/m)
- 02 - Sandy the "pest" (mm/f)
Index of all stories in the "Archive for Everyone" section
